The tag said No.4 Mk.1......is it?

[Bionicback321]

I was at a local gun store looking for reloading supplies and as I was walking out the door I sort of off handedly asked "hey....you wouldn’t happen to have a Lee Enfield No.4 or a MAS 36 would you?" And sure enough he did. The tag read No.4 Mk.1 but it doesn't show that on the receiver. The serial number on the rear band, bolt and magazine all match (BA28734) although the bottom half of the "B" on the rear band is not very legible. Over the last couple of day I've done some research and I believe the first number in the serial # (2) means it was made at the Fazakerley arsenal. Someone on another forum posted that the serial no. of his No.4...BA26xxx was made in 1942 or 1943. It looks like the second # of the date is a 2 but I cannot make out the first number. And as you can see the only thing that can be seen on the receiver is FTR. The price was less than $200 so you know it came home with me. Any help in identifying what I have here and when it was made would be greatly appreciated.

Here it is.......






---------- Post added at 09:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:53 PM ----------

And the rest.......

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[ActionYobbo]

it looks very Mk1 to me
the cocking piece looks odd, its missing the half cock position

[jmoore]

the cocking piece looks odd, its missing the half cock position

It seems to be all there- but the front part runs off page unless you scroll over (at least on this monitor.)

I believe the rifle is most of a Maltby FTR. (Missing the fronr sight protector.)

The butt socket looks like it had the markings scrubbed off during the FTR, so the serial number may be a bit arbitary. Could have been assigned just to keep the records straight.

[bow]

You will shoot this rifle?? Pay attention: front handguard makes contact with front sight base. This is not best condition to shoot tight groups..

[Peter Laidler]

Immediate Post war Factory Thorough Repaired at the old ROF Maltby. This is quite unusual as the factory had cesaed production of rifles and they wanted to keep the place handy to see how things panned out. ROFM did a small amount of FTR work. Alas, as they really only manufactured a small amount of stuff but were really an assembly factory, output and progress was slow so it soon got (was the first to get) the chop. Looks like an old ROF 6 Fazakerley rifle. The foresight blade way over to the side exceeds the lateral limit allowable and the barrel is therfore unserviceable or at least needs examining to see if anything else might be causing it.

Apologies if this extra info isn't what you asked for but I had my wrist slightly slapped recently for doing so but if it's not, just ignore it

[gsimmons]

When did Maltby stop rifle production?

[Rumpelhardt]

Apologies if this extra info isn't what you asked for but I had my wrist slightly slapped recently for doing so but if it's not, just ignore it

I didn't think there was such a thing as to much information about these rifles. Unless you told some one something they didn't want to hear about theirs.

[Peter Laidler]

I stand to be corrected on exactly but it was in early '45, before the European war ended. ROF 6 Fazakerley and ROF 8 (? without looking it up.....) Maltby were only wartime manufactories but Fazakerley had the biggest output so post war rifle production was concentrated there. Both were militant hotbeds of strife but it was told to me that Rotherham/Maltby had sufficient industry with coal and steel.

[gsimmons]

Interesting, thank you.

[Bionicback321]

The foresight blade way over to the side exceeds the lateral limit allowable and the barrel is therfore unserviceable or at least needs examining to see if anything else might be causing it.

I have not fired the weapon yet but plan to this Sunday. I am planning on returning the front sight to the center and go from there. The gun store clerk dug it out from behind a desk in the back office ( he said the he was going to buy it for himself and I saved him the trouble of explaining another gun purchase to his wife) so it may have been bumped over by rough handling. I'll find out this Sunday.