Long Branch C7 question

A friend recently purchased a 1944 Long Branch C7 complete with Parker Hale sight and correct transit chest. The rifle appeared to be near mint condition but when he passed it to me for closer inspection I noticed the serial numbers on both the bolt and wrist had been ground off. I asked what he had to give for the rifle and upon his reply I responded that he stole the gun and perhaps a previous owner had as well. What I noticed was that even though the serial numbers were gone and evidence of the grinders work was clear the colour of the metal was consistent throughout the metal parts and appeared original. After mentioning this to a fellow member he mentioned the term "Scrubbed" as a gun that was assembled from parts. Can any other members give me their opinion on this?

Sounds like an admittedly stolen gun and a good item to leave alone. Or, you could strip it for parts and buy a clean numbered receiver and build a nice piece. Gashbin the old receiver...far away.

Not mine Jim but it struck me as odd the friend who bought it didn't even notice the lack of serial numbers

I had something similar happen with a M1904 Portuguese Mauser Vergueiro. Bought the rifle, but never even thought to ask about serial numbers. When I got the rifle the location the serial number was supposed to be was bare, however there was no evidence of grinding. I did the proper thing and called the police asking if there was any listed as stolen, they got back to me and said there was none listed.

It can be difficult to notice something like that unless your paying attention. With online buying it can be even harder to notice if the seller doesn't list it as missing (which most won't as if it is odds are it is stolen).

Serial numbers can be discovered after removing and I wouldn't want to be trying to explain that I bought it that way.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by #1oilman

A friend recently purchased a 1944 Long Branch C7 complete with Parker Hale sight and correct transit chest. The rifle appeared to be near mint condition but when he passed it to me for closer inspection I noticed the serial numbers on both the bolt and wrist had been ground off. I asked what he had to give for the rifle and upon his reply I responded that he stole the gun and perhaps a previous owner had as well. What I noticed was that even though the serial numbers were gone and evidence of the grinders work was clear the colour of the metal was consistent throughout the metal parts and appeared original. After mentioning this to a fellow member he mentioned the term "Scrubbed" as a gun that was assembled from parts. Can any other members give me their opinion on this?

---

Most No7 rifles were built from bare receivers which had been scrubbed (presumably) by the CF.

If your receiver is parkerized (and not dated in the 1950s), it is 95% that it was built from spare parts and one of these receivers.

They've been available that way to the public at least since the late '70s.

hundreds of them have been sold within the last 5 years by Ellwood Epps, they came in cardboard CF "Spares" boxes containing 2 scrubbed receivers.

My box is Marked:
Sept.59, 25 central ord. depot, Montreal QC, Sept 59, Part No: 1005.21.103.1133, Nominclature: Body, Quantity: 2

https://www.milsurps.com/content.php...Training-Rifle

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lee Enfield

Most No7 rifles were built from bare receivers which had been scrubbed (presumably) by the CF.

---

Yes, but I was taking it this was different...ground...the scrubbing was careful. I wouldn't call it "Ground"... I guess he is suggesting this was finished over top of the old number location.

The "scrubbing" (removal of serial numbers) was sometimes a done a bit crudely when the rifles were stripped down for parts to supply the No.4 rifles. Sometimes the grinding is very obvious and sometimes it is barely visible. They would reblue/blacken the area. Stencollector is the main authority on these I believe. No need to fear it is stolen as the government themselves ground off THOUSANDS of serial numbers and sold the scrubbed bodies. Just a few days ago I noticed a Canadian surplus scrubbed C No.7 22" body for sale. Nothing unusual or to be paranoid about UNLESS you are buying what is reputed to be an expensive factory original rifle,

Several years back I wanted a CNo7 in the worst way. Srarted tio collect parts when I found the scrubbed reciever. Nicely refinished with scrubbed SN. Shortly after I was able to buy a legit CNo7 from a friend that I had found for him to buy from a fellow up on Vancouver Island. I think I paid the then outagious sum of 700 USD for it. Still have the project parts lying around, hardest one to find was the complete rear sight. I had a Savage No4 barrel lined to .22 for the project.

Here is a pic of the reciever:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../cno7003-1.jpg

Here are a couple of the rifle I ended up with:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...09/cno7a-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...09/cno7e-1.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by #1oilman

evidence of the grinders work was clear

---

I guess we'd need to see what's spoken of then. I know what you are all talking about but this isn't what I understood in the first place.

Hi Jim I'm a high pressure welder and I wouldn't get away with leaving the marks that are on this gun on a pipe weld, they are a quite crude and I really can't picture a professional doing anything of the sort on a piece of metal if he had any pride in his work.

That's the way I took it too, the others are talking about these fine grinds, maybe you can look at the pics and confirm if they are what's on his rifle if you saw it? Or are they coarse like you say is unacceptable? You saw this?

Is this rear sight I have in my collection for the No.7 rifle TIA

This is for a British No. 7 or No. 9.

I built two many years ago. Both were fairly rough in the grinding to remove the serial numbers on the butt sockets before being surplused by DnD. I left one original as Parkerized after grinding and the other I dressed up and reParkerized it myself. As Colin states above, the receivers were quite common and many home builds have been done since they were released. I imported several back in the 90's and early 2000's. I was fairly pleased with them but had to disassemble to component parts other than the barreled bodies and rebuild/restock them properly. Every one had a screwed up rear sight which I also repaired thanks to Marstar who had spares at the time.

That sight, thread 13 is for the standard No8 rifle. The H is for harmonisation - when using landscape targets. It was a short lived thying because while the bullets were meant to hit the landscape target 28"(?) above the point of aim. actually aiming at the target using an eyepiece that high up on the sight was purgatory. Jeeees, the targets were cheap paper so the sight and harmonisation fell into disuse and by 1958 had been deleted from use. Thereafter you just shot at the target and pasted it up. The landscape targets lasted for ages in any case. Another of those good in theory - crap in practice ideas that went by the board.

Anyone got a landscape target to illustrate the point. There were several versions including sniper landscapes, open countryside, towns, villages etc etc, old ladies pushing prams up the village street - who ALWAYS got shredded as I recall!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

harmonisation - when using landscape targets.

---

I had forgotten that phrase. We used those with the GPMG...of course. One instructor forgot to have the troops set their sights up to the required height on SF and engaged the plexiglass covered landscape scenes themselves. CQ was unimpressed, class failed.