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If I BER, ZF or Z/BER'd or anything like that a condemned rifle, it was marked as such in yellow paint (usually with blank firing adaptor yellow paint) with the letters as we have seen often enough on this forum. After all, if it wasn't marked distinctly, how would the blanket stackers at Ordnance know what category it was...................?
There could still be something out of spec. That's just my uneducated guess. I have a 1943 "T" that I've talked about here before that's got a worn bolt runway and is marked with both the yellow splotch of paint and ZF on the buttstock. It also looks like it was used very little after it's last FTR in 54-55 and is matching throughout down to the chest, scope case and Mk.3 scope which is the last of four it's had in it's service life. It was obviously culled because of the worn receiver. You'd think it should have been culled before it was FTR'd but.... I can still shoot it carefully and it shoots perfectly like yours but I have others so I don't shoot it anymore. Like I said before, the MoD specifications were cut and dried. It doesn't mean these rifles can't still be enjoyed by collectors on the target range. There's a big difference between leisure shooting and carrying a rifle into combat ops. A good friend told me once that should I feel a bit unscrupulous I should clean the ZF and yellow paint, (it even has a nasty run in it!), off and flog it on as perfect. Then he proceeded to tell me that I should have my *** kicked if I do that because it destroys the history of the rifle from 1943 when factory new on to the end of it's long service life when surplused into the civilian market. Tasty food for thought.
Hello Gents The yellow paint being were it is and no marks and all things considerd,I feel safe to fire the weapon. Next stop 300 yrds. then 4 and 5 I want to thank everyone who chimed in, its been my pleasure to hear from you guys. hey Peter, I have your books nice reading. I also have Ian's British Sniper it's all good stuff. Later