New unissued/unnumbered No1 MKIII nose cap.

[Buster95]

Any source of new unissued/unnumbered No1 MKIII nose cap?

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[Smellymarkfive]

Any source of new unissued/unnumbered No1 MKIII nose cap?

Brp gun parts corp or apex gun parts

[Seaspriter]

Any source of new unissued/unnumbered No1 MKIII nose cap?

It was numbered, but I just bought one from Sarco for $9US last week. Excellent condition, serial number could easily be ground off. You might ask if they have any in their stockpile without numbers. Can't beat the price.

[Kiwi]

Pretty sure I got 4 or 5 from BRP and although unnumbered they had clearly once been numbered and had numbers ground off.

[Peter Laidler]

In the real world of service life Armourers would simply file the old number off, clean up, make good, send through the parkerizing process and re-use. Same as many other numbered items being re-used. Waste not, want not and all that.

[Homer]

In the real world of service life Armourers would simply file the old number off, clean up, make good, send through the parkerizing process and re-use. Same as many other numbered items being re-used. Waste not, want not and all that.

Peter why would you file it? Didn't you have access to linishers or grinders?

[Patrick Chadwick]

"In the real world of service life Armourers would simply file the old number off, clean up, make good, send through the parkerizing process and re-use. Same as many other numbered items being re-used. Waste not, want not and all that."

And there we have the essence of the problem with the "numbers game". Presumably (correct me if I am wrong) a service armorer did not renumber non-pressure bearing parts, as these were irrelevant for safety and did not invalidate the proof.

But readers should ask themselves: why are people keen on acquiring unnumbered parts?

Maybe it is just my cynical attitude to such matters, but the thought inevitably crosses the mind that it is because in many cases they want to stamp on a number to match their rifle.

The number itself is irrelevant to the functionality, but does - oh what a surprise - increases the value to a future purchaser when the rifle is sold as being "correctly" numbered. In fact, the whole setup is no longer correct, but the falsification of the part by forging the number (i.e. imitation of an original "documentation of origin" that was intended to prove to which rifle the part belonged) has now created a fake from the aspect of "originality".

Questioned, I have little doubt that all those responsible would reply with one or both of the following well-worn and specious arguments:

a) "Of course I know that it is non-original to that rifle and would inform any prospective purchaser/leave a note in the butt trap." That is IMHO no better as an excuse than an art forger who sells his fakes to a dealer who knows that they are fake. But when the purchaser/dealer resells the item?

b) "Of course, any expert can tell that it is not original". What is that supposed to mean? That it is OK to defraud non-experts?

I feel a prophet in the wilderness when I write: stamping of numbers onto parts by a non-authorized agency is fundamentally fraudulent.


Yes, I know it's a bee in my bonnet, but perhaps it might make a few people think.

[Peter Laidler]

Simple part like that it'd be easier to put it in your bench vice and file it. So simplicity would be the answer. The only reason some parts are numbered to match on rifles is to preserve the integrity of the accuracy and of the hand fitted parts..., like backsight slide, fore-end, nose cap, magazine...., you know what I mean.

I have renumbered zillions of parts for re-use. Never worried me or the eagle eyed examiners/out-inspectors...., the people who REALLY matter. But I agree entirely with Patrick

[Patrick Chadwick]

"I have renumbered zillions of parts for re-use. "


And, of course, you and your fellow armorers were an authorized agency.


But Joe Q Public acquiring parts from Numrich or wherever and stamping them himself is NOT.

[Ridolpho]

Perhaps one way to fight this sad trend in faking is to urge prospective buyers to pay big bucks ONLY for rifles with unequivocal factory matching numbers. I assume that with the SMLE this means perfectly matching font on the pieces listed by Peter L? Armourers and Resto-bubba wouldn't often have access to stamps that would match the factory versions. In the case of non-originality the buyer can then attempt to exercise some brain power and attempt to decide whether the non-matching pieces are old and proper armourer replacements or fresh out of Resto-bubbas parts trove. There should be clear hints in things like consistent discoloration/ wear, etc. In the case of an armourer repaired gun there is still obvious collector value and the promise of a good useable rifle. In the case of a bubba- I recently bought a No. 4 (online) that looked good externally but upon stripping found the draws didn't even contact the sear lugs! Couldn't even force it back together for the return shipment. Whoever "desporterized" it must have squeezed it together with a vice.

Ridolpho