long branch sniper ?

[Surpmil]

There is a retired RCEME armourer known to some of us who told me unprompted that he saw No4s being converted to sniper specs in the ordnance workshops in Montreal in the 1950s. He did not work on them himself so could not say what kind of mounts were being used, but he did say that rifles were being converted, not simply worked on. I'll have to ask him again about that.

So the other variable, which presumably doesn't apply to this rifle by virtue of its ENGLAND stamp, but may apply to other more 'rough and ready' Long Branch No4(T) conversions. Long Branch/SAL and REL were both maintained very high standards of fit and finish; it's obvious from the kit we see even today. I can't see a rifle like this, with the ends of the screws not even blacked, being done in WWII at Long Branch:

Attachment 43445

Does anyone have documentary or even anecdotal evidence about the timelines of the "ENGLAND" stamp and how and where it was applied?