What do you think?
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What do you think?
Hi giove. Can you get some more photo's of the body pad area without the scope & bracket? First impression is that it is wrong. The scope & bracket look fine, & it is certainly a 1943 Maltby rifle, but is it a WW2 H&H conversion? I doubt it, but as mentioned more pix would be nice. The four digit cradle cap numbering is unusual. Never seen more than three digits on a genuine UK bracket. Could this be one of the Italian set up rifles?
Going by past experience, one smells a furry rodent as soon as Maltby & any date other than 1941 crops up. Having said that, only a matter of weeks ago somebody sent me photo's of a Maltby 1942 which I believe to be genuine, but it is the only one I've come across in all of the years that I've been collecting. I believe the explanation is quite logical, in that early on H&H were taking all rifles that met the accuracy standards for conversion to 4T, regardless of the originating factory, but at some point in 1942 (speaking from memory now so if someone has a precise date please chip in) it was decided to convert all rifles specifically & only from BSA Shirley. Consequently, you can almost take it as read that a 43 or 44 Maltby will be a fake, or at least, a 4T not set up within the British Commonwealth production system during WW2.
No staking on the scope pad screws. Definitely not a totally legit package....
Thanks,
Roger, for more pics I have to ask: the rifle is not mine.
I think it isn't an Italian set up sniper, although, actually, the scope is an Italian one; it has not the marks that are generally on an Italian No. 4 sniper.
On the craddle crap there are no 4 digits, but 5, i.e 11421 = the serial number (??). I've never seen such a thing.
Regards. Giancarlo
Thanks Giancarlo. Derrrrr........I never even noticed that the numbers on the cradle cap are in fact the rifle serial number! Although I am pretty sure it cannot be 'original' from the limited views available the pads look reasonably well fitted. Perhaps the work of a professional gunsmith???
Looks like one of the Italian-made No32s.
The cradle numbering with the serial number is highly odd. Is this seen on other ex-Italian military No4(T)s, or did someone decide this would a nice touch as part of their "restoration"?
Given the lack of TR and T, perhaps the whole conversion was done there? The pads look "different" IMHO - I'm not going to say how, for obvious reasons.
That scope looks like the RSM with how sharp the corners are. And the ladder sight is incorrect.
As Roger says a picture without the mount on will help but the pads look like a fairly recent addition to me.
Thank you all.
I asked for more pics and other data. We'll see.
The scope, as mentioned above, is an original Italian scope.
Attachment 118903
I have never seen the rifle S.N. on the craddle.
I don't think this rifle is a set-up Italian sniper. On the Italian snipers the front pad has a different shape and the screws are punched, however, in that case, the rear sight would be correct.
I think the scope has nothing to do with the bracket, and that both have nothing to do with the rifle.
Regards. Giancarlo
I'm inclined to agree with you Giancarlo, but don't know enough about the Italian conversions to say anything worth hearing! You have clearly studied them & if you think it isn't that'll do for me. I still think that, from the limited views we have, the pads look to have been fitted reasonably well though.
The new pics:
Attachment 119253Attachment 119254Attachment 119255Attachment 119256
Clearly a put together rifle. "A Fake".
Therefore no 1943 Maltby sniper.
Regards. Giancarlo
I've been of the opinion that part of the reason that BSA became the exclusive supplier was due to the receiver contour change at Maltby and Fazakerly.Quote:
Originally Posted by giove
But it might be totally coincidental...
specific to that rifle, I'm pretty sure the elevation is set for a 500yard minimum zero...
The fitment of those pads looks terrible, both pads appear to be sitting very high and not resting on the the action correctly.
Have to admit, having now seen the better photo's of the pads with scope bracket off, it's nowhere nearly as nicely done as I initially thought. But as alluded to above, you just wouldn't expect to see a 43, 44, or 45 dated Maltby anyway. But even the FTR'ed 41 in Melanie's post is, well..........let's say that, no disrespect intended, but I disagree with the seller's description. (Yet another one with a hammed up Pacific Rim bracket, for one thing).
(Yet another one with a hammed up Pacific Rim bracket, for one thing)
Yes those bloody scope brackets are everywhere these days!! Hahaha...
They've done better in Peshawar...Quote:
Originally Posted by giove
The rear pad has probably been modified by filing to take the radius off the lower edge so as to make it 'fit' on an 'angled ledge rifle body. Looks like they didn't quite get it right.....
Check out the front pad, its not sitting on the ledge at all. Those screws will be under even more pressure as the pad has no support.