New Long Branch 1941...

[PrinzEugen]

Makes me glad we've got the NHS here spinecracker - hope everyone's doing well in any case!

[spinecracker]

Official update - the forend suffered a catastrophic accident - is now in 3 bits and cannot be salvaged. I have therefore decided to at least tidy the little old lady up a bit (well, she is almost 70 years old) with an early LB forend and some other LB parts. Photos will be forthcoming in the near future. The only parts I am now looking for are an LB buttstock and lower hand guard.

[spinecracker]

Photos as promised. The replacement LB buttstock will be here in about a week's time, but I thought I'd try out my new digital camera. The rear hand guard colour does not match as well as I would like (has a hint of red that is missing on the rest of the wooden furniture), but it is a Long Branch part and may even be original to the rifle (we will never know). The rifle may have seen better days, but it just looks right with the early LB parts. The only part that is not LB-marked is the front sight blade (fat chance of me ever finding an LB-marked one lol). The magazine is unserialed and is solid on the underside, and has a slight plum tint that looks very nice. Calculating the cost of this restoration, I can only say that this was a labour of love lol (especially with the LB-marked hinged upper band).

[Surpmil]

Well used but looks very original. A nice find and that's probably the original "deep-drawn" mag as well.

[Peter Laidler]

Picture 3, top row. Is that a serial number stamped into the cocking piece? That's where the hardness meets the toughness and the snapping usually(?) occurs. I bet stamping that didn't do the cocking piece much good.....or the stamps!

[spinecracker]

Peter, that is an inspector's mark on the cocking piece (I checked in the Knowledge Library for the 1941 Long Branch - see photo 122).

MKL entry for 1941 No.4 Mk1 Long Branch Rifle (click here)

(Click PIC to Enlarge)(Click PIC to Enlarge)

Surpmil, the only parts I did not change on this rifle so far have been the rear hand guard (which may be changed if I can find a good replacement), the bolt, the receiver or the barrel. The magazine is a replacement (but correct deep-drawn type), as is the bolt head, cocking piece, safety catch assembly, forend, front hand guard, buttstock, buttplate, foresight protector, upper and lower bands, rear sight, trigger guard and swivels (I think that is everything). As I said, it was a labour of love.

[spinecracker]

Thanks Badger for correcting the post. I didn't have time as I was in the process of rushing out of the door on an errand

[jmoore]

Picture 3, top row. Is that a serial number stamped into the cocking piece? That's where the hardness meets the toughness and the snapping usually(?) occurs. I bet stamping that didn't do the cocking piece much good.....or the stamps!

Contrary to good engineering prctice, at least as of the 1960's, it seems many cocking pieces are stamped in that stressed location. Definitely a stress riser in an area subject to "fatigue failure". Esp. the "LB" marking- it's JUST behind the worst possible "don't do it!" zone.

[Surpmil]

Of the half dozen I've seen they all had those stamps. I've only ever seen one broken one, and that was because a rifle club type heat treated it to glass hard in the hope of improving his trigger let-off. The heat marks are clearly visible and were confirmed by the then owner - I got it as a loose part. It snapped right at the half-cock detent or whatever the proper term is.

[bigduke6]

For all the LB experts

In one post Spinecracker mentioned the wood, walnut beech etc, just wonder what would be correct for a Longbranch No4 Mk1* ? got one on the way with 2 groove barrel dated 1942.