Is this a Long Branch forestock?

[BurtonP]

Just took possession of a new Long Branch sporter to fix, and on disassembly I noticed that the forestock was a bit different. The relief cuts in the inside of the stock were not squared off, they were sloped. I've never seen this before, and wondered if it was a Long Branch technique. The stock also has an A3Q stamp and some lovely woodwork to fix the draws, with a W stamp nearby. The rifle was FTRd in 1949, so it is possible that it is not original to the rifle. What do the experts think?

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[Roger Payne]

Those scalloped lightening cuts in the barrel channel are typical of Savage manufacture. However, whether the rifle acquired it from new or subsequently I don't know. There was certainly a fair amount of exchange of parts between the two North American No4 manufacturers, but whether it ran to LB using S forends, perhaps someone else may be able to enlighten us..........the other alternative of course being that at FTR that particular forend just happened to be the next suitable one in the parts bin!

[can14&]

Long Branch got all of the Savage parts when they stopped production. I am certain they did mix parts ,probably during the rebuild programs.

[WillSarchet]

I just completed inspection on a customer's BSA Shirley No4 MkI today that had been rebuilt by the Canadians with a complete Savage furniture set, magazine and bottom metal.

[can14&]

I have a S51 no4 T converted to 7.62x51 with a DCRA conversion number
Scope, scope metal box, in a sniper box
I thought that Long Branch did this work for the DCRA.
Wonder what the history of this conversion is

[Surpmil]

I have a S51 no4 T converted to 7.62x51 with a DCRA conversion number
Scope, scope metal box, in a sniper box
I thought that Long Branch did this work for the DCRA.
Wonder what the history of this conversion is

Someone who thought like Mr. Whittaker of the infamous Whittaker Conversion: when building a target rifle start with a rifle already selected for accuracy (in the hope that most of the accuracy is in the action rather than the barrel & bedding)

Somewhere in the bowels of the DCRA there might be a record of which conversions were done for who, but I suspect it was more informal than that.

Whatever records SAL/Long Branch kept were presumably junked when Turdeau I closed it all down.

[Strangely Brown]

Someone who thought like Mr. Whittaker of the infamous Whittaker Conversion: when building a target rifle start with a rifle already selected for accuracy (in the hope that most of the accuracy is in the action rather than the barrel & bedding)

Surpmil, I feel your use of the word infamous is rather unjust and I would like to defend Herbert's reputation on this.

Whilst he did indeed convert some No.4T's to make his Whitaker Specials many of the rifles he utilised came from schools wanting their own issue No.4's converted to the new(ish) NATO chambering of 7.62mm to be eligible for the Bisley Imperial meeting. There is a feeling that he only used 4T's for his conversions, this is not the case.

Just for the record Bert was making his "Special" for just three short years before his early death at Camp Perry in 1976 whilst a member of the British Palma team. He was found dead in his tent one morning and had been suffering heart problems, or rather ignoring them for some years!

His records indicate that 117 rifles were converted; my research so far indicates that less than 50 survive with a number of the 4T's being reconverted back to their original specification, how many I'm not sure.
This would make the Whitaker Special one of the rarer Lee Enfield's out there!

[Surpmil]

I was meaning it ironically! After all, the rifles were common enough and little-wanted enough when this sort of thing went on.

Fultons gave the chop to many a fine rifle the owner wanted converted to 7.62mm. Sad, but of course they had no choice really.

[Roger Payne]

Getting off the original subject a little but a few years ago a chap showed me his retro-converted No4 T (from either a Whitaker Special or the Geoff Hart equivalent) in which a donor butt socket had been brazed back on to the rest of the body. And someone had made a nice job of it, even if they had used a Faz butt socket!

Maybe one day it will get catalogued as a very rare collector's piece!

[Strangely Brown]

I was meaning it ironically! After all, the rifles were common enough and little-wanted enough when this sort of thing went on.

I suspect I've become a bit "touchy" about defending Bert's Whitaker Specials!

Roger,
Should you come across something that you suspect might once have been a Whitaker I have all the original serial numbers for Bert's conversations, it would be useful to put any of them on my register.