Proud of my No 4!

[longshot1972]

Hello Everyone.
I'm pretty much a No'4 fan out of shear luck. Found this unknown little sporterized surplus rifle at a pawn shop when I had the need for a compact gun for Elk hunting in brushy terrain.

Savage No4 mk1 sn 10c3233.

Shoots amazing and looks good too (if you can stand that it is sporterized).

What brings me here is this: It does not, nor does it appear to ever have had, US Property marked on it.

The assumption from the last forum I joined (one of two anyways) was that when "Bubba" chopped my rifle he ground US Property off. Judging by the markings, Bubba would have had to have milled it off.

Just want to work through this mystery with some experts and enthusiasts such as yourselves and if at all possible find some info on the scope too.

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.

[Peter Laidler]

You can be rest assured Longshot that your rifle DID have the US PROPERTY mark applied. Whether someone has since filed it off or milled it off (both simple to do) is another matter. You can easily check with a set of vernier calipers. I'm sure that this feature has previously been discussed in some depth on the forum. The method of mounting your trelescope is not the best or most reliable by any means as the front pad mount is mechanically VERY tenuous

[Bear43]

I'm about shedding tears here.... An actual Savage No 4 Mk 1 (no *).... Sporterized....

[longshot1972]

Thank You, Peter, you are, of course, absolutely correct. I'd be embarrassed for not noticing the very faintest curls of the bottom or the U and bottom right of the S (yesterday) if it wasn't so exciting to constantly learn more about the ol' No.4.
Bear, on principal I absolutely agree with you- yet at the time was looking for a compact hunting rifle and never would have purchased an unmolested No.4. As a result, while some other lucky stiff would have found himself extremely lucky to have found a surplus early Savage, I would never have fallen in love with them.
I thought it was odd that the barrel had six grooves as, but I think maybe #s 1c to13c or so had that barrel, based on reading the "2 groove" thread yesterday.
I've come across one other No.4 mk1 since, it was complete and original, wasn't a Savage and just came across as rushed and sloppy. Compared to mine, it wasn't even a fireplace hanger. I did not purchase it, but if I ever come across an original that compares favorably to mine I will.

[Peter Laidler]

As a little aside to that, I recall speaking to a dealer while I was at The Small Arms School, who started out in the trade in the early 60's. He commented to me that he understood back then that the trade should scrub or otherwise eliminate the US Property marks as the rifle was liable to forfieture or seizure if it remained. Quite who was going to seize the weapon, heaven knows. But it was a myth anyway......... But it seems strange that other Lend Lease stuff, such as DUKW's, Diamond T's, Half Tracks and Buffalo's etc etc that were still serving up until the 70's had to be disposed of via the authority of the US Military with strict conditions attached. Indeed, in Germany, it all went down to the US Army for disposal in Stuttgart.

The next question is does anyone in the UK have a Savage No4 where the mark has been scrubbed. If so, that's probably the reason

[Beerhunter]

Completly OT but I remember those Diamond Ts in Isleworth in the 60s/70s. That was where Diamond T UK was located back then. I often wondered why the Army returned them to Diamond T.

[Robert303]

Surely if the rifle was one of those made for and PAID for by the UK prior to Lend Lease it would not have been marked US Property?

[Peter Laidler]

We didn't pay for any of them. We were already skint by December 1941. We couldn't pay our bills. In fact, we were so broke that we couldn't even pay attention! Needless to say, they were ALL marked!

[Beerhunter]

Surely if the rifle was one of those made for and PAID for by the UK prior to Lend Lease it would not have been marked US Property?

I'm afraid that was just the M1917s.

[tlvaughn]

Surely if the rifle was one of those made for and PAID for by the UK prior to Lend Lease it would not have been marked US Property?

Every Savage from 0C1 until the last rifle that came off of the line was marked "US PROPERTY". I have seen pictures of 0C1 and I have a small collection of Savage rifles from 0C37 thru 0C54632 and they all have it.