Quick question regarding serif and non-serif T

[jonh172]

Hi all!

Sorry if this question is redundant but I have the opportunity to acquire a BSA1942 No4T stripped action and can’t remember if the sidewall T is supposed to be of the serif font or not.

This one is NOT, but my 1943 and 1944 are.

Is this correct?

Thanks in advance!

Jon

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Alan de Enfield]

I don't know what '42 models would look like, but my 1943 :

[Roger Payne]

Can you get some photo's of it? I've seen a lot of 4T's over the years but I've never seen a genuine 42 BSA; 41, 43, 44, & 45, but not a 42. There may well be the odd few out there from when H&H first took over 4T conversion, but it could also be a wrong 'un. Do try & get some pics if you can & let us all have a look. In principle, if it were to be correct I would not expect to see a receiver side wall T on it at all, with or without serif, UNLESS if had by chance had it applied by someone very diligent during a refurb. And then I guess it would just depend on the font of the set of letter stamps available at the time.....

[smle addict]

Like Roger, I have never seen a 1942 No4T either. Here are pics my Trails T, a 1941 Maltby T, and an early 1943 BSA T. The trials has the plain, large T. The trials and '43 have a small, serif-style T. I have a later '43 and a '44, and these have the large serif T like Alan De Enfield's photo. As others have stated here previously, prior to mid/late 1943, the markings and placement seem very inconsistent.

[jonh172]

Here we go!

At some point the pads were removed and the action refinished, probably when all those extra stamps showed up on the left side?
it also Carries the H&H S stamp on the right rail if it doesn’t show up in the picture

https://i.imgur.com/EP05Y5f.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/35Jr9az.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Zpi4CN1.jpg

[Roger Payne]

I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it if I were you. IMHO it has been set up after the event, quite possibly not so long ago. The body has never been milled to seat the front pad, probable post-war serial numbering is present under the front pad position. The body retains its original finish so far as I can see, yet there is no sign of any solder where either of the pads were fitted. The butt socket is marked B 1942 as would be expected, & there is the common enough 'England' stamp too, but I think there's also a bogus M47C in there as well, for good measure. I'd be interested to hear what others think, but that's my tuppence worth.

[Brian Dick]

I've never seen a 1942 either. I have a Trials rifle conversion, 1941, 1943, 1944 and 1945.

Roger is spot on as usual. It's Bogus. There's no doubt in my mind.

[jonh172]

Glad I asked!

Thanks guys!!

[Roger Payne]

In fact it's quite odd that you tend not to see 1942 dated British set up 4T's (apart from Savage rifles, of course), as you'd expect to see a few B 1942's & ROFM 42's (& possibly very rarely a ROFF 42), that were in the pile of suitable rifles awaiting conversion when H&H first took over the conversion programme from RSAF Enfield Lock. Yet they all seem to be 1941 dated. If anyone does have what they believe to be a genuine British set up 42 dated 4T I'd love to see pictures & to hear about it (& I suspect others would too). There may be a few out there, but if they're there they're pretty few & far between.......

[CINDERS]

Roger Payne has stated a few things about it especially the stampings on the left wrist socket, lack of milling for the front pad, lack of solder in the area and threads.
I had a closer look at it and one of the things that Roger mentioned was the top stamping on the wrist over the England stamping. I looked at it and blew it up and I am pretty positive it says M 37 C in a very untidy stamping all over the shop. Even with war time pressures the chaps still tried to make it a half decent stamping and besides the stamping is incorrect its M47C for BSA Shirley not M37C see pic of the stamping on my 1944 BSA "T". FAKE receiver if thats the case.