4T on Gunauction

[snipershot1944]

At Mr Laidler's suggestion, I'm posting here an auction of interest.

Guns For Sale - Cased Enfield BSA No4 Mk1 (T) -- .303 British Bolt Action Target / Sniper Rifle

Gunauction.com auction site, auction number 12808341

any thoughts as to issues with the rifle or kit?

TIA

David

Information

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[limpetmine]

Looks like a postwar rebuild to my untrained eye.

[snipershot1944]

I was somewhat concerned about the size of the scope serial number stamped on the rear stock flat. It seems a bit larger than normal. Also the lack of the rifle serial number under the fore stock.

[Peter Laidler]

The basics look as honest as the days is long but having been rebuilt after war service, returned to Ordnance and later disposed of

[superbee]

First one I seen with serial number on receiver and no serial number on butt socket.
I think the JC mark on the butt refers to a contractor that did rebuilds.Had a 1941 ROF sniper with that mark but it also had FTR mark.Correct me if I am wrong.

[Roger Payne]

I would agree with Peter that the general 'feel' of the barrelled action looks real, but this rifle does puzzle me a little. The finish is wartime blue, not post-War phosphate/suncorite. The wood looks to be wartime mfr., not typical post-war mfr (though I know it is quite feasible it could have been refurbed post-war using wartime wood). It is also rather odd that there is no TR on the butt socket, yet there is a T on the receiver side wall. If one or the other is missing it is usually the other way round - but again, anything's possible. Further, the cheekpiece looks brand new, does not conform to the exact profile of any genuine cheekpiece I have ever seen (but none of us have ever seen it all, I admit), & it is also made out of walnut. I have NEVER seen a genuine cheekpiece on a British T that was made from walnut, though I suppose there may be a few rifles out there that have been fitted with replacement 'pieces salvaged from Canadian rifles. There are just some question marks over this rifle, for me.

ATB

[vintage hunter]

What about the s/n on the bracket? It looks to be engraved rather than stamped and the size and font appear to be identical to the number on the rifle. It's also not in the usual place one would expect it to be on a genuine Brit set up.

[limpetmine]

That was one thing I noticed. The scope serial on the mount looks postwar. Canadian-ish, if that's a word.
Serials were stamped during the war. The side wall serial looks like the BSA FTR postwar program font to me.

What about the s/n on the bracket? It looks to be engraved rather than stamped and the size and font appear to be identical to the number on the rifle. It's also not in the usual place one would expect it to be on a genuine Brit set up.

[ssj]

Would a lightened bolt be typical original fitment?

[stencollector]

I agree with vintage hunter: It strikes me as odd is that the engraving on both the receiver and scope bracket are of identical placement and font. Even the first 3 is slightly high on both. Almost as if both were done at the same time and with the same machine. How does one explain that away?