New No4 MKII's...consecutive serial numbers

[drweiler]

While I am sure that Capt. Laidler is correct in so far as UK military practice, when I was speaking with fellows that did the inventory at Irish barracks prior to shipment overseas, the details were otherwise.

On unissued rifles that were in the original boxes, the packing consisted of the following: each wood box had 5 rifles wrapped in grease, along with 5 bayonets and scabbards. The bayonets and scabbards were wrapped in greased paper. They were not serialized to any of the rifles. They were not in the wrap with the rifle, but packed with the rifles in the same box.

The men (members of the FCA) cut open the wrappings on each and every rifle by the left hand side of the action body, to ensure that the serial number of rifle matched the posted copy on the box.

The wrappings were not removed, a simple slice was made in line with where the action body markings were and the paper peeled back to reveal the data.

Not to detract from a lively debate about the 'Irish Contract', Calfed's wrapped rifle is UF 55 A15546. I've read on another British forum (ARRSE) that the 'Irish' rifles were in the 'PF' series, and the 'UF' series starting in '54 were for the RAF but most stayed in stores till sold off, perhaps, like Calfed's two rifles.