1943 Maltby No4 Mk1 T F.M.P. marked

[daver1984]

Questions on Maltby No4Mk1 T markings

Rifle is matching Bolt receiver Forestock renumbered and butt stock stamped numbered under butt plate. I pulled trigger guard and the trigger is still pinned to trigger guard (Not converted to No4Mk1/2).

I am looking at buy a 1943 Maltby No4MK1 T. It has very faint electro pencil No4MK1 (F) FTR and BC11309 serial number on left receiver above No4 Mk1 Stamped.



Left Butt socket has
/|\
M1943
K1
A BC
11309


Right Butt Socket has
F.M.P. (Which I think might be Federation of Malaysian Police).



Any help in Identifying the FMP marking would be appreciated.

I will try to post some more pictures later this week


Thanks,

Dave
daver1984@cox.net

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.

[Thunderbox]

"FMP" is thought to be Federated (States) Malay Police, but it is not 100% proven.

Malaysia is the source of large quantities of Enfields, both from Malay service and from former Commonwealth depot stocks that were disposed of locally.

I'd hazard a guess that a recent civilian owner has put those pads on the create a "4(T)". The rifle itself looks like a typical 1943 Maltby that has gone through a 1949 FTR (when UK refurbished most of its ex-WW2 rifles, but before they started converting them to Mk1/2, 1/3). Although some Maltbys did become early 4(T)s without all of the later "standard" 4(T) markings, I don't think any of them went through a standard factory FTR - 4(T)s were serviced separately within the depot system. I'd take a very close look to see if any of the 4(T) inspectors' marks are present....

[Roger Payne]

Daver1984. I agree entirely with Thunderbox. I have never seen a genuine Maltby 4T dated after 1941 (I guess there may be a few genuine 42 dated examples somewhere). The pads do not look sufficiently well fitted to be genuine. Apart from on Canadian set-up rifles you NEVER see gaps round the rear pad screws; on genuine rifles the countersinks are always too small for the screw heads & the screws are always 'faced off' to leave them flush with the surface of the pad. Additionally the rifle has a shelved receiver ledge rather than a radiused one. Again, only the LB conversions had this feature, with a consequent modification to the bottom of the rear pad (angled rather than radiused). Note the genuine 1941 conversions have the radiused receivers/pads. It's up to you, but I'd advise you proceed with caution......

ATB

[Peter Laidler]

Need advice Dave.......... I'd say proceed with caution too! It's these minor differences that eventually made H&H select their rifles from ONE source only. And after 1941, it definately wasn't Maltby!

[daver1984]

Thanks to all for the information and I will proceed with caution.

Rifle is import marked under Barrel. CIA
.

Rifle came from Century with scope pads mounted, rearsight altered, with cheekpiece and mid sling swivel as one of thier scopeless snipers not as one of thier repro snipers.

I am posting some more pictures

Thanks again Dave

[Roger Payne]

Yes, you can see the rear pad has been butchered to make it fit the receiver; there's no indexing mark on the under side of the barrel; the front pad screws are wrong. FWIW I think the pads are probably genuine, but there's no way they went on to that receiver in 1943. I suspect the rear sight may also be genuine.....(IMHO).

ATB Happy (careful) Hunting!

[daver1984]

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

I forgot to show the swivel screw and cheekpiece



Cheekpiece seems to be set allittle back. Only one set of screw holes in buttstock under cheekpiece.


I can seem to make out a "T" in this photo between the screw and the rear pad (Perhaps just wishful imagination on my part).



Also, the barrel is free floated no contact with handguards. I can move it freely with action secured to forestock. Both bands are tightened down and forestock does not move.

If this was a rifle sent to Malaysa. Could thier "amourers" have had something with current state of this rifle (again some speculation on my part).

Also wondering concerning M1943 as snipers. Peter's book shows two M1943 and a M1944 in the action markings section (Pages 86 and 87)

The hunt continues.

Thanks again to all for the insight.

Dave Rocha

[Roger Payne]

Dave,
Yes, you'll see 1943, 44 & 45 dated rifles, but they'll all be BSA manufacture (apart from the relatively few Long Branch conversions). The cheekpiece looks like it could be one of mine & the swivel is right.
ATB

[harry mac]

The number stamped at the stock wrist is the rifle's serial number, shouldn't this be where the scope's serial number is stamped?

[Roger Payne]

Harry, Yes, you're quite right.

ATB