Printable View
There's small "A" in a circle on most of the parts of a 1950 LB CNo4Mk1* that I was looking over this evening. No book refs that I could find regarding these, I suppose its just an odd inspector's stamp, yes?
( Its even just below the S/N. )
(Not a "C" w/ broadarrow, I'm not that blind, yet, I hope!!!)
It is actually an A inside a C and stands for Canadian Arsonals. After WWII the name of the Crown Corp. that made Long Branch No4's etc. was changed from SAL (Small Arms Ltd.) to Canadian Arsonals.
Time to break out the magnifying lens. "You gotta be tough to get old," my aunt always told me...
:beerchug:
With thanks to ~Angel~, one of these added to the Canada - Milsurp Knowledge Library (click here) a few years ago ...
These "Canadian Arsenal" marks should be all over most components on the rifle.
http://photos.imageevent.com/badgerd...20_Medium_.JPG(Click PIC to Enlarge)http://photos.imageevent.com/badgerd...20_Medium_.JPG
1950 C No.4 Mk1* Long Branch Rifle (click here)
Regards,
Badger
Shots of the CA mark.
[Note I removed the incorrectly posted WWII "C" / Broad arrow and replaced with A in C roundel.]
Yup, that's them. Still can't find mention of them in any of my books.
As most are on curved surfaces or are just incomplete, it didn't occur to me that the ROUND character surrounding the "A" was a "C". Like Badger's photo above, the "C" is usually interrupted on the LH side as well, especially on flat surfaces.
This all leads to another question: Why are the "new" mags ( marked with the above symbol) in these rifles so wretched looking in general? They are usually brown and old looking even in otherwise "newish" rifles.
BTW, limpetmine, your right photo isn't the mystery character! Its the familiar "C" broadarrow.
The picture on the right is the clearest picture I have of the CA brand. The one on the left, fully round, is the tiny one that is on lots of the metal parts, magazines and some wood. The one on the right is found on forestock and butt stocks; I have examples of these.
I've seen dozens of the 1949/1950 magazines with the brown patina; too many to say it's not right. I speculate that they used a weak batch of parkerizing. You will note, too, that they are often the folded bottom type, with a unwelded seam, very different that the earlier Long Branch type magazine.
Which poses a question: Did LB make their own magazine bodies during the war? Did they not later? Who was the vendor used in the last run(49/50)? Why the change of style?
Is there any chance you could have confused your photo on the right with another one on your computer?Quote:
Originally Posted by limpetmine
When I click on it to enlarge it is clearly the classic C-Broad Arrow Canadian property mark/inspection stamp as used through out WWII. It is not at all uncommon to see post WWII Long Branch rifles with these WWII produced parts as there was vast inventories of parts on hand when production ceased at the end of WWII. It is my understanding that as production was being wound up in 1949 that any parts that were not yet in production would be substituted with parts held in inventory. Later as production was winding down and as newly made parts would run low parts would again be pulled from inventory to keep the production line running. Of the examples I’ve managed to view this seems to be born out as many of the rifles in the 91L to low 92L and then the 95L serial number ranges have a higher mix of C-Broad Arrow/ LB marked parts.
I think your rite on target here and this is what most of the other Canadian collectors I‘ve talked to feel as well. The other two theories put forward areQuote:
Originally Posted by limpetmine
1) Mettle prep wasn’t done properly before it was parkerzed or it wasn’t left in the bath long enough.
2) A different type of steel was used and the parkerizing method not modified.
That’s a great question and one I haven’t been able to find a answer to. I think I’ll have to ask around a bit on this one.Quote:
Originally Posted by limpetmine
I'm confused ... :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by limpetmine
This pic (the one on the right in your post) is the regular WWII Long Branch C Broad Arrow?
Attachment 9463
It's not the later Canadian Arsenals marking A wrapped in C...
Have I misunderstood the context or something else?
Regards,
Badger
That's correct, this is the C broad arrow. If you look close you will see an arrow inside the C and this is a military acceptance / property mark that was used since long before WW1 up to the early 1950's on all types of military items (see my avatar). The post war mark of an upper case letter A inside the C is a maker mark for Canadian Arsenals.Quote:
Originally Posted by Badger
Nope, you're not confused, I am.
Sorry for promugating bad info.
The first few pictures are from 1949 and 1950 rifles. The last are from a 1945 dated LB with a 1950 serial number (a unique rifle, with traces of both WWII and post war stuff). The 1945 has the C broad arrow, which is slightly oval.
The A in C is fully round, and is located beneath the trigger guard and by the upper barrel band, and on the receiver heel and dog leg safety.
Note that the 1945 has the stamped/fabricated magazined housing like the 1949/1950's do, which is atypical of a 1945.
Interesting ... :thup:
The 1950 we linked to in the previous post which we have on display in the Canada - Milsurp Knowledge Library, has its "wood" stamped with BOTH "C" Broad Arrow Canadian Military Acceptance Mark and CA Canadian Arsenals Inspection marks as well.
Here's a pic of the magazine, but also the wood under the wrist, which is marked similarly to the wood on the forestock underneath.
http://photos.imageevent.com/badgerd...20_Medium_.JPG(Click PIC to Enlarge)http://photos.imageevent.com/badgerd...20_Medium_.JPG
Regards,
Badger
Badger,
Here is a stock picture of a 1950 currently on auction. It has the broad arrow stamp as well. Looks like they may have been cleaning out the store with these...
/limpetmine
I think you're right partner ... :thup:Quote:
Originally Posted by limpetmine
Using up old stock to save bucks. Makes sense .... :)
Regards,
Badger
Now just to add to the confusion gents don’t forget that many of the 1949-50 rifles did actually see service for 10 plus years. As these rifles would be sent back in for FTR they would have warn or damaged parts replaced with whatever parts were held in stock. At this time a great proportion of the parts held in base workshops would have been of WWII manufacture as most of the parts manufactured during 49-50 production were used for assembling the rifles then being made.
The fact that these rifles were originally Parkerized further complicates things as it makes it harder to distinguish them from a Canadian FTR’ed example.