Assistance request on Savage/Stevens No.4 Mk 1*, please

[Brian Dick]

I've seen many Savage rifles sporting the "B" stamp on the left side of the butt socket. The stamp obviously bounced on that one. It's not a Long Branch marking. I think that the explanation by BAR makes a lot of sense. The problem is that I have a new condition New Zealand owned Savage No.4 and it also has the "B" marking. I have a couple from South Africa, one also like new, and they don't have it. The two Savage No.4T conversions, (Mk.1 and Mk.1*), I have don't have it either so to me it still remains a mystery.