Is there a specific serial number range for the No4 Mk2 "Irish Contract" rifles??
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Is there a specific serial number range for the No4 Mk2 "Irish Contract" rifles??
PF 309348 ~PF 359347
Fritz's FF marked Enfield sticky - Page 2
read post # 61
Reading this link shows just how much research has been done in recent years and how wanting the accepted official serial number range are.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frederick303
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frederick303
Many thanks for the heads up on that post, it certainly opened my eyes to the amount of research that has gone into this much talked about question. Is anyone on this forum collecting details / information about them as I seem to have at least one from the correct serial number range and possibly a second?Quote:
Originally Posted by Frederick303
I have a Canadian Ranger Irish contract rifle. I have read that the Canadian government bought some of the Irish contracts and I am wondering if there is a specific serial number block for those Ranger rifles. Mine is 1/54 PF3152xx
Was there any specification as to where they came from? I would wonder if they were an LPO here from one of the dealers as a bulk purchase? We were running out of full wood #4 rifles of any description and they were down to cannibalization.Quote:
Originally Posted by gerard488
They supposedly bought 500 of them on the surplus market in roughly 2000.Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
They issued them (for the first time from what i was told) for the RCMP honor guard of the Mayerthorpe rcmp funeral in 2005.
The last import lot of rifles out of Ireland was brought into Canada in 1997. Most of them headed south to the US in 2002, after the 5 year limit was reached.
That makes perfect sense...Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Enfield
When the supply of Long Branch rifles suddenly was exhausted, Rangers were issued EALs, which were not particularly popular. Subsequently No. 4s were purchased on the surplus market. I believe the first surplus purchase cleared out all LBs in inventory at Century Arms. Subsequent acquisitions included No. 4s from other manufacturers, as well as Mk. 2 rifles.
That too makes sense. Too bad about the EALs but they were there so...