Results 101 to 110 of 128

Thread: Mystery of the Missing Wartime Long Branch Snipers

Click here to increase the font size Click here to reduce the font size

Threaded View

Seaspriter Mystery of the Missing... 02-24-2016, 05:26 PM
Sentryduty Robert, I have an idea about... 02-24-2016, 05:36 PM
Lee Enfield I believe that the "missing"... 02-24-2016, 05:59 PM
mike1967 Rifle 5 on that list, SN... 02-24-2016, 05:56 PM
mike1967 Sorry it's 74L0303 and its... 02-26-2016, 05:58 AM
Surpmil Seven or eight years ago a... 02-24-2016, 10:47 PM
XL39E1 42-L-7507 and 45-L-1459 were... 02-25-2016, 11:56 AM
Brian Dick I think the majority of... 02-25-2016, 12:57 PM
limpetmine Brian, I'll dig her out and... 07-05-2016, 05:53 PM
paul87buick Trials rifle with Canadian... 07-08-2016, 08:37 PM
Lee Enfield L32394 is actually a BSA... 07-09-2016, 01:29 AM
Roger Payne I've had a few 71L's & 90L's... 02-25-2016, 01:21 PM
Lee Enfield My edited serial number... 02-25-2016, 01:43 PM
Lee Enfield Sorry for any confusion, this... 02-25-2016, 05:02 PM
Seaspriter Thanks so much for this... 02-25-2016, 05:47 PM
Lee Enfield The 1588 number is from the... 02-25-2016, 06:08 PM
Seaspriter These certainly seem to be... 02-25-2016, 07:19 PM
Seaforth72 74L0350 perhaps as the... 02-26-2016, 04:34 AM
paul87buick Apparently my name is missing... 04-11-2021, 09:23 PM
paul87buick LONG BRANCH NO4 MK1 T 5L667## 05-03-2021, 10:33 PM
Lee Enfield Well the photo is a No4MkI... 05-03-2021, 11:40 PM
Roy W 71l0374 07-14-2022, 03:27 PM
Simon P I had 1943 dated serial... 02-26-2016, 12:44 AM
muffett.2008 I've got 39L3922 02-26-2016, 04:19 AM
boltaction Is it also possible that many... 02-26-2016, 01:14 AM
Seaspriter I remember those days. I was... 02-26-2016, 07:55 AM
Peter Laidler I have 74L0022/tele 4419S and... 02-26-2016, 05:36 AM
Simon I think I've got a loose TP... 02-26-2016, 07:05 AM
tiriaq I recall seeing one of the... 02-26-2016, 07:35 AM
stencollector Back in the mid 90s, a... 02-27-2016, 11:50 AM
Seaspriter Looking for Clues 02-27-2016, 03:20 PM
Lee Enfield lets try to not get carried... 03-01-2016, 11:18 AM
tiriaq I recall reading a story... 02-26-2016, 08:39 AM
Seaspriter Coal Mine Storage? 02-27-2016, 07:03 AM
Lee Enfield I started a thread a couple... 02-26-2016, 11:21 AM
Seaspriter LE - your question of whether... 02-26-2016, 11:59 AM
Sentryduty I have a request for... 02-26-2016, 12:09 PM
Seaforth72 A MATCH HAS BEEN MADE as a... 02-26-2016, 11:27 PM
Peter Laidler I have also mated up 10 or so... 02-27-2016, 05:16 AM
Peter Laidler You're right Seaspriter. Not... 02-27-2016, 07:57 AM
tiriaq From what I saw of how No. 4s... 02-27-2016, 03:46 PM
stencollector There was no indication that... 02-28-2016, 01:00 AM
Seaforth72 When I went to see the movie... 02-28-2016, 03:49 AM
stencollector Wandering a little off topic,... 02-28-2016, 07:51 AM
Seaspriter Thanks StenCollector. Hope... 02-28-2016, 08:23 AM
Vincent https://www.milsurps.com/image... 02-28-2016, 09:51 AM
Seaspriter Thanks Vincent. Can you get a... 02-28-2016, 10:54 AM
stencollector It will be sometime in or... 02-28-2016, 01:16 PM
Seaforth72 The possibility of 200 sniper... 02-28-2016, 01:07 PM
Peter Laidler Lee Enfield, thread 42, line... 03-01-2016, 02:40 PM
Seaspriter Thanks Peter -- this info... 03-01-2016, 03:09 PM
Lee Enfield Is this a document listing... 03-02-2016, 10:40 AM
Seaspriter No, unfortunately Marshall's... 03-02-2016, 01:51 PM
Sentryduty First of all, Peter great... 03-01-2016, 02:53 PM
Cold_Zero Some numbers from my locker.... 03-02-2016, 11:40 PM
Seaspriter Thanks Cold Zero There are... 03-03-2016, 08:07 AM
Seaforth72 "1945 dated in the 71L5xxx... 03-04-2016, 03:35 AM
Seaspriter Thank you Colin, and pardon... 03-04-2016, 06:55 AM
Lee Enfield If this serial number is... 03-03-2016, 11:56 AM
Cold_Zero Numbers re-checked and... 03-03-2016, 11:26 AM
Seaforth72 It would seem logical to me... 03-06-2016, 02:46 AM
Peter Laidler Dear o' dear..... this thread... 03-06-2016, 05:11 AM
