Help with an A suffix Rifle

[paulseamus]

I have recently acquired an A suffix 1942 Fazackerly No4 Mk1.

Examining the rifle and comparing it with a 1943 Maltby, the only non-standard component that I can spot is a one piece locking bolt assembly. That is to say the locking bolt is not threaded for a safety catch and no safety catch is fitted.

Whilst I understand that this arrangement was fitted as a war time production concession, is this enough to justify the A suffix?

Should I be looking for other differences?

Paul

Information

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[jmoore]

If it's a WWII Fazackerly, it seems more commonto have the "A" suffix than to not.

Just why exactly, I'm not sure! Could be something stupid like they welded on the charger guide crosspiece at the factory rather than pin it, as that's also common. (Just a theory)

ETA: To qualify for "A" status, it would have to be something regarding the receiver body itself, rather than the parts that attach.

[Alan de Enfield]

If I remember correctly (in previous threads on this subject) Peter Laidler has said it could be something as small & simple as an oversize trigger-pivot-pin (or should that be 'pin-pivot-trigger' in the Enfieldish language ?)

Below is one of Peter's old posts on the subject :

I’d like to take a sub-thread of x-westies thread (?) a bit further where comments about the A serial number suffix arise. We all know by now that the A suffix indicates a ‘weapon of any description which bear the suffix letter A to the serial number…… blah blah and so on…………..’ indicates that component parts are not interchangeable. We know that this first arose with the trials and pre-production rifles that entered service and later, according to Small Arms Instructions (called, SAI’s for short….) that this also applied across the board, to ALL rifles so marked. It was an important feature in the Armourers world because it applied to Brens and Stens too. Very few Brens but certainly Stens and No4’s and another that we had to look out for was the 3.5” rocket launcher. But I digress.

I had an opportunity to speak to one of the now very old ex Carlisle Armourer instructors for an hour on the phone the other day and I mentioned this subject. And he made a couple of valid points. Incidentally, he was one of those who wrote/drafted the first original EMER’s relating to the No4, taking it away from the older Instructions for Armourers. He said that these A marked rifles were inevitably marked at the factory (but not necessarily so…) where they could not be assembled by the unskilled labourrers for a couple of reasons. The first was within the time frame allowed as they were all on ‘piece’ work (as opposed to ‘peace’ work!) and the second, they couldn’t be assembled using the parts that were supplied. That makes perfect sense so far.

As a result of this, such rifles were diverted to a rectification bay where more experienced, but not necessarily ‘skilled’ workers would attempt to assemble them using whatever means they had at their disposal. This included ring punching oversize holes, clearing out threads etc etc. As a result, THESE rifles were marked with the A suffix on instruction of the Supt of Design and the MoS PLUS the IA (the Inspector or Armourers) because these rifles would inevitable pass through their hands. It was for this reason that the message went out in the speedy Small Arms Instructions.

Another very interesting point is this, that hadn’t crossed my mind was that you will never (? – although I have never looked or noticed) see an A suffix on a BSA or Savage rifle. That’s because they were private companies, making and selling their wares to the Ministry of Supply/Government and if the quality wasn’t good enough or there were faults, then they wouldn’t buy and certainly wouldn’t pay for shoddy goods! I know that later the Savage contracts were taken out of the MoS frame as lend-lease, but…………

There, there’s another little bit of useless Lee Enfield bumph that neither you nor I really knew about

[jona]

The "A" suffix simply means the rifle has one or more "non-standard" part/s. The parts could be anything, just non-standard, including a hand fitted/modified one.

[Peter Laidler]

Now somethiong has got me thinking here...................

Once an A suffix Fazakerley rifle went through the late 40's - 50's FTR programme, did the serial number thereafter retain the A suffix?

It would seem strange to me if it did because an FTR or even a major Base Workshop overhaul would, by definition, sort out the rubbish at its first 'in inspection'

[Peter Laidler]

Just keeping this thread fresh, with the question 'does anyone have one of the 50's F/FTR's Fazakerley rifle that has kept its A suffix.

A bog standard Fazakerley FTR'd Mk1 or a 1/2 with an A prefix anyone............?

I have to say that I've never noticed one but that doesn't mean anything. But it would add much credence to the EMER note and earlier SAI's

[Thunderbox]

Just keeping this thread fresh, with the question 'does anyone have one of the 50's F/FTR's Fazakerley rifle that has kept its A suffix.

A bog standard Fazakerley FTR'd Mk1 or a 1/2 with an A prefix anyone............?

I have to say that I've never noticed one but that doesn't mean anything. But it would add much credence to the EMER note and earlier SAI's

I've seen a few. Here is one I have currently - a '53 Faz FTR of a '43 Faz rifle. As far as I can see (the parkerisation is obviously a recent addition!), the original number has an "A" suffix, which has been carried through during the FTR:

[Peter Laidler]

Yep, your right there......... Mind you, their xxxx-poor engraving didn't improve with age did it? I suspect that many of the unfixable A suffixes were scrapped on site. Or, knowing the wily ways of the Disposals agencies of the era, probably disposed of to foreign armies!

Anyone else got one or two?

[Thunderbox]

Another one!

This one is illegible in the photo, but its another '53 Faz FTR of an early '43 Faz rifle. This one has had its number restamped and then had it repeated on the FTR!

Thats two so far out of eight actions I've pulled out of my stash; I guess these are the survivors that got through base workshop inspection on the Monday morning whilst young Cpl Laidler was still feeling the effects of the Tiger beer...?

[Peter Laidler]

But now I've seen some, I don't have to look now