Sniper article

[Steve H. in N.Y.]

The latest American Rifleman magazine contains a pretty good article on the No.4T rifle but I question one of the author's statements; "Serial numbers on British No.4T's are almost always stamped along the forend rather than across it." Why would that be? Have we discussed this here before?

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[Brian Dick]

That's pretty much true for factory original rifles as supplied by BSA/H&H. It's NOT necessarily true for rifles that have seen service and have been back to workshops for repair or full blown FTR.

[XL39E1]

Its probably something to do with H&H's standard on lining everything up with the bore! All the Shotguns and Rifles they build even have every screw in the same direction!

[Son]

Its probably something to do with H&H's standard on lining everything up with the bore! All the Shotguns and Rifles they build even have every screw in the same direction!

Lining up the screw slots is called "pointing" the screws. It was a common thing to do for almost every trade that used slotted screws.... starting with cabinet makers. Have a look at the grips on all your Commonwealth bayonets...

[bigduke6]

Have a look at the grips on all your Commonwealth bayonets...

Lot easier on the bayonets as you just tighten up the nut, as for H&H its the quality and craftmanship that you still pay for......

Slightly off topic but regarding craftsman, was in a conversation the other day with a guy who said his uncle shoed horses , so he,s a farrier I said, no he,s a blacksmith the guy said, think you will find he is a farrier if he just does horses etc, no no he,s a black smith......... I walked away in the end.

[Peter Laidler]

I fixed one or two bayonets and don't remember pointing the screws although I did polish the screw and nut heads on a dozen wood handled L1A1 bayonets I prepared for the ceremonial quarter guard outside the Brigade HQ in Australia. Happy Days!

[jmoore]

The latest American Rifleman magazine contains a pretty good article on the No.4T rifle but I question one of the author's statements; "Serial numbers on British No.4T's are almost always stamped along the forend rather than across it." Why would that be? Have we discussed this here before?

H&H did not externally number forends with stamps (unless they started late in production). It seems to be a post-WWII thing. Fazackerly seemed to number (and date) forends during the war, but not so much anybody else. Peter Laidler HAS commented on the whys of numbering the wordwork a couple of years back.

So a rifle with NO serial number on the bracket, forend, and magazine would have been surplused early on.

H&H DID number the woodwork , but in areas not visible after assembly. Even handguards.

[newcastle]

all my T woodwork has penciled serials inside. it does have the rifle serial stamped on the forend though.

[Roger Payne]

Out of curiosity, is the article available on line? I quickly checked the NRA web site yesterday but couldn't find it.
Certainly the vast majority of UK manufactured 4T's I've seen conform to this type of marking (serial along the forend rather than across), but I suppose that may just mean that the vast majority that I've encountered have been through ordnance repair/refurb

ATB

[PrinzEugen]

On a slightly different note, but in keeping with the above request for this American Rifleman article (which I'd like to see too) I was also wondering if the article "For tea or Not for tea?" by a certain Dr Roger Payne, in the 2002, issue No. 22, of Ian Skennerton's "Arms and Militaria Collector" magazine is available anywhere or could be reproduced at all? I came across it mentioned in passing in he Skennerton Enfield 'bible' - a festive acquisition.