Where did this Enfield come from?

[cygmer]

I am trying to figure out where this Enfield came from? Or more correctly where was it made? Thanks for any help.

Plate above trigger

top of bolt


top of barrel


Left side of breach

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]

Royal Ordnance Factory 19 at Maltby in Yorkshire. The Mk1* marking is a bit of a mystery and nobody really knows why it is marked on a small batch of their rifles. I suspect a breakdown in communication somewhere as they didn't make any TRUE Mk1* rifles

[cygmer]

Thank you.

Now i have to ask, what on here tells you that?

[Peter Laidler]

The little odd shaped letter M on the bolt head and alongside the 1944. That's peculiar to Maltby. All factories had their own little logo of sorts. FY was another from Fazakerley, usually found on Sten gun parts and RTL from Theale. Also found on Sten gun parts.

[Lee Enfield]

...snip... The Mk1* marking is a bit of a mystery and nobody really knows why it is marked on a small batch of their rifles. I suspect a breakdown in communication somewhere as they didn't make any TRUE Mk1* rifles

I'm more intrigued by the No4 MkI " marking which appears approx.? the same time.

Any idea what change ( " ) refers to?

[Alan de Enfield]

I'm more intrigued by the No4 MkI " marking which appears approx.? the same time.

Any idea what change ( " ) refers to?

Its actually a *
As Peter says its a 'mistake' as Maltby did not manufacture Mk1* rifles - only Mk1
There appears to have been a batch of around 20,000 rifles that were incorrectly marked with the *

Another way to identify it is a Maltby produced rifle is that each factory was given a prefix number for their serial numbers, in Maltby's case it was a 1, so all maltby rifle serial numbers are 1xxxx, Fazakerly was 2, so their rifles are 2xxxx

[Beerhunter]

Another way to identify it is a Maltby produced rifle

An yet another way is if the markings look like they were stamped on a Friday - after the pub! Which reminds me ......

[Lee Enfield]

Its actually a *
As Peter says its a 'mistake' as Maltby did not manufacture Mk1* rifles - only Mk1
There appears to have been a batch of around 20,000 rifles that were incorrectly marked with the *

...snip...

No I am actually referring to ( No4MkI ) rifles which are marked ( No4MkI" ).

I have seen a number (say 10) of which I have owned at least 2 (I may still own 1).

I have also seen (and owned) several British No4MkI rifles marked No4MkI*

[limpetmine]

Could've been they didn't have enough * stamps to go around.
I have a number of bolts that use an upside down 7 as the letter L.
Truth tell, we'll probably never know the why.

[Ridolpho]

Lee Enfield: I have one with the ", a '43 BSA No 4T. I know I've seen a number of similarly marked ones in past threads and at least a couple were on T's that lacked the T marking on the side of the body.

Ridolpho