'X' Stamp on T Rifles near Front pad

[jmoore]

I thought it might signify machining of the action for the front bracket.
I have only spotted it where the bracket is recessed, including a Longbranch.

Have had the same thoughts along the way, but why mark the forestock? Even if by remote chance the action body did not require machining, the rifle would still be stripped at the time the pads were applied.


The inletting inspector's mark has possibilities, but it's still an odd area to place a mark, unless it's specific to that region and was done whilst the rifle was assembled. Otherwise, why not somewhere in the barrel channel, etc. where it's far less likely that splitting or chipping of the wood might occur?


But if the mark is found on matching LB (T) furniture, and not on non-{T} Long Branch rifles, then it would seem to be an incoming "pre-conversion" shop mark. Done on both sides of the pond???


Even had the thought at some point that it might have had something to do with front pad staking, but have long discarded that notion. No logic to it.

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[Peter Laidler]

The mark won't indicate something to do with machining the action because teh action was totally separated from the woodwork during that operation.


The rifles were stripped an another part of the factory and the woodwork, bands etc etc put into long cardboard boxes on a shelf that 'sort-of' related to the order in which the rifles would be sent back to the 'stocking shop' to be re-assembled. The rifle number was pencilled into the woodwork and butt by the strippers (usualy ladies doing unskilled war work) and the rifle number stamped into an old butt marking disc and hung onto the end of the box. As those rifles were complete and ready for assembly and boresighting, the boxes were sent up in a lift. So the fore-end never saw the rifle again until it was assembled for bore sighting, out inspection and dispatch. They worked on the principle that if the rifle was accurate when it came in, then by refitting the same woodwork, it'd be as accurate when it went out. I suspect it was something to do with the fact that the fore-end was fitted correctly when it came IN, muzzle weight was correct and needed no further attention when it got to the OUT inspector. But just a guess. If not, it'll be something like that for the reasons I've given

When I was at H&H, there were thousands of these old ex P'14/M'17 butt marking discs with multiples of barred through/overstamped rifle numbers on them. When they were all full of numbers, they started to write the numbers on the ends of the cardboard boxes............. all 26,000 of 'em!