Which factory made this No. 4 Mk I?

[jbrid]

Chuch -- sorry, the one picture is misleading -- the safety catch is missing. I apologize -- I should have mentioned this when I posted the pictures. I can see that the locking bolt is threaded for the safety catch, so I'm going to order a safety catch from Numrich to correct this problem before I take this one to the range.

I've checked the headspace while I had the bolt disassembled -- it's ok. While were on that subject, the headspace gage I have was made by Forester and is clearly marked "Field" ".303" and ".070". From the reading I've done, I would have expected the field gage to be 0.074 and the no go gage 0.070. Which is correct for the field gage - .070 or .074?

One other question - what is the meaning of the "B" and the "M" marks? Based on Stratton's book, I was guessing that the "M" was for Maltby, but was puzzled by the location. I haven't found the "B" listed in Stratton's book.

Thanks to all for the help.

Jim

[Alan de Enfield]

Chuch -- sorry, the one picture is misleading -- the safety catch is missing. I apologize -- I should have mentioned this when I posted the pictures. I can see that the locking bolt is threaded for the safety catch, so I'm going to order a safety catch from Numrich to correct this problem before I take this one to the range.

I've checked the headspace while I had the bolt disassembled -- it's ok. While were on that subject, the headspace gage I have was made by Forester and is clearly marked "Field" ".303" and ".070". From the reading I've done, I would have expected the field gage to be 0.074 and the no go gage 0.070. Which is correct for the field gage - .070 or .074?

One other question - what is the meaning of the "B" and the "M" marks? Based on Stratton's book, I was guessing that the "M" was for Maltby, but was puzzled by the location. I haven't found the "B" listed in Stratton's book.

Thanks to all for the help.

Jim

It looks as if you've got SAMMI gagues instead of the Military ones.

Many a 'good gun' has been consigned to the scrap heap as a headspace failure when using the commercial headspace gagues which are 'undersize' to cover their a***'s in this litigious day & age.

The 'correct' headspacing for an LE is 0.064" - 0.074"

[jbrid]

Thanks for your help.

Jim

[Roger Payne]

Going back to the original question, it's definitely a BSA Shirley. BSA initially marked their rifles with a 'B' (1941 till some point in 1943), then they commenced using the foctory coding in 1943, but for a short while only used M47, before adopting the full M47/C from later in 1943 till the end of production.

ATB

[Maple_Leaf_Eh]

Cuss ugly markings from Century! That is enough to make a guy get out the emery cloth and a buffer.

[Roger Payne]

I've done it a few times myself Maple leaf!

ATB