Does this mean anything to anyone?
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...thgow080-1.jpg
Is this a 3rd variation? Was the PAGE added by someone other than Australia?
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Does this mean anything to anyone?
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...thgow080-1.jpg
Is this a 3rd variation? Was the PAGE added by someone other than Australia?
I've never seen it before.
What made you want to pull the butt plate off.
I removed to plate, just to see how it looked underneath..I think its a persons name..
PAGE was the name of a beer before FOSTERS bought them out.
From another collector...PAGE is now seen on 2 Lithgows under butt plate
"Funny, I have that same stamp on my Lithgow SMLE MK III* Dated 1941 that I just got...was wondering the same?"
According to Joe Salter, the rifle was owned by a veteran, named "PAGE", he must have marked them under the stock buttplate
I think that the bloke at the factory assembling it or reassembling it after a FTR stamped his name there......... especially if two have been found with the name - so far!
People often used to scratch their name into the wood, under the barrel or stuff a piece of paper into the butt hole with a name on it.
People find the names of the women who assembled cars scribbled onto the door pad liners, especially from the old Triumphs from Speke. Mind you, if I'd assembled a Triumph at Speke, I'd keep quiet about it especially after having owned one once
Peter, I dont think it was FTR'ed. It seems all original. Joe said the rifles were owned by a WW2 veteran, named PAGE
Is This Salter chap a dealer/trader? If so, he must have a phenominal memory of encyclopeadic proportions if he can remember two particular Australian made rifles going to a Mr Page......... He might have done of course. If war vet Mr Page did put his name on them, I'd ask why he put it where neither he nor anyone else in the world could see it. If he needed to identify his rifles in the future say, surely he'd have looked at the serial number on the body.
That's just my take on things. Are you out there Mr Page..........................?
Joe Salter is a Canadien barrister, and firearms dealer working out of New Hampsire, and Canada. With his son Joe Jr.
Heres his e-mails to me...hes the dealer I got them from
Page is the name of the Vet who owned the guns. They must have been from his collection.
Best,
Joe
[I asked Joe if PAGE was a WW2 veteran, Joe bought them from him..]
Yes he was in the Pacific in WWII. He was 841st Engineers. Both weapons definitely came from him. He had a huge collection.
Joe Salter Jr., Downeast Antiques
I'm not disputing it, but like I said, a most phenominal memory that almost defies belief. Like asking me to remember the history of all the weaponry that's still here when I can't even remember my name most days!
John Sukey on Culvers Shooting Page Enfields doesnt believe it either, but I think Joe is honest...Perhaps he just bought them
What a load of cobblers.
(Amatikulu, vertaal asseblief)
Isn't Page a town?
ROFL....... :rofl:
I think that Frikkie the sheep might actually be on to something :D
Found this reference the 841st that lends some support to the PAGE theory
"I recently acquired a Japanese Type 99 rifle that was brought back by a veteran of the 841st EAB. His name and "841 ENG" along with "1943 1946" are stamped into the wood beneath the buttplate".
Seeking info: 841st Engineer Aviation Battalion
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=677391
Thats the man, according to the dealer in NH..Joe Salter..now did Page bring these back? The Lith is marked "AUSTRALIA", no other imports
Might that not have been going a little too far? Isn't this why we have name badges? Sorry - bad taste, but I am tired and I am hallucinating about buying another Long Branch...Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
Joe Salter confirmed, it was Fred Page..had hundreds of rifles
Just my opinion, but if that's the case, then I think he monetarily devalued his pieces by stamping it with such a large personal "name" identification directly into them. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Garandrew
I've never seen a collector do this to a highly collectible item of any sort .... :confused:
If it was insurance or recovery identification purposes, there must be less "gawdy" and destructive ways to accomplish that goal?
Regards,
Doug
Its not noticable..but I wondered if it hurt value?
