Parker Hale M85 Serial Number Checks & Provenance on Manufacture (Records)

[Gil Boyd]

What you have written there is spot on. I have now physically gone through all the records and can only find 367 finished and stamped C3A1 rifles sent back by Jack Holmer of Parker Hale whose task was simply to stamp all Parker Hale rifles with the serial numbers.
I have those records I believe and that means somewhere, someone made it look as though they were requesting a refurb of 500 so where are the missing 133 rifles? Did they actually exist. With the burning of any possible corroborative evidence held in the UK by Modular Industries you can imagine how hard it is to piece the whole picture together.

For the benefit of mforow and for clear identification, the C3 had the Mauser action, and the C3A1 had the flat top action and new barrel, some barrels it appears were reused if accepted, and many M86/M87 were bundled in to this package as well, as they too were identical to the C3A1's except they had a reinforced front bridge with a 1/4" recoil lug fitted to take the USMC scope.

So hope that helps in some way, but be very interested to see any paperwork from the Canadian Treasury to conclusively prove how many rifles actually came over for refurb and how many got back.

Sounds almost like a big favour was done somewhere to the enquiring DOD Forces to try and fit in with "refurbishment of old rifles" but really they recieved something better ie a new actioned C3A1 in return but not the 500 all the peprwork refers too!!!!!!!!?? Or as an ex detective am I reading too deep into this?