No5 Mk 1 question

[crashdummy]

Today I looked at a jungle Carbine that was listed as a Fazakerley 1944. It had the forend metal tip rather than the more common rounded plain wood type. Receiver and barrel had the proper lightning cuts.
The normal Fazakerley markings on the left side of the receiver were very weak (painted over ?) and could not be read except for the last 3 digits of the SN. the same number D66XX is stamped in the metal left buttstock (wrist) under the export ENGLAND.
I did not buy it as there were too many questions in my mind. Any comments please ?
Merry Christmas to all[/COLOR]

Information

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[Aragorn243]

You can't even read the Fazakerley markings on mine without holding it up to the light in half a dozen directions to pick out each and every letter. Even then, a few are not clear including the "6" in 1946. They are there, just very, VERY faint. If everything else on the rifle checks out, it's probably legit. The fake carbines are pretty easy to spot when compared to a real one. If you still have doubts, take a scan of an original receiver and sight along to compare it.

[crashdummy]

Thank you, but did they also put the serial number on the buttstock socket ? I have never seen a Fazakerley with the number there, only on the left side of the receiver i assume that the D prefix is a series number, not a mfg ID.

[jrhead75]

Thank you, but did they also put the serial number on the buttstock socket ? I have never seen a Fazakerley with the number there, only on the left side of the receiver i assume that the D prefix is a series number, not a mfg ID.

Yes they did. My '43 has got the s/n on the buttsocket with the rest of the markings up on the rear portion of the left flat of the body.

Edit: Ooops...I was talking about a No4. I believe my '46 No5's got the s/n on the socket too, but that'll take some digging.

[Hawgeye]

I have two Fazakerly No5s. The 6/44 dated one has the serial no. on the butt socket, the 8/44 dated does not. The D prefix on the one you were looking at puts it as a 1944 build. My 8/44 has an E prefix. The 6/44 dated piece has done service in India (transverse screw in the forearm, S arrow A on the buttstock). Perhaps that's the difference. Cheers.

[Beerhunter]

Thank you, but did they also put the serial number on the buttstock socket ? I have never seen a Fazakerley with the number there, only on the left side of the receiver .

It depends on who you mean by "they". The Fazackerley markings were often so faint that the serial number was often later re-stamped on the butt socket by various people in the repair chain.

[Peter Laidler]

That's so right Beery. The Fazakerly numbering was so shallow as to be illegible. As a result, we'd re-number on the butt socket. We were only allowed to engrave on the body and not stamp, but could stamp on the butt socket. To be honest, their (the Faz) stamped numbering on the butt socket wasn't much better. Stamped by a disclexic caveman

The first time they went through the bead blasting and phosphating system the numbers would disappear. As you can imagine, it caused all sorts of logistical problems where the quantity would be correct but the serial numbers could be, well, anything!

Fazakerley.............., ROF6........., all I say is thank the lord that they never quite got into the production of L1A1's

[crashdummy]

Thank you gentlemen. Based on the information that you have provided, I think that I will go back and buy it.