Help with Identifying a No. 4 Mk. 1

[Izhevsk]

Hello all!

I purchased this "Long Branch" 1945-dated No.4 Mk.1 a few months ago and was recently able to take the time to take some photos of the rifle so I can post them here. The ultimate goal is to try and figure out where it ended up before becoming available on the U.S surplus market.

From what I can deduce (granted, I'm an amateur Enfield Rifle collector), the rifle started out as a 100% Long Branch produced No.4 Nk.1 rifle in 1945. From there it ended up someplace that decided to "refurbish" and gave it a new serial number, scrubbing the old Long Branch serial number on the wrist. As you all can see, the "new" serial number would have originally been assigned to a Savage made No.4 Mk.1. That's all that I can deduce. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than myself can figure out the rest. Thank you!

Information

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[harry mac]

Well it certainly went through 23 Base Workshops at some point (23 BW), which would have possibly been for a repair that was beyond a unit level armourer.
Peter Laidler will know better what the "probable" chain of events was with regards to the replacement serial number, but could it be that the rifle was issued by 23 BW to replace a rifle that was beyond repair, with this one having its serial number replaced with the one from the written off rifle?

[breakeyp]

I have seen the serial number on the bottom of the buttstock on rifles formerly owned by Israel.

[browningautorifle]

Interesting looking older rifle...

[Izhevsk]

I'll also add that on the bottom of the forend, there is a "89L" and then what appears to be "8428" stamped underneath. I'm assuming that would be the rifle's original serial number before it had the wrist scrubbed and the "new" serial number stamped on the bottom of the stock and on the left side of the receiver.

[Roger Payne]

89L would certainly correspond to a 1945 produced rifle.

I might be wildly awry but I wouldn't have expected any self respecting Base Workshop personnel in the UK or any of the Commonwealth armed forces leaving the left side of the butt socket looking like that.

[browningautorifle]

I wouldn't have expected any self respecting Base Workshop personnel in the UK or any of the Commonwealth armed forces leaving the left side of the butt socket looking like that.

I think it was John Q Public that defaced it...

[Roger Payne]

British mastery of understatement............