A study of No.4 Mk.I "Trials" rifles: information requested!

[Surpmil]

Second Set of Images

One interesting aspect of your photos Waco16 is your forend cross-strap is of the standard type rather than the screw and nut more often seen on the few Model C rifles that survive. Unless the forend was replaced at some point with another "trials" example, the RSAF(E) stamp on the cross-strap end means the screw and nut modification is probably something done by Fulton's when they set up such rifles for target use.

Your forend does have a somewhere different profile ahead of the large guard screw though: the Model C rifle were very straight in profile there. This is probably what Skennerton refers to as the "modified forend profile" of the Model C rifles.

Mine had that done to it and the strap had been neatly cut away leaving only the ends and the space filled with a strip of wood as in the Devizes Gunsmith example below, though for some reason the ends of the cross-strap have been set in more deeply than others seen and a larger screw shank used.

I see the Devizes example also has the dowels let in to stop(?) the forend moving side to side; presumably done by Fultons.

[Jim Shortill]

Found a dealer online with this. They don't know what it is. It is a bit rough. Has the plunger and not the ball/indent for the rear sight. Should I post pictures and questions here, or on another part of the forum?

[Surpmil]

It's a VERY early rifle built at Fazakerly(? on a leftover trials body (receiver).

The simplified cocking piece is very unusual, and we wouldn't expect to see a Long Branch pressed safety catch spring either on such a rifle AFAIK.

However the finish is a close match, so perhaps they have been together for a long time. The screw is different from the standard as well.

I see the Enfield "D/E" hybrid mark on the safety catch and that is what we would expect on such a rifle.

Does it have the "waisted" foresight protector, hinged upper band and other such trials rifle features?

[Jim Shortill]

Here is the link from Gunbroker. I'm not in buying mode, but figured I would pass it on for knowledge sake. It has many of the trials rifle features. I've been super busy at work so I haven't had time to get my geek on, and go through my reference books.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1066819771

[Surpmil]

Forget most of what I said in #83 which was based on the previous statement that the backsight had a ball-bearing detent: it doesn't.

The machining on the receiver is also too rough to be RSAF(E).

Does have a "trials" safety though.

[Jim Shortill]

I did notice it had the plunger and not the ball indent. That's why I was thinking it might be one of the later C pattern. So what's your thought on the rifle? A high number trials that was mostly rebuilt? Do any of the others rifle number identifiers (on on other trials rifles) - A XXXX - come with a prefix / suffix letter like this one?

[Surpmil]

My opinion is it's an early receiver from Fazackerly, the A suffix serial indicates this, but rough as guts overall and definitely NOT a trials receiver.

The No.5 trigger guard doesn't "belong" on an early rifle, and the cocking piece was probably stuck on in order to make it look superficially interesting by whoever sanded the wood down and generally massaged the rifle before it was put in the auction.

Aside from the safety, there is a chance the mag might be a trials example, from the level of finishing overall, but one would have to see rib and platform for the marks if any.

FUGLY importer marks as the crowning glory.

[Jim Shortill]

Thanks for the insight.
Sorry for the delay. Tore my bicep and had both daughters cars go down at once. Been a week of slow repairs.

And yes, that import mark is a truly horrific scar.

[Lance]

Your rifle serial number is really "EA23074A" with the last 4 hard to read, made at ROF Fazakerley in June 1943. Sorry, it is not an early rifle. If you look off-axis just below the backsight above the safety catch arm you might see "ROF(F)6/43"