Quote Originally Posted by Peter Laidlericon View Post
On my trials No4 later No4T and later still L42 the cut-off screw thread is BA. And it's got a standard No4T backsight and a rounded top to the bodyside.

I think we're making too much of the rifle in this thread. Nice find and all that but it's an Enfield body shipped up to Fazakerley to be finished when the going was getting decidely tough. And they weren't going to waste it......, that's what the rectification bay was for. And that's presumably why it's got an A suffix

The other alternative is that it was forged and manufactured wholly at Faz to the original drawing spec. Shrivenham have got an identical un-numbered known pre-production rifle there. It DOES have a number, 37, but that is an identification number put on there for project/security/identification purposes.

I wouldn't mind betting that out in the big wide world, un-noticed and unloved are a few more similar rifles with the slot covered up. And it's difficult to notice the slot from the inside and outside when it's covered by the fore-end. I'm a firm believer that the answer is always simple with small arms.

A bit like why some No1's are marked Mk3* when there is a cut-off slot. It's because the EMER's say in as many words '.......fit a high side fore-end and add a star!
That's the practical side! We're on the collector trivia/anorak side!