EARLY RARE LONG BRANCH SNIPER????????? You be the judge....PICTURES COMING HOPEFULLY!
As a pre-note fellows, I have lots of pictures but will have to ask Jim (browningautorifle) if he could graciously post them for me, this is not the first time Jim has helped me out, thanks Jim! This site has changed how pictures are attached as I used to be able to attach them easily from my files, now they need to be on the web and then attached. Anyhow I'm computer dumb!
Anyhow here we go......
The other day at our Canadian Ranger remembrance day service I discovered what "I" believe to be a very early and a very rare Long Branch sniper rifle, at least in it's current modified state.
Every rare rifle find has a story so I'll share this one and hope you enjoy it.
I have been a Ranger for about 14 yrs and we have one of the bigger patrols in 1CRPG (Canadian Ranger Patrol Group with number 1 being based out of Yellowknife) with about 33 active serving Rangers. Because of my keen interest in Lee Enfield's I'm always looking at the various ,No4 rifles that patrol members have been issued. Funny how this particular one had escaped my eyes over the years and thinking back I'm sure I noticed it but overlooked it as from a distance I could tell it was re-stocked and accurized and didn't appeal to the purist in me....was I in for a surprise! Most fellows have received their new C19 rifles now in our patrol and the Enfield's they were originally issued have been gifted to the vast majority. On special occasions such as Remembrance day services the honor guard at the ceremony will still use their "ex issued, now gifted, Enfield".
Anyhow I spotted this rifle and took some photos of it. One can see at first glace (if you have any knowledge of Enfield snipers) and see why this particular rifle caught my eye. Where the scope pads were once mounted all the tell tale signs were still very evident! This particular rifle has been in our patrol for many years. The father of the current serving Ranger was originally issued this rifle many years ago when he served in the same Ranger patrol group.
I had been talking to the father a few weeks ago and he told me that he had an extra fore stock, top handguard and a butt stock that were surplus to his needs and he wanted to give them to me. Ironically his son had them in the truck yesterday and handed them over to me just moments after I had finished photographing his rifle and told me that his father had told him that this was the original wood taken off his rifle before it got the new birch stock, doweled and accurized etc. When I got home I looked over the wooden furniture parts and that even further substantiated my claim that this indeed was a early, rare, 1943 37L series Long Branch sniper. The first thing I noticed was the top of the butt had the scope number stamped in. I can't for the life of me read the first digit but it seems like it's possibly a 0??? What is legible is the next two stamps which are 4-C. Next I noticed that the butt had all the signs of once having a cheekpiece installed, the screw holes were filled and (I tried hard to capture it in the photo) but in the flesh one can see much better the difference how the wood aged and the difference in darkness where the cheekpiece covered that area for years.
The serial number on the bolt is really puzzling to me. This obviously is not original but it reminds me exactly of the type of stenciling found on the late Fazakerly made No4MK2 rifles. I have also seen something similar on FTR'ed rifles that had bolts matched in service. I know the particular father/son that were issued this rifle would not have had the bolt numbered, I doubt that would have meant that much to them, far less for sure than just having an accurate Lee Enfield. The possible answer is that in our region there is an elderly gentleman that was previously hired by the DND as he was a former armorer. He repaired and accurized Ranger rifles upon request....he indeed may have lapped the bolt lugs and had this bolt renumbered if the original bolt was not with this rifle at the time it was accurized......I will investigate this further!
I doubt this rifle will be for sale and I would trade, give cash or whatever it would take but I think it will be staying with the rightful owner as I'm sure there is sentiment attached as his Father carried the rifle for years. At the very least I will do is I will be encouraging him to put this rifle back in it's original sniper state, however expensive that should be! One thing for certain is if it's done by the best (and I know who I would send it too and who I would not) the value will not be lost and I will be emphasizing that point!
Enjoy the photos (hopefully Jim posts them) your thoughts are appreciated!
Thanks Jim
