small mystery with a target No4Mk2

[louthepou]

Good day everyone, I hope you are all doing great.

Here, a friend brought a No4Mk2 for me to tear down and inspect. First look, I think it may be (or have been) a "legit" target rifle, but rough tool marks on the barrel have me a bit puzzled.

Action is stamped with "Parker Hale" and "Birmingham" (hard to see on that picture, very small font). Forend is bedded at the knox and a few inches forward of it; and free floating from there onward. But the file and vise marks on the barrel... what gives? Could it have been an attempt to provide some clamp with more grip than with a smooth barrel? That part looks to me like bubba's work...

Lou

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[Roger Payne]

Not sure why the file scratches extend so far forward unless someone was very clumsy, but the marks on the knox look like someone has attempted to remove the barrel using a wrench. It has scored that area deeply & it looks like it slipped rounding the otherwise 'sharp' edge of the knox - exactly what you'd expect to see if you tried to use a Stilson to unscrew a barrel........at least, that's my take on it.

[browningautorifle]

but the marks on the knox look like someone has attempted to remove the barrel using a wrench.

I agree, looks like an attempt to change a barrel with no idea how hard those can be.

[rgg_7]

Marks on barrel are from a coarse file the was used to either remove markings or removed scarring from barrel removal or installation. The stock bedding shown was common on 7.62 DCRA rifles. "Parker Hale" did a conversion at some point in time. What is current caliber? Ron (Canada).

[louthepou]

Thanks folks. I do believe this one's in 303, no DCRA marks anywhere. I will double check though

[tiriaq]

Perhaps the receiver from a sported rifle was used to make up a target rifle. Ham handed amateur gunsmithing?

[Surpmil]

Some of the full-bore target shooters back in the day were 3lb hammer & pipe wrench guys. I've got a couple of "dead bodies" here that show all the signs of prolonged attack with blunt instruments.

Others were artists who could make almost anything, from stocks to Central bases out of a lump of raw material, but the commonality was it had to shoot!