Interesting Long Branch No.4 MK.1*

[Surpmil]

Something seems to be missing here: so the "W" inside a star is a Weedon mark or is it a barrel defect mark, or is the defect mark just a "W" without the star?

I'm confuz'd; for the moment.

[lawrence_n]

As to the import mark, I'll have to inform my buddy that he was in error as to the meaning. I accept the explanation given as that would explain why my 1950 Long Branch has the Century Arms stamp at the muzzle and no country of origin attributed.
I would ask the "old brit" who was in REME if he can explain the "R/REME" stamp on the butt? You must admit, for an otherwise unmolested Long Branch, it's odd to have a british butt plate and micrometer sight. That's what lead me to believe it had been taken into service by the brits.
As to he bore of this rifle allow me to say this. I've shot, restored, handled, repaired, collected,and/or loved many firearms over the 50 years that I've been involved in shooting sports. I can categorically state that this bore in appearance is equal to the bore of the '50 Long Branch which I bought unfired in the cosmoline, excepting the difference between two and 5 groove . I don't hold myself to be an expert and one thing I've learned is that there's ALWAYS room to be educated, but with a good stong light, I've looked at that bore from both ends and it is literally like a mirror. There is no sign of corrosion, pitting, fouling or any defect visible to the naked eye. If there is something amiss, it would only be detectable by the special tooling or gauging used in the production of these rifles. Short of you seeing it for yourself, I'd ask that you take my word for it.
BTW, I'm an ex military cop, and I bite back!

[browningautorifle]

it's odd to have a british butt plate and micrometer sight. That's what lead me to believe it had been taken into service by the brits.

No it's not. This rifle can have been restored with those parts at any time. I hated the look of the mazak buttplates and changed them for brass regardless of whose they were. Sights and buttplates could be changed by anyone at any time.

the "old brit"

I'm surprised you don't know him. He's written several books...on this sort of thing.

BTW, I'm an ex military cop, and I bite back!

Like that means anything here. BTW, I did 35 years CDN infantry, and we were never afraid of the MPs...let alone now.

[Brian Dick]

The REME/R question was answered in the #2 post. Please read it again. Your rifle is out of British service as 90% of Long Branch rifles are. Armourer's replaced the parts that needed replacing with what was on hand, hence the British mfg replacement parts. They didn't sort parts by specific manufacture since they all interchange.

I'm former Airborne Infantry, (325 PIR, 82nd to be exact). We had special songs we sang in honor of the MP's on our morning runs when we ran by them holding back traffic.

Kidding aside: You have an excellent rifle with some unique markings. Clean it, grease it and linseed the wood. Get out on the range and enjoy it!

[ssj]

Peter, are there any other interesting mark indicators in that manual? or is that manual on line somewhere so I can read it pls? sounds fascinating....(yeah, ok i must have a boring life)

[Peter Laidler]

I do throw them in occasionally SSJ but as you can see, when I do, the questioner or his mates always know better than me. Makes me wonder why they ask.........

[Alan de Enfield]

An extract from an article by some old Brit guy who was something to do with REME

If your butt has a letter R over the word REME, either painted or stamped, it means REJECTED BY THE REME EXAMINER. It doesn’t mean repaired or repairable, it means, listen to me – REJECTED. It’s marked with the REME logo to show those back in the Base Ordnance Depots that it is a REME reject as opposed to an Ordnance reject. Only the highest level of REME in-inspector will mark this and the REME overrule the Ordnance in all things engineering. That’s why we are called engineers.

Now, the next thing………. The R-REME or ZF is painted or stamped onto the butt because there’s nowhere to paint it on the rifle body. Imagine a Bren with a jammed-up solid gas cylinder needing a FTR to replace it (and they do jam solid too…..). Would the examiner paint the ZF on the gas cylinder? OF course not! Look and think logically those forumers who think and write otherwise………… When we write off vehicles, we paint the word CAST in yellow paint on the bonnet, even if it’s a well worn out Bedford with a cracked and buckled chassis. Is that clear enough?

To the OP - the rifle is probably in such good condition because it was rejected by the military and 'never used'

[Brian Dick]

Alan, Thanks for that refresher. That would explain why we seldom see that particular marking.

[lawrence_n]

A big "Thank you" to all of you gentlemen who contributed your knowledge and comments to this post, even you snarky ones. Since an in-depth visual inspection shows absolutely no reason for this rifle to be labelled "reject", I've come up with a plan of action. I have a buddy who has the go/no-go gauges (though if it's just a headspace issue I can get the bolt heads to correct that), and who can cast the chamber and slug the bore for me. The quick "bullet in the muzzle" test has a .303 ball round going in just at the end of the ogive where it should be. The barrel isn't bulged and there are no visible mechanical defects. Frankly, I'm stumped! If we find nothing obviously wrong, I'll shoot the thing and check it's performance. If any of you gentlemen have any other worthwhile suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

[browningautorifle]

There are entire threads on why rifles are labeled "DP" here. Rejects are the same. Somewhere along the line it was found to be unworthy, that would equate unsafe. Hope I never run into one of you on the range that wants to let me try your rejected rifle. Maybe you could warn people first that it was labeled as a reject first? That would be nice...