I never could understand collectors doing this stuff. All you need is a register of your serial numbers. I've seen many military firearms done this way from collectors. At least it's under the buttplate and not signed on the barrel with an engraving pencil. Yes, I've seen that too. I've seen social security numbers engraved and scratched in too. People are paranoid I guess.
Its sort of neat how we have followed his collection after Joe Salter is selling it..He was a WW2 veteran
Given the number of firearms thefts in recent years, I can understand the paranoia. I've always kept a registry of my firearms serial numbers, both safe queens and shooters. I wish the same could be said of the law enforcement community. I purchased two parts rifles from a gunshop in Oregon a while back. They had obviously aquired them from a police auction as each had case numbers, date and officers name in charge of the case engraved into the metal on the receiver. I purchased a no1 rifle from a man who was detained by the RCMP in Canada while in transit to Alaska and had his enfield seized for investigation of a possible theft. Once he was released from custody and sent on his way, the RCMP kept the rifle another two years before releasing back it to him. He had to pay for storage fees, import and transfer fees and when the rifle arrived in Washington state it had case numbers, dates and government assigned serial numbers stamped into the metal of the receiver. The buttstock had the same information stamped into the wood in 1/2 " tall lettering. Hard to understand what frame of mind could generate this kind of butchery.
Weapon hating liberals...even in law enforcement
To echo Brian, working in the trade I have seen any number of horrific things done to firearms. I am currently refinishing a nice old double shotgun for a customer that had the previous owners name engraved on the top of the tang, and his initials engraved on the bottom of the trigger guard. The work appears to have been done by a drunk with a dull bit in a dremel tool. On breaking it down, his name was also carved into the wood on the inside of the forearm. Why God!?!? I don't do any of that. I have a list of my serial numbers with a description of any unique features and several good quality pics of the firearms in my collection, it is that easy and does not hurt anything.
I am also the worlds biggest pessimists when it comes to markings, unless there is absolute provenance. As the great man John sookey always says, buy the rifle and not the story............. I have mentioned this before, but I have slid a bit of paper in a barrel channel or elsewhere before with my number, name and date, especially something that is rare and not liable to be stripped for many many years......, like the Faulkner Bren. I remember an old jeep that was the unit hack at the old RAF base at Watchfield near to where I lived as a young lad. When the base was closed, the jeep was disposed of to the local garage, still in its RAF blue/grey paint and 'GUARD ROOM' painted across the front screen bottom where they used it as a run-around and recovery truck for the next 10 or so years. It was then sold off and many years later, I saw it again. Thius time resplendent in US military colours and a potted history of its life.............. Where this little jeep hadn't been wasn't worth going. It was the first vehicle ashore at DDay, carried Monty and his mate Eisenhower to Berlin................ well, that's egging the cake a bit but you get my drift! But I bet after a few more summer classic military vehicle shows, it will have done all of those things and more.......
Nope, the eternal pessimist says buy the rifle and not the story unless it's documented. A good example would be the No8 rifles fitted up with telescope pads. We KNOW this and it's documented fact. We know where one of the donor L42's probably went too
Peter, its not really a story..an older US WW2 veteran..Fred L Page, evidentally had a massive collection of military weapons, probably started when he was overseas..Upon his death, Joe Salter in NH bought some, or all. Now hes selling them..myself, and 2 others found the name "PAGE" under the buttplates of our rifles.
Brian Dick suggested I ask Salter about "PAGE", and lo and behold the name of the former owner was Page.
Now, myself and those 2 others, customers of Salter, are connecting the dots..Page put his name under the butt plates...
I love the jeep story...its like Schicklegrubers Walther PP, he must have owned 50 of them...
Sounds legitimate enough if he wanted to identify his collection. Certainly doesn't add any provenance, but I don't think the PAGE stamp has devalued this gun. It's under the butt plate and can't be seen and it's still a beautiful rifle. I get more concerned when butt plate's get removed and the seal between butt and plate is broken.
Old thread I know but found this interesting. Came across a 1903 Springfield stock on JoeSalter.com with the word PAGE stamped 4 times on the buttend, item #14845.