Savage No.4 Mark 1 (T)

[Amatikulu]

The earlier thread on Savage No.4 Mk1* sniper rifles had some interesting points. So as not to hijack that thread I thought I'd start a new one in which I'd like to show you a No.4 Mark 1 Savage that has been converted for sniper use.





I bought this rifle about 4 years ago from an elderly gentleman that used to be a commercial airline pilot. He had bought it in 1967 from a place in New York and brought it down here to sunny Florida. It was shipped in its transit chest and still had this glued to it.



It also had his name and a receipt dated in early 1967. Knowing the gentleman and having the receipts makes me pretty confident that this is in the same condition it was in 1967 when he first acquired it.

The rifle does not conform to the markings of an accepted Holland and Holland conversion and I believe it to be one of the early Savage rifles converted at Enfield.In Peter Laidler's book on the .303 No.4 (T) Sniper Rifle, page 9 has a paragraph which reads "Enfield also converted the first of the Savage produced No.4 Mk 1 rifles and these are to be included in the Enfield converted total of 1,403." In addition, my rifle went through FTR in 1945 masking many of the tell tale signs of Enfield conversion - I submit it now to you for comment.

Receiver:








The rifle does have the "Y" of US Property sticking out from the front pad but the pad itself was replaced in 1945 at the FTR.

Barrel date


Butt Stock scope serial number markings:


The scored out number relates to a No.32 Mark 1. The new number relates to a No.32 Mark 3 fitted at FTR (my guess).

The wood forestock


butt stock wrist


Rear sight - savage mark 1


The rifle has a longbranch front sight protector and a Viners front barrel band - probably fitted at FTR.

Finally, no S51 (as it wasn't converted at H&H) and no telltale "T" by the ejector screw............hmmm, that had me worried until I found this

"The British issued instructions (Army Council Instruction 399 of 1944, dated 31 May 1944) which addressed the fact that some rifles had left the factories without the (T) designator. Units were ordered to apply this locally. It follows that not all were 'caught' at unit or depot level."

Information

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