Another Variant of the No4 Mk1???? ;)

[smle addict]

I'm late to this conversation. I was in the gun safe, and all of my 1943 T's have the quote stamps (No 4 Mk I").

Best picture I could conjure up.

Information

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[Alan de Enfield]

My 1943 BSA T has such feint markings It is virtually impossible to see the 1 in No4 Mk1, let alone any " markings.

It just won't 'clean' up enough to get a good picture in any lighting.

[GeeRam]

Just remembered I've got a photo of the non-T, 1943 Maltby that I used to own, and while it was FTR'd in 1948, just for reference it doesn't appear to have the odd marks or miss-stamps either?

[IanS]

My '43 BSA T has the markings.

[Roger Payne]

It might be helpful now to hear from people who own standard BSA 1943 rifles. It seems to be on quite a few 4T's, as observed, but is it also on non-4T rifles? It looks like it was done at the same time as the rest of the body wall engraving at the Shirley factory, so you'd think it ought to be on non-snipers as well........but is it?

I had a couple of 43 rifle bodies in a box which I had a quick glance at & couldn't see any 'speech marks', but the two bodies concerned are absolutely filthy & well worn, so I wouldn't be too confident about that observation. Anybody got a standard production BSA 43 they could tell us about?

[CoatiMundi]

Is it possible they were marked that way at H&H? That might give a plausible answer if no non "T" rifles are found with the marks. The engraving looks very nice versus some of the other wartime expedient work I have seen in my very limited experience.

[GeeRam]

Is it possible they were marked that way at H&H? That might give a plausible answer if no non "T" rifles are found with the marks. The engraving looks very nice versus some of the other wartime expedient work I have seen in my very limited experience.

In 30+ years of collecting old mil stuff and items I've learnt never to say 'never' in regards what did or didn't happen in wartime.
However, given the info in the No.4T Armourers Perspective obtained 30 years ago by Ian and Peter L from the old H&H staff involved with the 4T conversion work, I would be sure such a thing would have been identified as occurring.

[Roger Payne]

We really need more details of '43 BSA rifles to see which ones possess the 'speech marks' & which don't. I've only noticed it on 4T's, but I don't handle many standard rifles, & it does look to me as though it was done on the same engraving machine as the rest of the side wall markings immediately in front of it, which would mean it was done at BSA Shirley. But if more info comes in & it appears that it is only found on 4T's, then I suppose that would call the theory into question.....!?%

[Bindi2]

Were not the rifles selected for their accuracy at the factory for the conversion to a T. The " mark applied to identify those potential Ts just my 2cents worth.

[GeeRam]

Were not the rifles selected for their accuracy at the factory for the conversion to a T. The " mark applied to identify those potential Ts just my 2cents worth.

They got stamped with the TR at the factory to denote passing that test.