No 4 MkII FORE-END

[aussiedave]

I have a couple of questions on the fore-end set I tracked down to restore my No4 MkII
sporter. The fore-end is a MkII not a conversion but it is numbered A10787 and is not
inleted for the cut-off boss. I thought that serial No. belonged to an early Maltby so if fore-end was for a Maltby 1/2 conversion it would have to have the inletting for the cut-off
boss. So how does an early Maltby No. end up on a late model MkII fore-end. Or do I have the serial No. info wrong. Can anyone give an opinion .

Thank You
David

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

You can be rest assured that NO Maltby's were made without the cut-off block. Only later Fazakerley Mk2's were. So your Mk2 fore-end was originally fitted to a broken up Fazakerley Mk2 serial number A10787

[aussiedave]

Thank you Peter . Shouldn't the serial No. be a PF No. not an A . Did serial numbers get reused.

David

[Mk VII]

No. They switched to the UB 65 A314369 format for all smallarms in the 1950s, with suitable alterations for year and factory, so it's not inconsistent with what you've observed.

[aussiedave]

Thanks for the help. I think I have it now my fore-end is off a UF 55 rifle.

[Peter Laidler]

Yes, maybe I should have explained further. The rifle wasa F Mk2 serial number UF55 A10787.

It was quite usual to use the serial number and A- prefix only and you'll see it marked on Bren barrel nuts, L1A1 rifle breech blocks and breech block carriers and L9 pistol barrels

I suppose out there in the big wide world there will be another, possibly/probably Maltby No4 with the number A10787 but not UF55 A10787