Canadian Rifle Issue

[Seaspriter]

With a production run of nearly 230,000 rifles in 1943, just 71 were selected to become “T” models that is a recorded fact.
Over the course of the factory’s production, just 1,588 sniper rifles were produced, and REL never made more than 400 of any particular mark.

Gil, you are probably correct. (Coincidently I was drafting an article about this very issue just this morning) We aren't sure if 71 were produced in 1943 or in the period of 1941-1943. Here's the clarification:

The Inspection Board of the UK and Canada (reference: Clive Law's Without Warning - page 37) reported "71 had already been delivered by the end of 1943" (IOW between 1941-43; however, later, on pages 37 and 40 Clive Law writes "in 1943" -- thus the confusion. We need to find the original documents to understand the true meaning.) We know Long Branch produced a small number of snipers in 1941-42, but we aren't sure how many, depending on how you read the evidence. (This stuff is only important to a few collectors -- most people won't care, but it's all part of understanding why so much of the Long Branch sniper story is clouded in a shroud of mystification).

Probably only a very small handful of Snipers were produced in 1941 (only one has shown up); probably about ~20 in 1942 (only 2 have shown up); and about ~50-71 in 1943 (depending on what the Inspection Board records actually say). However, in the 1943 production range, 21 snipers have shown up, which is far more than statistics would project. (Thanks Lee Enfield for sharing your data base -- see you in 2 weeks).

Because so many (perhaps as much as 50%) of the genuine Long Branch Snipers did not get the (T) designation stamp, they are prone to FORGERY. Beware collectors of Long Branch Snipers, especially in 1943! Apparently (according to a very reliable source on this site) two very unscrupulous scoundrels (one now dead) from Manitoba produced a dozen or more FAKES over a 25 year period. Thus the very high number of 1943 snipers showing up recently.

For collectors, the safest period for collecting is 1944-45, because Long Branch started using "serial block numbering" which makes it reasonably certain that if your sniper falls into a certain serial block, it is probably genuine.

Of the Wartime production, (1941 through first quarter 1945) only about 1000 were produced. Less than 90 have been reported (including the Fakes). IOW, the Wartime Long Branch Snipers are mighty scarce.

Even more scarce are the REL scopes that were mounted on many of the Long Branch Snipers. According the Seaforth72, who has been tracking the REL scopes, only 35 of these have been reported (and while they are much harder to fake, don't be surprised if someone tries, given their value on the market). (Thanks Colin for sharing your information.) There are more unreported REL scopes that will surface, but don't expect as many as the UK scopes.

We are currently starting to figure out where the missing snipers went, because only 9% of the Wartime production and 22% of the Postwar production have been accounted for. The short answer to the question of the Missing Snipers is that a few percent (perhaps 10%) are still in collectors closets, but sadly most were either destroyed in combat, missing in action, destroyed after the war, or scrapped for parts (parted out).

Regarding production, when the war started, the initial order from the Canadian army was for 50,000 standard No.4 rifles from the Master General of Ordnance (MGO), quickly followed by an additional order of 100,000 from the British Ministry of Supply, while the plant was under construction. (ref: Clive Law).

In the early-mid war years (1940-2), Canadian troops in the UK, Hong Kong (1941), and Africa were carrying British WWI No.1 MkIII rifles. By the time the Canadians reached Italy (1943), they were issued the No.4 rifle (thanks Seaforth72). Photographs taken during this period show the Canadian Sniper Forces at that time were using the No.3 Mk1* (T) rifle (which was the Winchester P-14 from WWI, fitted with an Aldis scope.) So, early in the war, many Canadian troops left Canada without Long Branch rifles. (According to Clive Law, p 42 " All No.4 (T) rifles were supplied to the Canadian Army by the British War Office.")

Ultimately Long Branch produced nearly a million rifles. A large portion went either with Canadian troops or to the ordnance pool as Captain Laidler indicated. Many ended in the hands of Commonwealth Countries (like India, South Africa and ANZAC) as well as NATO countries after the war and other Allies (like Greece & Turkey), or into postwar English warehouses and then scattered through surplus sales (many to the US via suplus dealers) or destroyed as scrap iron or through overboard at sea.

For example, Seaforth72 reports: "many went to NATO countries as aid in the 1950s. There is a report that the Dutch eventually scrapped their rifles but about 50 out of 350 of the Lyman scopes and brackets ended up being bought by a collector. I have found the rifle for my Lyman scope in Australia as an ex-sniper with the mounting holes plugged."

We all wish there was a secret stash of Long Branches sitting in a warehouse somewhere (like the end of the Indiana Jones movie), but that's hardly likely.