Another No.4 Mk.I (T), SN AP 8156, is being reunited with its scooe

[Seaforth72]

"SMLE addict" has now arranged to get the scope and bracket that had been separated from rifle AP 8156 perhaps as many as 45 years ago. When I entered a rifle and its mismatched scope that turned up for sale on Gunboards into my research database, I noticed that the scope bracket SN matched SMLE adfict's rifle AP 8156. He was not a member of Gunboards so he could not communicate directly with the seller until approved. To help him get it, I posted a notice right away on the thread and passed a message on to the seller saying that the owner of the rifle matching his scope bracket wanted to communicate with them. SMLE addict was able to strike a deal. Happily the price was very reasonable.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Well done Colin...

[jonh172]

This is fantastic!!

When you say "another", how many scopes have you reunited?

[Seaforth72]

Those that come to mind:

1. An REL Scope C No.32 Mk.3 that I found in Scotland at a friend's house while visiting from Canada on my honeymoon. I later found the owner of the Long Branch 90Lxxxx rifle was "valleysniper" in Wales, so after I had obtained a matched 90Lxxxx sniper equipment for myself, I sold the matching scope to him.

2. A scope I found in the USA, was matched with a rifle in U.K. that Bigduke6 had bought out of the USA. It sounds like he may finally have that scope.

3. I had here in Canada a Lyman No.32 TP Mk.I scope and I found the matching Long Branch rifle in Australia. Sadly we were not able to reunite them.

4 I bought a British No.4 Mk.I (T) rifle out of PA in the USA and with the help of Brian Dick (BDL Ltd), in the USA, I was able to find the matching scope set in Nebraska and eventually sold that owner the rifle.

5. "Lee Enfield" spotted the matching REL scope for sale in another country for one of my Long Branch rifles. This was a rifle which "Jawes" had bought at the Show of Shows in Kentucky.. I later traded the rifle from Jawes and was able to buy the scope with the help of "Jawes". Incidentally, Jawes located and bought the matching Long Branch rifle for one of his REL scopes... even though the owner in the USA had misread the serial number!

6. Then of course there is the scope that I just found sitting on a mismatched rifle and listed for sale in the USA. When entering it into my database I found that the rifle had been recorded by me as being in California. I told that rifle owner and he is buying the matching scope on another mismatched rifle.

7. I located (but do not have ... yet ;-) the matching REL scope case to one of my Long Branch sniper rifles (the SOS one). Knowing the numbers painted on it was the vital clue to later locating and obtaining the matching scope as the butt had been changed thus the scope SN on wrist had been lost.

There may be a few more match-ups that I have forgotten about.

The bottom line is that it is a team effort. People sharing data on their rifles, scopes, brackets etc. And me recording them in my database. Special thanks of course to Angel's Matching Service and all of those who have shared photos and information.

[bigduke6]

2. A scope I found in the USA, was matched with a rifle in U.K. that Bigduke6 had bought out of the USA. It sounds like he may finally have that scope.

Colin, the scope is finally matched with rifle......big thanks to you and Ron, will post some pics at some point also updated the the post on importing a scope....... (if only I could claim its air miles),.

Regarding the rifle it was bought in an auction, probably the cheapest T this side of the pond for a long time, there was two at the Auction one with scope and one with out (my one) the two were imported from the USA as one had the the England import mark and looks like mine had been linished out, it explains why the scope was your side.

Still it must of come with a scope and would say the scope with the other rifle was probably with mine at some point, only say this as the correct scope can for the other rifle was on ebay not long after the auction, the seller was a Military dealer and mainly dealt in Deactivated firearms and not live ones, how it ended up with him I don't know but at the time of the auction I left a postal bid and am sure the the two rifles were submitted by him....... as I got a glimse of the paperwork but he doesn't deal in live firearms.............

I actually found the details last week as they were in an auction catalogue I was searching for, but its not my rifle so can't post them here, but I will contact the buyer who was a dealer and see where it went.

[snipershot1944]

I'd call that the Lord's work.

[jonh172]

Amazing!!
Well done to all involved!

Please add my mismatched bracket to the database, it has been altered but still solid and who knows, maybe another possible match up can be made!

AQ 0479

[Seaforth72]

jonh172 - Your rifle was already in my research database. :-) Sadly your rifle cannot tell us the scope SN as that number was removed on yours. The only hopes are to find the bracket (ideally with a scope still fitted!) and/or the scope case with the rifle and scope serial numbers both legible. To give you a general idea:
- Rifle AQ0479 belonging to jonh172. Scope SN not known.
- Rifle AQ0486 and is looking for scope 2388. "gioca" is the owner.
- Rifle AQ2892 has matching scope 4376 and is in the collection of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Museum in Calgary, Alberta (on display in the Military Museums there.
- Rifle AQ2902 has the scope SN 2795 on the wrist, but was fitted with a civilian Weaver scope later.
- Rifle AQ4623 has the scope SN 6538 ion the wrist.

jonh172, if you have not yet done so, do post your rifle serial number on Milsurps' ~Angel~'s 'Match Making' Service ... RIFLES looking for scopes.

[smle addict]

I wanted to publicly thank Colin (Seaforth72) for reuniting scope/mount to AP8156. A simple thank you seems woefully insufficient for his perseverance, but again, I am very thankful he spotted the mismatched T wearing the old scope/mount for AP8156, which is in my possession. Rifle and scope arrived today.

It is unknown if the scope was original to the rifle, as the butt was replaced for a small one sometime in its service life, and there is no scope number on the wrist. Scope mount is marked "GF" for Gujarat Forces (India State Forces). Scope has been repainted. It is a CTS Mk 3, number 19121.

Interesting journey for AP8156: rifle was located at a gun show in Barstow, California (sans scope/mount) just about a year and a half ago. Colin located a mismatched 1944 No4T in Texas with the correct mount for my rifle. Struck a deal with the owner. He said he bought his rifle out of Oklahoma over 20 years ago.

I'll post pics when I have time.

A very grateful "thank you" to Seaforth72.

[Roger Payne]

Never mind all this 'Tinder' match-making stuff, you ought to start a dating agency Colin!