Of the 1500 No4 trials rifles converted to snipers

[Peter Laidler]

That one of Lances is interesting because the original spec said something similar to '.....in recognition of its change to its telescope role, the letter T will be added to and alongside the rifle designation' And there it is.

Later of course the spec was followed and the letter T was stamped 'alongside the rifle designation' on the bodyside. This was the only time that the bodysiode was stamped. The b utt socket could be re-stamped but the body-side was always engraved. In UK service anyway!

Information

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[Bruce_in_Oz]

So, when did the system start staking the screws in the bases?

[flying pig]

BritishFasteners.com was where I found the screws for my repro build. They were cadmium plated but as Peter stated a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar removed the plating and left a bluable steel fastener.

[breakeyp]

This rifle was purchased from Val Forgett after he had sold most of the L42 rifles he obtained from Britain. He had retained it for the markings and that it was still painted in its working colors. The vertical rack shows trials No.4 (T) rifles as noted by the visible presence of magazine cut off knobs. Hopefully these might be of interest.


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[PrinzEugen]

Thanks a lot for that breakeyp and XL39 - loving those L42 from trials Ts - you don't get much rarer than that! Surely they'll be high up there in that most expensive Lee Enfields thread discussion - not that you'll ever find one for sale.

Bit of an odd paint scheme on the last one - what would be the thinking behind that? Looks a bit shiny for a service camouflage job.

[Surpmil]

I can think of at least three that turned up in BC/WA. I owned two of them. Knew someone else with two that he sold south of the 49th. They were probably found out here originally. I've found bits of a trials No4 in a friend's parts stock, so that's another one that was probably made into a target or hunting rifle decades ago. Stuff is around.

Here's a nice picture from the IWM to look at anyway. LCpl. A.P. Proctor, 56th Div. Italy, 1943. Notice the cutoff is still fitted.

Attachment 46500

[Roger Payne]

.....and it's fully cocked! (Am I allowed to say things like that on this forum??).

[jmoore]

.....and it's fully cocked!

That's in case a safety Nazi shows up. Makes quicker work of 'em.

[5thBatt]

That's in case a safety Nazi shows up. Makes quicker work of 'em.

Cutoff open so can dispatch the first ten quickly & efficiently.

[chosenman]

Hi All,
This is my 1931 trials T which as I understand spent the war in Canadian hands and was FTR'd in 45.