Long Branch No4(T) Scope Identification

[Maple_Leaf_Eh]

Take a look at http://enfieldrifles.profusehost.net/ri10c.htm

[Peter Laidler]

The 'block' serial numbers were issued as a result of slow peace-meal production of snipers at LB when one of the production supervisors from H&H was sent to Canada to get a grip of slow output of sniper rifles there. His family thought he was being sent to Birmingham!!!!!

He told them to select, say, 1,000 rifles from just ONE batch so that, that 1,000 rifles would all be pretty well identical. Now, the whole setting up was based on ONE set of identical rifles. That's why H&H eventually used just ONE supplier..., BSA, and production/output sky rocketed. It's just good common sense engineering practice......

That completed batch of now sniper rifles were then numbered to the block of serial numbers allocated JUST for that purpose.

This was told to me by one of the wartime members of the H&H staff. We KNOW what he's said is a fact, because the rifles and the numbered batches prove it. You can't invent it...................

Someone else has told me that bog standard rifles also feature within these blocks of numbers, 71L, 74L and 90L if I remember correctly (but you'll know what I mean if I'm slightly wrong.....). However, I am not inclined to accept this withoiut corroboration. So on the batch number basis alone, I suppose you could have a standard 50L and 52L rifle dated 1943 and a 51L sniper dated 1944. That's just a guess using ball-park numbers/year dates of course.

Anyone who is seriously interested in researching this ought to make it known and at least come and see or speak to me/us at Warminster. I pull my hair out with frustration every time I see half hearted research........................ But I won't be holding my breath at this rate

[Lee Enfield]

snip...
Someone else has told me that bog standard rifles also feature within these blocks of numbers, 71L, 74L and 90L if I remember correctly (but you'll know what I mean if I'm slightly wrong.....). However, I am not inclined to accept this withoiut corroboration. So on the batch number basis alone, I suppose you could have a standard 50L and 52L rifle dated 1943 and a 51L sniper dated 1944. That's just a guess using ball-park numbers/year dates of course.
snip...

Peter,
I've owned a 90L and have seen several 71L, 74L and 2+1 80L "bog standard" rifles. As you say, the serial blocks seem to have been 500-1000 in allocated size, as all of the "bog standard" rifles are outside of the "thousand" designator ranges.

It makes perfect sense that you would find "bog standard" rifles in the 90L block because the "set aside numbers" wouldn't be 10,000 in number.

What I would be interested in, is there a 74Lx450-999, or a 90Lx450-999 "bog standard" LB out there?