Help for Long branch 1941 OL...series wich is first series

The 1941 LB is the first year of the official fabrication after their first model try out auditely constructed.
Questions: 1- the bolt has the hole handle
Which is the rule for the 1941 but...
Is it normal that the small LB punch mark is not present on the handle?? ON all my other Lb it s punched LB near the rotation axes
2- The 1941 maybe has an english bolt (hole handle)??
3- If any one has a 1941 Long Branch, please let me know...
For the remain of the rifle it s ok about the 4 things proper to the 1941 which are: no 1 round cocking piece
Front metal band Hinge
And front sight protector old no 1 style.
Hole bolt knob
So if you get an original LB 1941 (or think is it...) just look at your bolt for the small LB punch and underneath the bolt if there is anything punch there thank you

The chances of finding an un-dicked with 1941 Longbranch, unless you stole it from the Pattern Room or a museum that got it as a factory sample in 1941 are about zero.
The only Longbranchs that I have ever seen that were un-issued were a number of 1943 LB's that were new and totally mint......
No one seems to know how or where they came from but they were absolutely mint!!!!!

The front band on everyone I’ve seen has been updated.

I have on in the 0L80xx range, apparently according tor Brian Dick it is likely a Greek return, and definitely has some replaced parts, but still has the waited sight protector and hinged front band.

has the /46 mark and a post war MK III Canadian rear sight.

I have one as well in the 0L 18xx range, all correct parts minus hinged band, it has the waisted front sight protector, original serial numbered barrel, correct rear sight etc. It has been re-stocked with Fazakerly beech forestock and buttstock and the metal has been re-finished, not by me though! Bolt has hole in it but no markings under bolt handle....it does have 2 small punch marks on bottom though......hardness testing I assume?
There is stamping on handle next to the round style cocking piece......appears to be a 2 to the left of the serial # (but stamped sideways in relation to the serial #) and then right close to where the cocking piece enters bolt body there is what I'm 99% sure is the LB stamp......it is a B for sure, in fact with a magnifying glass I'm looking at what appears to be a double stamped LB (side by side). Hope this helps in some small way!! I'd like to post a picture but not my area of expertise.

Peter: not heard from you since you were here. check your pm's here

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Warren

Peter: not heard from you since you were here. check your pm's here

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Ok....will get on that Warren.

I have 0L880. I'm guessing it's a post war Canadian FTR with the distinctive CAL manganese Parkerized finish. It has it's hinged front band and waisted front sight guard. All with a uniform, slightly worn Parkerized finish. The bolt is a LB replacement with no hole but fitted and numbered to match I'd guess during FTR. I had a LB Mk.1 sight that I put on it as it was equipped with a later fabricated Mk.III. It's a Century Arms import from the 1980's.

The rifle I talked about in thread #5 is not a correct '41 but whoever re-stocked it with the Fazakerly wood knew what they were doing. It's properly fitted, with the correct barrel pressure on the fore-end. The wood is just beautiful, really not a mark on it. Must have been NOS wood, it's properly Fazakerly marked, not some old sanded and re-finished stock. Parts are period correct and it shoots like a laser beam!! It's one of my favorite No'4s. I'd like to know why the wood was changed and why the metal was re-finished but I'll never know I guess, one could only assume the "look" was more important than the originality. I've thought about returning it to it's former glory but the low fore-end wood is hard to find ( although I have a '43 with the correct wood for the '41 but it's got wooden 2 dowels just above the front of the trigger guard......and how does one make the re-finished metal look period correct again? The ones I have seen also have fore-ends serial numbered!! I'll just keep the hunt going for a original one and keep this one the way it is.....it's unique in it's own way. I paid an arm for it......not a arm and two legs.
Warren in regards to you mentioning the only un-issued LB's you've seen were 1943's......I've got two beautiful 1950 LB's, sequentially serial numbered, in the cosmo, mint un-issued with the factory inspection tag still on one. Happily acquired those a few years back!

I have a 1941 Long Branch bolt S.N. 0L14xx. Tha LB stamp is there as well as the number 2.
The bolt handle sphere has the hole.

I have a minty 1942 with New Zealand ownership marks. Also a Savage that I got at the same time. Both are Mk.1*. Warren is probably referring to wartime production. The 1950 production rifles are still common in minty condition but getting up there in price.

Franky, if you post some photos of the bolt and the rifle it will be easier to tell what you've got.

If the SN stamping matches, the finish matches and the bolt has no non-Canadian marks it probably is Long Branch. The early SN stamps were larger and different from the later LB type.