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Anyone out there know the approximate serial range when Savage started using a 2 groove barrels? I'm looking at buying my first No.4 Mk1(no*) and want to know if an 11C prefix Savage would be 'as it left the factory' if it had a two groove barrel. It also has a 300/600yd battle sight and button cocking piece for what its worth - would that also be 'correct' for an 11C prefix serial numbered savage?
Sounds fair to me.
From what I have read 6 groove barrels are rare, Ive not seen one in NZ yet, all have had 2 groove, Id buy it if I saw one in reasonable nic. Good thing about the barrel is it should be date stamped I think? so thats an easy check. If those sights have the square S on them then my best guess would be they are original. I'd Look for lots of Square Ss, if the gun is covered in them then that suggests pretty original. If not well, I wouldnt worry too much especially as Savage and LBranch bits seem very easy to get from the UK and common here in NZ (looks like you are in Auckland). 11C is way lower than the ones Ive seen, 32C is the lowest Ive recorded so far. Id quite like to know the serial number and date for my spreadsheet, and what sights and if NZ stamped. Im recording them for NZ guns I find. So far most guns Im seeing are 1942 with a few 1941 and a few 1943. Most are 1942 LB guns, like 55%+
I just got a Savage No.4 MK1. It's serial # is 10C. It has a 6 groove barrel. On the barrel is the flaming bomb proof.
Hi, whats the date of the Savage (1941?) and the date on the barrel please? left or right hand twist? neat if you have an original!!! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Detroit-1
From my research so far only the first Savages? no4 mk1s only? (1941?) had 6 groove? or do some mk1*s? the lowest serial number ive seen in NZ this year is 32C237x and it was a mk1* and 2 groove 300/600 sights, but I'll admit I didnt look to see if the barrel could have been original. NB most Savage NZ guns are in the range 5xCxxxx and N^Z marked. Most LBs are 1xLxxxx and 1942 and N^z stamped. two big war time deliveries I guess.
I'll throw in another data point- my 1942 Savage "no star" with serial 4C8646 has a six groove barrel. It's a well used old piece but shiney bore with good rifling and the best fitting forend I've run into. I'm also curious as to how late the "button" cocking piece would have been used.
Ridolpho
I did tis one a few years back "12C" also a 2 land
No4 MkI Recovery / Refurbish
I have two Savages, one has the 0C and the other has the 29C. Both with 2 grooves
Mine is 1942. At first I thought she had a British 5 groove but after counting the grooves she has a 6 groove left hand twist barrel. The barrel also has the flaming bomb proof. I have some pictures on Gun Boards forum.
One more. Did all Savage No.4 MK1's not* have the 6 groove barrel? If so they can't be all that rare as they made more than 100,000 of the MK1's.
Six groove barrels were a substitute barrel and showed up throughout the entire Savage No. 4 production. I believe they were a machine gun barrel adapted for the No. 4 when needed.
Can we hear from owners of No.4 MK1's that are not FTR's that have six groove barrels?
Hey, was very interested to see that these six lug barrels all sort of pre-date 11C serial numbers (but possibly post date 0C #s). My Savage No'4 Mk.1 is an all serial numbers matching, no asterisk (with the thumb-catch bolt release) serial number 10C that has a six-lug barrel. After reading these posts, and searching for years (Duh, I just joined this forum yesterday and am quite happy with the results so far) I am more than personally satisfied that this was a standard barrel for that serial number range.
---------- Post added at 08:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 PM ----------
Wouldn't a barrel destined for a machine gun require a higher BNP ?
---------- Post added at 08:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:43 PM ----------
Wouldn't a machine gun barrel require a higher BNP?
I have a Savage 1942 No4MKI action with matching bolt. It has no "US Property" markings on it. Ha an early longbranch cocking lug. Serial No is in the 9C range.
This three year old thread was about barrel rifling grooves.Quote:
Originally Posted by martins8589
How many grooves does your barrel have?
Is your (button type mkI?) cocking piece long branch marked? Or long branch "style"?
If your rifle doesn't have "US Property" marked on the angled portion of the side wall it has been removed at some point.
Why didn't you just start a new thread instead of resurrecting this old thing?Quote:
Originally Posted by martins8589
I have a 1942 No4 MKl* with a replacement 2 groove. The rifle went through a Fazakerley repair as a post war stock dated '49 that is serialed to the rifle along with Faz sight, bolt among others.But no FTR markings. The barrel is in un-shot condition and has a brilliant shine but has not been polished as tooling marks are untouched. No identifying other than a 20 on barrel. Front sight is 'DOW' stamped.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phantom Man
I think that the rifle may have had a bit of 'molesting' by a Civilian - I cannot imagine any way that a South African (DOW) sight would be put on during a (non-marked) Fazakerley FTR / Rebuild
I think jona is confusing the six groove Savage barrels with the post WW2 Canadian Arsenals six groove barrels in post #11 which were rifled on Bren gun tooling that went to CAL from Inglis after the war. I've had a pile of Savage rifles and have only seen six groove barrels on 1941 and very early 1942 dated rifles. That doesn't mean the odd one wasn't used later but not in quantity I'd think. The early Savage six groove barrels were rifled using tooling from French Lebel production according to Skennerton. If memory serves, the twist rate was a bit faster or slower, (can't remember which), but still close enough to make the British inspectors happy in a pinch. I still have one 1941 date Savage No.4Mk.1T, sn. 0C160 so equipped and another service rifle with one dated 1942 out of South African service, sn. 6C2548.
---------- Post added at 02:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:57 PM ----------
AdE, I'd bet PM's rifle is a South African owned rifle as imported by Interarms in the early 1990's. I had 400 of them from a big distributor in Chapin, SC who's now gone bankrupt. There was a block of 33 that were Savage but most were ROF(F) with a sprinklng of ROF(M), BSA and just a few Long Branch. I kept one dated 1942. Several rifles were rebarreled in South Africa and there were some DOW marked replacement parts present. There were a couple that had been "tuned" a bit for what I'd guess was inter service rifle competition. Brian
I had thought of some SA connection but, if it was SA 'owned' would it not have had SA markings ? (U etc etc)Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Dick
Yep, they were marked on top of the breech with a variety of "U-Broad Arrow" ownership marks. Some big and distinctive, some small but distinctive if you look close!
I kept one ROF Fazakerley that was FTR in S/A service too because it had the most lovely bluing I'd ever seen on a no.4! I've never had it out of the stock but it may have a DOW barrel for all I know.
---------- Post added at 02:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:32 PM ----------
I hope I don't get in trouble again about ownership marks! :ugh:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Dick
No, I think he is long gone - came, didn't hear what the wanted to hear and has now gone.
---------- Post added at 08:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 PM ----------
All SA owned rifles I have seen (albeit not as many as you) have had pretty clear U-Ownership markings, as the OP didn't mention one I assumed (makes an AS* out of U and ME) that it was not an Ex SA rifle.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Dick