Broard arrow 6 point star on BSA T Butt

[CINDERS]

Hi All hoping the forum can help with this marking under the wrist of the Butt on my BSA No.4 T as I have no clue to is designation.
Thank you in advance

Information

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[Simon P]

My 1945 dated No4T has the same mark in the same location, just assumed it was a Weedon Mark, but can not be 100% sure.

[ssj]

Didnt a lot of enfields go to Israel?

[Thunderbox]

Didnt a lot of enfields go to Israel?

The six-pointed star found on weaponry is nothing to do with Israel, less for a very few actual Israeli ownership-marked weapons.

The six-point star on swords and other weaponry is a very old English proof mark for sword blades. IIRC its origins is not clear, but is thought by some to have originally indicated Damascus steel. The mark is still applied to British military swords today, and other derivative swords such as US and Commonwealth. As sword blades were often procured from the likes of Sollingen in Germany, the mark is also found extensively on European military arms.

Almost certainly the Weedon mark is an adaptation of this tradition proof/quality mark.

[Badger]

I believe it's a Weedon marking convention by one of the W.R.S. (Weedon Repair Standard) sub-contractors.

A rifle having undergone W.R.S. repairs may be identified by a six (6) pointed star stamped into the wood, with a letter stamped underneath it indicating the specific sub-contractor who did the work. For example, the pics below show a different 1944 M47c (BSA Shirley) No.4 Mk1(T) in my wife's private collection. The butt itself on her rifle was changed during a visit to for W.R.S. work to W.W. Greener, as indicated by the six (6) pointed star and the letter V, which was their sub-contractor code letter.

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Regards,
Doug

[Roger Payne]

I know of the Weedon mark, but when a similar question to that of this thread arose a few months ago, I looked at some of the stock of brand new walnut Sykes butts that I have & the star is present on a number of them & these are brand new (but original wartime manufactured) unissued butts. I bought 250 from Ma Parker's years ago & still have most of them. The star is on about 50% of the Sykes butts but on none from other manufacturers.

ATB

[CINDERS]

Hopefully the answer will become apparent seems a good trail to be on in the quest to find out what it all means I will have a gecko in Skennerton's Broad Arrow book and see just thought I would ask the forum as there is more knowledge out there than in my library at home.....cheers people

[Peter Laidler]

On the basis of what Roger says and was aired a couple of years ago, the W mark would appear to be one of the Sykes out-inspectors mark.