stencollector This is why I stuck with only... 03-06-2016, 11:55 AM
Seaspriter I must concur -- this thread... 03-07-2016, 01:10 PM
Cold_Zero People are collecting Data. ... 03-07-2016, 05:01 PM
Seaspriter Absolutely yes. I'm more than... 03-07-2016, 07:34 PM
Sentryduty Any good path to discovery is... 03-08-2016, 11:42 AM
desperatedan Whilst this is all good stuff... 03-08-2016, 02:44 PM
Seaspriter Congratulations Kev, you've... 03-08-2016, 09:39 PM
Peter Laidler Whenever I get to page 2 of... 03-08-2016, 12:16 PM
Seaspriter We still love you Peter. ... 03-08-2016, 01:04 PM
Peter Laidler When you say '....without... 03-09-2016, 04:37 AM
Seaspriter I'm putting myself into the... 03-09-2016, 10:58 AM
Peter Laidler Speculation again but after... 03-09-2016, 11:23 AM
Bruce_in_Oz 1. How many were... 03-12-2016, 07:16 PM
Seaspriter These are excellent questions... 03-12-2016, 10:56 PM
Peter Laidler I can't really believe in my... 03-13-2016, 02:17 PM
Lee Enfield 79.4 rifles = 5% of total... 03-13-2016, 02:41 PM
Seaspriter The available information... 03-13-2016, 08:53 PM
Surpmil Yes, considering how they put... 03-31-2016, 11:38 PM
Seaspriter Did our beloved Long Branch... 04-01-2016, 04:00 PM
Lee Enfield From the 1953 dated Canadian... 03-14-2016, 10:15 AM
Sentryduty True, but on the counter... 04-01-2016, 11:29 AM
Peter Laidler Infantry rifles......, air... 04-01-2016, 05:48 PM
Seaspriter Well, at least I learned I... 04-01-2016, 06:35 PM
Surpmil That'll be interesting, and I... 04-24-2016, 02:39 PM
Peter Laidler ............... Say no more!... 04-02-2016, 03:38 AM
Roger Payne Rob, could the 100 rifles... 05-04-2016, 05:57 PM
Surpmil I know nothing about those... 05-11-2016, 11:57 AM
Seaspriter Thanks for this lead. Here's... 05-11-2016, 01:17 PM
Seaforth72 Surpmil wrote: "By November... 05-09-2016, 03:26 AM
Surpmil Any luck with those air... 06-20-2016, 11:01 AM
Peter Laidler That rifle used to belong to... 07-09-2016, 07:24 AM
bigduke6 Looks a nice rifle and a... 07-09-2016, 09:31 AM
jawes Another gun to add to the... 08-04-2016, 11:47 AM
Peter Laidler I own 0022 with tele 4419! ... 08-15-2016, 06:39 AM
jawes Our tp guns 08-16-2016, 07:30 PM
Seaforth72 Here are some surviving... 08-24-2016, 05:29 PM
stencollector I don't know if the following... 02-24-2017, 05:05 PM
Lee Enfield Currently REL MkII scopes... 02-27-2017, 10:59 AM
stencollector I got some more information... 02-27-2017, 07:42 PM
stencollector I have put a bunch of scanned... 03-01-2017, 10:02 PM
Lee Enfield 1588-794=794 Which is... 02-25-2017, 12:52 AM
superbee here is a long branch TP... 02-25-2017, 07:40 AM
superbee Here is one of the early 1943... 02-25-2017, 07:53 AM
stencollector Here is what I got from my... 02-25-2017, 10:51 AM
Surpmil ..... "...with its... 03-02-2017, 02:16 AM
Seaforth72 I am happy to report that... 02-26-2017, 08:05 PM
Seaforth72 CORRECTION: Prophet River... 02-27-2017, 12:10 AM
Surpmil Has this one... 03-07-2017, 12:00 AM
Seaforth72 Yes. I have logged it and I... 03-07-2017, 02:48 AM
desperatedan Colin, you're not wrong. I am... 03-08-2017, 02:26 AM
limpetmine No4T Mk1 Sniper Rifle Long... 03-07-2017, 09:20 AM
Surpmil I once knew where 11-C was,... 03-08-2017, 08:40 PM
007 Esq. As a newbie here, I wonder if... 10-28-2017, 12:24 PM
desperatedan 80L8074 - transit chest for... 12-23-2022, 01:41 PM
Seaforth72 [QUOTE=desperatedan;523759]80L... 01-13-2023, 11:08 PM
Roger Payne Could the chest have had two... 01-14-2023, 09:27 AM
Warren Being that the 32TP did NOT... 01-14-2023, 11:05 AM
ChuckyPete I’ve pinged a few folks... 12-24-2023, 10:56 AM
Surpmil There's something familiar... 01-02-2024, 11:08 PM
Major Bob Check Collector’s Source on... 02-01-2024, 08:56 PM
  1. #1
    FREE MEMBER
    NO Posting or PM's Allowed
    Seaspriter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Last On
    09-23-2019 @ 02:42 PM
    Location
    Naples, Florida USA
    Posts
    718
    Real Name
    R. Porter Lynch
    Local Date
    06-01-2025
    Local Time
    01:21 AM

