Information Requested 1941 LB No4 MkI

[Surpmil]

The bolt renumber is a "bubba job", but what is the SN on the butt socket and how does it look?

At least you have the right bolt and the since the chances of finding one of those are so small (says he who has found two over the years) that perhaps the socket was renumbered as well?

[Gustro79]

The bolt renumber is a "bubba job", but what is the SN on the butt socket and how does it look?

At least you have the right bolt and the since the chances of finding one of those are so small (says he who has found two over the years) that perhaps the socket was renumbered as well?

The verdict on the bluing is that this is not been Bubba reblued. the finish is exactly the same under the cosmoline. Every metal part has an LB mark.

[Frederick303]

I have one very much like that. /46 marked 0L803X, serial number and early bolt knob and re-marked bolt body, with the same font as the rifle shown. it is a later bolt body, as it does not have the drilled out bolt knob but the original 0L is still showing Restamped serial obviously hand stamped, the last two digits were opposite (X3) and then remarked (3X). Round cocking knob, # 1 bolt head

The front sight guard is the Long Branch marked waisted part. The front band is the split Long Branch part and is a lighter shade blue finish then the rest of the rifle. The middle band is milled but no Long Branch marking. Wood is well used, bore is like new. mazak butt.

Rear sight is the CMK3 milled part and has a different blue than the rest of the action body/barrel. Magazine is odd, has Canadian UCF follower, but no LB mark on body.

It is very close to the rifle shown. My guess was that rifle was more or less correct as it left the workshop.

[Gustro79]

I have one very much like that. /46 marked 0L803X, serial number and early bolt knob and re-marked bolt body, with the same font as the rifle shown. it is a later bolt body, as it does not have the drilled out bolt knob but the original 0L is still showing Restamped serial obviously hand stamped, the last two digits were opposite (X3) and then remarked (3X). Round cocking knob, # 1 bolt head

The front sight guard is the Long Branch marked waisted part. The front band is the split Long Branch part and is a lighter shade blue finish then the rest of the rifle. The middle band is milled but no Long Branch marking. Wood is well used, bore is like new. mazak butt.

Rear sight is the CMK3 milled part and has a different blue than the rest of the action body/barrel. Magazine is odd, has Canadian UCF follower, but no LB mark on body.

It is very close to the rifle shown. My guess was that rifle was more or less correct as it left the workshop.

Wow, that is nearly exactly this rifle.
Same thing with my mag... Follower it's Canadian marked but not the mag. All the wood is either savage or Longbranch marked.

[esu_1985]

I have one very much like that. /46 marked 0L803X, serial number and early bolt knob and re-marked bolt body, with the same font as the rifle shown. it is a later bolt body, as it does not have the drilled out bolt knob but the original 0L is still showing Restamped serial obviously hand stamped, the last two digits were opposite (X3) and then remarked (3X). Round cocking knob, # 1 bolt head

The front sight guard is the Long Branch marked waisted part. The front band is the split Long Branch part and is a lighter shade blue finish then the rest of the rifle. The middle band is milled but no Long Branch marking. Wood is well used, bore is like new. mazak butt.

Rear sight is the CMK3 milled part and has a different blue than the rest of the action body/barrel. Magazine is odd, has Canadian UCF follower, but no LB mark on body.

It is very close to the rifle shown. My guess was that rifle was more or less correct as it left the workshop.

Hey Frederick would you post some photos? it would be nice to make some comparisons.

[Gustro79]

Correction, nearly everything metal is LB, but this trigger is Savage

[capt14k]

Here is another one that sold on gunbroker this week. I was watching it and would have bought at the sale price of $330, but I got tied up at work. Bolt Matches. Serial is 0L3149.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/623743787

[Brian Dick]

I'm guessing the '46 marked barreled bodies are dip blued. The majority of them I've seen came from Greek Reserve Stores. Maybe they were FTR'd in Greece under British/Canadian supervision. Some of the 1903 Springfields that were imported from Greece by CMP in the early 2000's had the exact same dark blue finish. As mentioned before, no one has ever found just what workshop did the rebuild programs.

[Frederick303]

Brian, you have had a lot more experience with the Greek rifles, but what I see tends to indicate the rifles were reworked in Canada before being sent overseas post war:

1) These seem to have retained a mix of very old parts and late parts such as the Savage bits and the CMK3 sight, I do not see any British bits as one would expect if the rework was done in an overseas workshop.

2) The Savage parts and late CMK#3 parts are all consistent with Canadian parts left over post 1945 (as the left over Savage parts were sent north in late 44).

3) These Mk I rifles were phased out of Canadian service post war, the Canadians supplied Norway, and Denmark with arms post war (M1917 rifles) , it is very possible the No 4 MK I rifles would have been shipped out as aid post 1946 (or Greece, though I thought the Longbranch No 4 rifles go there via England aid from Italy in the 1947 time frame).

Of course I could be wrong, it is often what you do not know that counts. I would be curious why you think it was overseas rework?

[Gustro79]

Here is another one that sold on gunbroker this week. I was watching it and would have bought at the sale price of $330, but I got tied up at work. Bolt Matches. Serial is 0L3149.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/623743787

Wow that one sure slipped through the cracks