RFI No. 4 T rifle?

[enfield303t]

I have a Indian T, BSA manufacture. Will have to dig it out of the safe to check the serial no. Mine is pretty clean, apparently used by the police thus not getting the normal beating if used by the army. I bought the gun, not the story.

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.

[Brian Dick]

The 1/2 has the trigger hung on the body, not on the trigger guard. The forend is the Mk.2 type with the reinforcing bolt and nut instead of the tie plate. The standard Mk.1 forend won't fit unless modified as many were. I'd say yours is still in Mk.1 guise.

[Roger Payne]

Peter, Brian, Lee Enfield et al, correct me if needs be, but my observations of these Indian 4T's suggest that;

1. They are all built on original British or Canadian T's.

2. They are divided into two groups: those that remain in original No4 Mk1 (or less often Mk1*) T trim, & those that have been converted to Mk1/2 trim.

3. The former group retain their original wartime markings, though often augmented by Indian stencilling on the woodwork, & very often a poorly hand stamped 'No4 Mk1' marked onto the body side wall, in front of the 'T'. A few rifles seem to have escaped this over marking, & I have a couple which I kept for exactly this reason.

4. The latter seem to have been linished of original markings (though not always totally so) by the Indians, most probably at the same time that they were converted to Mk1/2 trigger arrangement. At this time they were renumbered as alluded to above, with a serial number commencing with a letter 'A' & finishing with a letter 'T'. They were also marked by RFI on the right side of the butt socket (SMLE style), & with a date - I have only ever seen 1962 & 1963, though other dates may exist.

5. The original Mk1 rifles retain their original serial numbers.

6. All rifles that I have seen, regardless of whether Mk1 or Mk1/2, have been fitted with the ubiquitous 'Ishy screw'.

There may well be exceptions to the above, but these observations come from examining various Mk1 T rifles, & about 50 Mk1/2 T's at Charnwood Ordnance, from a large batch they had in the 1990's. Amongst them were included Trials & Long Branch rifles - all linished clean!

[Brian Dick]

Yep Rog, That pretty much nails it.

[Roger Payne]

The woodwork looks to be near enough new & is light beech, lacking the 'Ishy screw'. It's only an opinion, but I'd suggest it has probably been re-wooded since it left Indian service.

[browningautorifle]

Looks like the numbers have been deleted and re-engraved on the receiver, struck on the socket. Looks like the whole rifle went through the park tank too after that...so you think that was factory?

[Peter Laidler]

Looks like the telescope has had a quick blow job with a tin of Halfords matt black paint too. The ex Indian rifles generally seem to be ok providing that the bolts fit OK. Mind you, some bolts and bodies I've seen, it's like throwing a sausage down the high street.

[Roger Payne]

It looks like a fairly typical Indian refurb to me, apart from the wood, & the fact that it probably originally left Indian service covered in the ubiquitous black paint that Peter just alluded to, & this looks to have been cleaned off leaving the underlying (probably) Indian blue job. That also reinforces why I think it may have been 'tickled' a bit after leaving service. It's a pretty rifle, nonetheless.

[bigduke6]

Any pics of pad side without the scope and one of the left hand butt socket....

[Steve1152]

Here are some additional pictures including the scope mount pads. I hope they can provide more information about my rifle.Attachment 86189