Questions about №4 MK I*

[Gary D]

I agree that looks like a brass No1 butt plate slapped on.

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[K31]

Satisfactory shooting can be achieved with a mismatched bolt provided the headspace is brought to specs.


Headspace is only a secondary concern if the bolt is mis-matched. The locking lugs MUST be checked for equal bearing! I can't stress this enough, DON'T shoot a rifle with a mis-matched bolt until you know for CERTAIN that both lugs are doing their job! Especially so with a Savage made rifle, because some of them seem to be brittle. But this applies to any L-E rifle. I've seen quite a few rifles where only the small lug was bearing, and many more where only the rib was touching. This makes the action flex, and in some cases you can even feel it happen, when the non-bearing lug taps its recess. DANGEROUS! To check it yourself, remove the bolthead, and put something like lipstick on the backs of both locking lugs. I find LIQUID PAPER works well, but anything similar should work. Then, push the bolt all the way forward before turning it down. Now gently pull the bolt handle back, while pushing the bolt body back with your finger. Keep pushing the bolt back, while moving the handle up and down. Now, push the bolt forward, while lifting the handle. You can now see if both lugs are making contact. If not, then stone the lug that does make contact. Keep checking until both lugs make good contact. I wonder who invented that silly term, "force matching"? I hate it! It makes absolutely no sense!

[Claven2]

Looks like a restored parts gun based on a barelled action that was arsenal renumbered to begin with. Has shooter value though, say, $250?

[stencollector]

We have all seen enough Long Branch rifles use the upside down "7" as a "L" in the serial number on the bolt handle, so apparently even the factory did not always have the required stamps.

[Maxwell Smart]

Looking at the picture of the backsight, I wonder if the mark is actually the BSA "3 rifles" logo - this would make sense of the capital "B" marking too.

Buttplate does look more like an SMLE one.

[The Queens Medalist 86,87]

I was a regular army weapons tech for 3 years of my military life, and did see upside down 7 for an L or other improvised methods. Why? Because our shop, representing all B.C. only had numbers stamp set. But we also had a state of the art engraving machine which was suppose to be for engraving #'s on arms. Thus if we did the above in early 90's then odds are other armourers did simular back to the 1940's.
Mismatching of parts Savage on Brit. etc. was the norm, as long as it worked.
KB was usually on the C#7 rifle forestocks as I recall.

[K31]

That buttplate is from an SMLE. You can tell from the little lip on the door, and the visible hinge pin. (looks like eyes).