No.4 Mk.I Fazackerly Forestocks, 1943

[jmoore]

Nerd question:
Eyeballing a couple of 1943 (6/43 and 10/43) Fazackerly rifles, I noticed both had dates stamped into the wood near the nosecap- one clearly 3/43 and the other a faint 10/43.

Fonts and sizes seem consistent to each other.

Anybody else have dated wood on a Fazackerly, or any other maker?

Information

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[Amatikulu]

I noticed the same on several Fazakerley's that I purchased from Century. They were all from the purchase Century made from Turkey and were all 43 dated.

[tbonesmith]

I've seen it on '42 and '43 Fazackerley's.

[krinko]

Here's two of mine---both unFTR'd Fazakerleys from '43.
I haven't seen dates like these on any other maker's No4 rifles.
-----krinko

[kar98k]

my 6/43 Fazakerely has it as well

[ANDYZ28]

my 6/43 Fazakerely has it as well

Mine to!

Were serial#s stamped/etched into/onto the magazines at Fazakerley (mine does not) as they were on the Long Branch No4s' (my 1942 does)?

Thanks, Andy

[krinko]

Fazakerley didn't serialize magazines in WW2 production and neither did Longbranch----right into the '50 rifles.
Numbers on these rifle's magazines were put on at a local level.
-----krinko

[ANDYZ28]

Fazakerley didn't serialize magazines in WW2 production and neither did Longbranch----right into the '50 rifles.
Numbers on these rifle's magazines were put on at a local level.
-----krinko

I examined the rifle very carefully this morning, and it appears to me to have been stamped at the time of manufacture. The stock and magazine have both serial numbers, or should I say both sets of numbers? The numbers on the magazine have been very deeply struck so as to actually dent the base of the magazine. Why are their two serial numbers?

Thanks, Andy

[mtykim]

my 3/43 Fazakerley only has the serial number on the wood which matches the receiver. no date. and no numbers on the magazine.

[jmoore]

my 3/43 Fazakerley only has the serial number on the wood which matches the receiver. no date. and no numbers on the magazine.

The serial number is likely a post WWII armourer's addition, which is perfectly fine. (One of mine has a S/N on the fore stock, the other, no.) Unless there's some other way to identify the stock as being original to the rifle from the factory, the lack of a date mark MAY indicate the wood was replaced at some point. That's why I found the dates of interest for this mfg.

Of course, now some enterprising folk will start adding date stamps to their "S51" stamp sets. (And M1 cartouche stamps, etc.)