Lee Enfield basic Longbranch info

[skyking]

I have seen ads for Lee Enfield Longbranch models- these rifles command a higher price--WHY? I need to learn more about these Longbranch rifles, history , etc.
Thanks
Skyking

Information

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[limpetmine]

They're purtier!!

The last nice batch of Long Branch rifles that hit the market were the 1950 vintage Long Branch, last of the production line, and were the high water mark in workmanship and woodwork. The 1955 UF and PF Fazakerly rifles are certainly their equal (some might say better because they have the bolt release device). Also, the fact that they were made in North America has something to do with it.


Get you "Without Warning", by Cleve Law; a must have for the Long Branch collector. Also, the book "Out of Nowhere" by Martin Pegler has a great chapter on Canada's rifles in WWI and WWII. Another must have is "The Lee Enfield Story" by Ian Skinnerton.

Also, hang around with smart people!!!!

[Badger]

Welcome ...

You might want to try the "search" function here, as I imagine there's thousands of threads relating to Long Branch ....

Long Branch is a suburb of old Toronto, Canada, where the Long Branch production facilities were located.

Thanks to mrclark, here's a really nice historical picture tour of the facility and its employees …

mrclark's Long Branch Factory Picture Gallery (click here)

Regards,
Badger

[bearhunter]

I like to talk to the old timers at the gun shows about the small arms they carried or preferred. Sadly, most of them are in their late eighties and in poor health. They are deep wells of myth and information at the same time. There is still a lot of emotional baggage sometimes as well. Mostly, they are more than willing to tell their stories and I dearly love to listen to them. I was surprised to find out how many other nations actually were issued the Long Branch No4 MkI* rifles. I've had the privilege of talking to Norwegian, French, Canadian, Polish, Pakistani, Indian, Dutch, Belgian, South African and Malaysians that used or were issued them. For the most part, they all agreed that the fit and finish was superior to any of the rest. That quickly changed after a few weeks in the field. They didn't find them to be any more or less accurate than any of the others but they seemed to suffer from less malfunctions in the field as long as the basic maintenance was kept up. They really didn't care which country the rifles came from, as long as they were reliable under all conditions.
These days, in North America they may bring a higher price because of their origins, as do the Savage No4s. Mostly though, if they haven't been FTRed to death and had their original finishes removed, they are just prettier than anyone else's. Some of the early Savage No4s were very nice as well but to speed up production, that slipped to pure functionality rather than cosmetic appeal. Long Branch never really gave up the cosmetics and the rifles tend to stick out in a crowd. Many associate the cosmetics with tighter quality controls. Personally, in many ways, I think that assumption is correct. In the over all scheme of things, the proof is in the pudding. A few of them were very disappointed when they switched from the No1 rifles to the No4 rifles. They trusted the No1s as they had proven themselves for over 30 years and of course, old traditions die hard. Many No1 rifles saw combat all over the world during WW2 and some are still seeing service in both rebel and government forces.

[skyking]

Thanks for all the information, folks. I will look for the books mentioned. This will give me information on my no. 5 and thanks again to limpetmine, Badger, and bearhunter, you guys rock!