No.4 Mk 1 identification help needed.

[32ndgeorgia]

This rifle is in excellent condition. It has a two grove barrel. Not much on the strap except
a serial # SxxxxxA. 1941.

On the right side of breach there are proof marks and ENGLAND. I bought this rifle on June 30, 2012. The rifle is almost pristine. It has been sporterized with the forearm shortened and the handguard missing. The buttplate is steel. It has the flip over peep rear sight.

Thank you for any help.

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Pics would be useful but with the letter A suffix, it's a good bet that it's made at Fazakerley

The word pristine isn't usually asociated with a bubba rifle that's been butchered by having the fore-end cut off! It's not a word that UK Military Armourers usually associate with kit from Liverpool either - and especially Fazakerley. Sorry, but it's just me...., putting a humourous gloss on things

[Patrick Chadwick]

Quote from Stratton:
"For early British-manufactured No. 4 Mk1 rifles, the British government assigned unique serial number ranges to various rifle factories in order to avoid duplicate serial numbers..."
The factories used single letter prefixes, so the S is probably no tunique to a specific factory.
Being where you are geographically, the flip-over peep sight and 2-groove barrel make one think of Long Branch or Savage as possible manufacturers. But Long Branch used a 0L or 1L prefix in 1941, and Savage used 0C.

So by being coy about the serial number and not posting a photo of the markings on the side wall of the receiver and the butt socket, you are making it unnecessarily dificult to identify an unseen object. Photos and complete serial number please!

---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:48 PM ----------

Pics would be useful but with the letter A suffix, it's a good bet that it's made at Fazakerley

But what about the S prefix?

[Peter Laidler]

Fazakerley stamping again. It's probably a figure 5!

[32ndgeorgia]

Complete serial number S17491A

The rifle does not appear to be a Savage.

[Peter Laidler]

It'd be useful if you told us why you don't think that it's a Savage.

[32ndgeorgia]

It has the normal No.4 bolt removal spring loaded button. Not like other Savages I have seen.

The S in the serial number is clear it is an S.

[32ndgeorgia]

I missed something important. There is a very bad stamping on the strap that is most likely an M. A friend says that is probably a Maltby rifle. The ENGLAND was a 1968 requirement by the US for imported firearms. Except for the wood it appears unissued or re-arsenaled after the war.

[tlvaughn]

Not much on the strap except a serial # SxxxxxA. 1941.

Complete serial number S17491A

If it is a No4 MkI, based on the serial number, it is a ROF-Maltby; however, I would like to see some pics, because the info you have submitted does not add up to a 1941 Maltby.

1. An "S" prefix letter falls within the 1942 production.

2. According to your post, "1941" is found on the "strap". All of the 1941 Maltby's I have seen are dated on the left receiver wall -- R.O.F.M.No.4MK.1. 1941

Do you have any pics?

[Brian Dick]

The ENGLAND stamp is a pre-1968 country of origin marking. After the Gun Control Act of 1968 the requirements changed to a country of manufacture stamp along with the abbreviated importer address and caliber stamps.