Why are Long Branches so desirable?

[XLesky]

Hi guys, great forum. I've learned heaps that will come in handy when I get my Savage No4 Mk1* from the local gunshop (still waiting on my permit to come back!), and hopefully when I start collecting LE's down the track.

One thing I really would like to know is why are Long Branch rifles worth more than your average LE? I've read Reynold's book and done some searching on here and I still haven't found a definitive answer for this question.

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[Alan de Enfield]

Personally I see no reason for a premium on any particular manufacturer (unless its a small run item). I think there is probably a tendency for 'locals' to want what was manufactured locally - ie Aussies favour Lithgows, Americans favour Savage etc.

Our resident Enfield expert and author Peter Laidler commented on the old Jouster forum :

"Another problem they encountered was that with the speed of wartime production, the induction hardening of the bodies was at best, mediocre, and at worst, sometimes virtually non existant. The hardening sometimes had no depth and it was tested at Base Workshops by the old IZOD impact test method. Apparently, all manufacturers were as bad or good as each other including Savage and LB (I bet that has shocked a few of you who were probably lead to believe that some makers were 'better' than others......) "

[Beerhunter]

Not in the UK they aren't. People like me, at school came across many broken bolt-head tracks and so that put us off the North American Mk1*s, preferring those No4s with a catch. We tend to pass that on and so in my experience people this side of the pond don't go for Mk1*s.

However, as has already been said, collectors (of anything, not just firearms) do seem to like their own county's production.

[XLesky]

Thanks for your responses. I agree with the 'local' rifle being the desired one, I myself was aiming for a Lithgow when I went to the gun store two weeks ago, but the Savage No 4 I've bought just felt more substantial and higher quality than the Lithgow's he had available at the time. I plan on getting a Lithgow eventually, as parts of these were produced in my home town (Dubbo). A bit off the topic of LB's, but does anyone know what exactly was produced in Dubbo for the Lithgow SMLE??

[bradtx]

XLesky, Although quality from all of the No.4 manufacturers is very much the same, everybody has their own favorite manufacturer based on their own experiances.

Beerhunter, Chipping of the bolt rail can usually nailed down to the bolthead used. At some point early in Mk.I* production, and so far undocumented, Long Branch and Savage began to chamfer the leading and trailing edges of the bolthead's rail slot. Mk.1/3 owners who've had a problem of the bolthead jumping out of track have fixed the problem by chamfering.

On the left is a '55 Fazakerley, the right is a '51 Long Branch.



Brad

[scout7]

Granted that I may have a North American bias, I prefer Longbranch #4's and Lithgow #1's. The #4 LB's because mine seem to have tighter bores (and shoot better for me) than my British rifles and the #1 Lithgows because I like the A inside the sun symbol and I love the smell of coachwood.

The #4 bias may simply be because the British rifles I have are more worn. I will agree that the Mk1 bolt head release is more substantial than the slot on Mk1* rifles. I have yet to own a Mk1* that had a significant problem with the slot though, so my inexperience may be concealing the significance of the difference between Mk1 and Mk1* rifles.

[Edward Horton]

Why are Canadian Long Branch Enfield Rifles so desirable?

Customer satisfaction and they are good medicine to use against Canadian bears.

[Lithy]

Thanks for your responses. I agree with the 'local' rifle being the desired one, I myself was aiming for a Lithgow when I went to the gun store two weeks ago, but the Savage No 4 I've bought just felt more substantial and higher quality than the Lithgow's he had available at the time. I plan on getting a Lithgow eventually, as parts of these were produced in my home town (Dubbo). A bit off the topic of LB's, but does anyone know what exactly was produced in Dubbo for the Lithgow SMLE??

No parts for the SMLE were made at Dubbo.

Bathurst, Orange, Wellington and Forbes supplied or assembled SMLE bits, whilst Dubbo, Mudgee, Portland, Parkes, Cowra and Young supplied Bren and Vickers bits.

Just a suggestion, but if you are looking at starting a LE collection, go to Skennerton.com and purchase a copy of The Lee Enfield. It's much more up to date than Reynolds.

[XLesky]

Thanks Lithy, I must have read that section of Reynold's book wrongly.
Still waiting for this damned permit to return, a real pain because last time I put one in for a Savage 99 it came back within 5 days!!

[Lithy]

No worries mate. I have a bit of an advantage as I'm not that far from you, in one of the above mentioned towns.

In fact, I could nearly hit the old factory with a stone from where I'm sitting.