Peter, thank you for that clear and concise answer regarding any rifles which were faulty or worn and thus marked with 'ZF'.

According to Mr Skennertonicon: " These ex-trials No.4 rifles which were taken into service during the wartime years, marked with the 'A' suffix to the serial number, were finally ordered to be withdrawn and scrapped in the mid-1950's"

Can you tell us how these presumably fully serviceable rifles would have been marked for scrap - would it not have been with the 'ZF'? Is there another mark which means "perfectly serviceable but scrap"? Unlike the Albion pistols, it was not a case of these will do for years if they are tinkered with, there was a definite order to remove them from service and scrap them.

On another interesting note, can you tell us what would have happened to them? Clearly they were NOT scrapped as they exist to confuse and confound us! Why were dangerously unsafe weapons allowed to be released and sold? (albeit to the American public) Unlike 'DP' marked rifles these 'ZF' marked rifles have no useful training value, why were they not cut?

Puzzled...

Curly