    Mystery of the Missing Wartime Long Branch Snipers

    Perhaps all our global team can help solve what seems to be a "mystery" of missing Long Branch Snipers that were produced during Wartime and the scopes that were fitted to them.

    Here's the quandary, in a nutshell: From those that have contributed to the Long Branch Sniper data bases, it appears that the very large proportion of the LB Snipers that are present and accounted for were from the Post War production, and very few from Wartime production. Where are the Wartime Snipers?

    From the data base linking LB serial numbers to months of production (Long Branch - Linking Serial Numbers to Month of Production) and the Production Report (which starts on October 1, 1943) submitted by Assistant Production Manager Marshall in early 1946, he states “At the end of the 3rd quarter of 1943, total production of the No.4 rifle was 477,171” but makes no mention of any Sniper production (presumably 70 Snipers was a limited run – which may have been for trials in combat to test their effectiveness, which in turn may have led to a larger contract the next year) The 70 Snipers from 1943 would have had serial number in the 40L-50L range. Does anyone know of the existence of any of these?

    68L32xx range of sniper rifles would have been produced in late May-early June 1944 No one seems to know how many were produced in this range, and very few have surfaced.

    Marshall states in his report that in 1944: Total Snipers produced: 644 (these all seem appear to be in the 68L32xx or 71Lxxxx serial # block range beginning 71L0001) Note: the last Serial Number of a Sniper that has surfaced in this 71L series is 71L0644 – What happened to the other Snipers in the remainder of the series? (I have one in this range -- Doomed Long Branch Sniper Reborn and Seaforth72 has a couple). A number of those at the end of the production series appear to have 1945 dates on the receivers, indicating they were probably not date-stamped until they received their mated scopes. Few seem to have been accounted for.

    Marshall states for Q1-‘45: Snipers Produced: 254 Total: 898.(do these all match the 71LXXXX serial # block? or another block of SNs?) (Note: These would have serial numbers 71L0655-0898 but none have been accounted for at this point.)

    Marshall states for Q2-’45: Snipers Produced: 24, (Production fell due to not receiving the necessary telescopes) Total 922. .(do these all match the 71LXXXX serial # block? or another block of SNs?) (Note: These would have serial numbers 71L 899-923, but none have been accounted for at this time)

