U/S markings

[kragly]

Hello,

I recently purchased a #4 Mark II Enfield Rifle. It is full military and un-cut. It does, however, have U S in large white letters on the right side of the buttstock. There are also U / S stamped in the top of the wrist just behind the receiver and U / S stamped in the top of the rounded front of the receiver.

Someone had told the seller that it stands for "Un Serviceable". I have never heard of this and am wondering if any of you knew anything about these markings. I have seen drill purpose Enfields and de-militarized ones. But this one looks good and solid. The bolt works fine and the bore looks good with nice rifling. The wood is in good shape and so is the metal with no corrosion or pitting anywhere.

Does anyone have any idea what these marking might be? The ones on the receiver and on the stock at the wrist do have a slash between the letters. "U / S"

Best regards,
Tom
tbutts64@gmail.com

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.

[Peter Laidler]

I can tell you that in the UK MIlitary, U/S is definately UNSERVICEABLE. However, while we might say it about a piece of kit. we have a much clearer method of identifing something that is U/S

For example. You might see a row of rifles and the armourer will say '...... don't take those, they're U/S....' So you'd say what's the matter with them?' and he'd answer 'they're BER' So now you know that they're unserviceable but for an Armourer, because they're all beyond economic repair (BER).

The problem with your rifle, like those you see later on in life, marked DP or ZF or BER or just U/S is that you don't know what's the matter with it unless an Armourer with all the relevant gauges gives it the once over.

There's a recent thread about someone who fired a DP marked rifle................. Silly boy!