1941 Maltby

[Giove]

This is a 1941 Maltby a bit odd.

The S.N. is a BSA S.N. The bolt is, in my opinion, an original BSA bolt.

What do you think?

Have you seen other 1941 Maltby with BSA S.N.?

Thanks.
Giancarlo

Information

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[Lee Enfield]

The M above the striker shaft may be a Maltby marking?
Why do you think the bolt is BSA?

When I first looked at the bolt, I thought it might be an early LB.

Usually there is a V e-pen engraved on the left side of a LongBranch MkI striker in a similar manner to what shiws here.

[Brian Dick]

Looks legit and matching to me. I can clearly see the "M" stamp on the bolt body at the rear too.

[Alan de Enfield]

I'm guessing that he is relating the serial number starting with a "3" with being a BSA prefix, ( 1 = Maltby, 2= Fazakerley, 3 = BSA Shirley) but as far as I know they had not allocated the 'prefix series' that early.

The early BSA rifles were just 4 digits, when they got to 9999 they started using alpha-numeric so started again with Axxxx, Bxxxx etc until the new Factory prefix system was introduced and BSA numbers became A30001, - A39999, then B30001 - B39999 C3xxxx etc etc

[Roger Payne]

Yes, it looks fine to me, even if the serial is not as anticipated. The bolt bodies made by BSA have the capital letter 'B' stamped where the 'M' is on this one on production up to some point in 1943, & M47/C thereafter. A BSA bolt body would also always have the hollowed out bolt knob - can't quite see whether this one does or not.

Quite why the serial is atypical I do not know, but suspect, as as Alan alluded, that being of very early manufacture the serial ranges were not allocated/not yet religiously applied.

[Giove]

Thank you all.

The bolt knob is hollowed out.



I founf this table (Row 6).

https://www.rifleman.org.uk/No4serial_numbers.html

[Lee Enfield]

I believe the original production drawings called for the bolt knob to be hollowed out.
Certainly the original Long Branch No4s which appear to have been build directly to the drawing, have a hollow bolt knob.

[Alan de Enfield]

Yes - 283,000 rifles were producded by BSA before they started to use the "3" prefix to the serial number

[Roger Payne]

I think all of the manufacturers started off 'hollow bolt knob' but most soon dropped it. Faz carried on for a while & BSA never dropped it. It's the kind of spec relaxation you can imagine being approved so as to permit of a little speedier production.

From what I have noticed BSA started using the five digit serial commencing with a '3' from the beginning of 1944.

[rgg_7]

Serial number 3276 A is a good Maltby. Look at your chart. "M" on the bolt body confirms Maltby. Rather rare Enfield. Looks to have an early scope.

Ron (Canada)