    These would all be considered the Wartime Snipers. Here's what Seaforth72 shared with me from his data base:
    1. 71L0276 ?
    2. 71L0279 DATED 1944 Scope Missing, Seaspriter on Milsurps Robert Porter Lynch, Naples, FL USAicon
    3. 71L0287 C No. 32 MK. IA 368C UNKNOWN
    4. 71L0297 17977 17977
    5. 71L0303 351C Cold Zero ? Alberta Canadaicon
    6. 71L0322 C No. 32 Mk. IA 301C B & B Arsenal
    7. 71L0332 No. 32 MK. IA 3840 ?
    8. 71L0350 C No. 32 405C paul87buck USA?
    9. 71L0374 UK
    10. 71L0403 C No. 32 Mk. II 471C UNKNOWN Italyicon?
    11. 71L0414 C No. 32 MK. II UNKNOWN Canada?
    12. 71L0435 C No. 32 Mk. I or IA or II 168C John ROBERTSON Canada
    13. 71L0439 C No. 32 Mk. II 3854C 3854C UNKNOWN USA
    14. 71L0555 No. 32 Mk. II 11189 11189 Colin Stevens Canada (Britishicon scope fitted in service) DATED 1944
    15. 71L0573 C No. 32 Mk. II 690C 249C Colin Stevens Canada (mismatched C No. 32 MK3 scope DATED 1945
    16. 71L0595 No. 32 Mk. III Canada
    17. 71L0597 ? UNKNOWN USA
    18. 71L0630 No. 32 Mk. 3 > L1A1? 116(C?) Graeme Barber NZicon
    19. 71L0644 696C 137(C?) Simon ? UK
    20. 71Lxxxx 307C Van Xulu

    This represents about 2% of the total production of the 71LXXXX rifle, which was the largest Sniper production run. The remaining 98% from Wartime Production are “Unknown Fate” (apparently Unaccounted for, Missing/Lost, or Destroyed). What happened to these other 1,000 rifles? Why are such a large proportion in the “unknown fate” category.

    Once the war was over in Europe, Marshall goes on to state:
    Q3-’45: Snipers Produced: 161, with total production of this item up to 1,083 -- production was progressing in a satisfactory manner, compatible with the receipt of telescopes. (do these all match the 71LXXXX or another block of SNs? or 90L 8XXXserial # block?)
    Q4-’45: Snipers produced: 58, Total 1,141. .(do these all match the 71LXXXX or or another block of SNs? 90L 8XXXserial # block?)

    Long Branch closed down normal rifle production in August, 1945. Marshall continues:
    Q3-’45: Snipers Produced: 161, with total production of this item up to 1,083 -- production was progressing in a satisfactory manner, compatible with the receipt of telescopes. (do these all match the 71LXXXX or another block of SNs? or 90L 8XXXserial # block?)
    Q4-’45: Snipers produced: 58, Total 1,141. .(do these all match the 71LXXXX or or another block of SNs? 90L 8XXXserial # block?)

    He then states: Dec 31 1945: Small Arms Limited Uncompleted contracts: Sniper’s Rifle – 376; (these all seem to match the 90L8000 to 8376 serial # block)

    Remarkably, 77 (20%) of these Post-War Production rifles are accounted for today.

    (see 1945 Longbranch No4mk1*T Serial and Scope List )

    These would be attributed to Q1-‘46 when all operations were taken over by the Small Arms Division of Canadian Arsenals Limited, and up to March, 1946, when all assets and liabilities of the company were turned over to the Department of Reconstruction and Supply and the company made application for the surrender of its Charter.

    Why are so many of the Wartime Snipers missing? Or am I missing something? Who can shed some light on this?

    Seaforth72 -- you have some interesting observations to share as well as conclusions about scopes.

    Thanks for your help.
    Robert
    Information
    Warning: This is a relatively older thread
    This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.
    Last edited by Badger; 02-24-2016 at 05:35 PM.

Similar Threads

  1. Long branch snipers
    By KIMBO65 in forum The Lee Enfield Knowledge Library Collectors Forum
    Replies: 52
    Last Post: 12-11-2016, 08:44 PM
  2. Springfield 1903 - missing sights, mystery holes and front sight base
    By Bzuefishx in forum M1903/1903A3/A4 Springfield Rifle
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 08-05-2014, 01:20 PM
  3. The missing T on some of the Long branch snipers
    By mudgee in forum The Lee Enfield Knowledge Library Collectors Forum
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 03-27-2014, 11:52 AM
  4. Mystery Long Branch #4!!
    By lawrence_n in forum The Lee Enfield Knowledge Library Collectors Forum
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-17-2013, 02:24 AM
  5. Long Branch mystery mark
    By finloq in forum The Lee Enfield Knowledge Library Collectors Forum
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 05-15-2010, 07:47 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Loading...