1943 Long Branch No.4 skeleton with an Australian connection.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Is the W in a star perhaps a variant of the marking shown in "The Lee Enfield Story" to indicate a cord-Worn, i.e. unserviceable barrel? If so, then one would expect this mark to appear on other non-shootable rifles, DPs etc.

---------- Post added at 04:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:07 PM ----------

As a piece of utterly useless knowledge, I used to have a Bb clarinet in case, marked to the 2nd Black Watch. Made by Hawkes & Son, i.e. predating Boosey & Hawkes. Gone to a German collector a couple of years ago.

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[Thunderbox]

Is the W in a star perhaps a variant of the marking shown in "The Lee Enfield Story" to indicate a cord-Worn, i.e. unserviceable barrel? If so, then one would expect this mark to appear on other non-shootable rifles, DPs etc.

Not really. Its predominantly seen on rifles that appear to be British post-war service rifles, and often appears on specimens that are fairly FTR-fresh.

My own assumption - which is not evidenced by anything other than observation of hundreds of rifles - is that it is an inspection mark applied when rifles were put into UK depot storage. I personally believe that the "W" refers to Weedon, the main post-war rifle depot. I could, of course, be entirely wrong, but thats what the circumstantial evidence seems to point to.