Re-barreled Longbranch (6 groove)

[browningautorifle]

I know we didn't have the facility at our base for barrel change, perhaps at the Navy base close by as they had Parkerizing facilities. Once I mentioned changing an FN barrel to the effect of unscrew it and change it...the weapon's Sgt just made fun of the remark. It was like it was the hardest thing to do. Not all of them seemed to be savvy to changing a pipe... The stampings on the knoxform are crude, not a CAL type of job.

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[Surpmil]

I know we didn't have the facility at our base for barrel change, perhaps at the Navy base close by as they had Parkerizing facilities. Once I mentioned changing an FN barrel to the effect of unscrew it and change it...the weapon's Sgt just made fun of the remark. It was like it was the hardest thing to do. Not all of them seemed to be savvy to changing a pipe... The stampings on the knoxform are crude, not a CAL type of job.

HMC Dockyard did indeed have all the tools and jigs for the No4, also the Bren and the Sten. They overhauled thousands there for our grateful NATO allies in the 50s and 60s.

[browningautorifle]

HMC Dockyard

That's EXACTLY where I was meaning...I know they had full facility, including parkerizing and plating. They could have done a gold plated FN if they wanted.

[Ridolpho]

Returning to the posted rifle for one final kick of the dead horse! It's obviously a "put-together" but I'd still like to think it might have been put together at CAL- found this thread from last year with photos of a Long Branch that several suggested was an example of use of a replacement receiver (dated '55). I've attached one photo of the left wrist which shows a rather crude grinding of old markings and stamping of serial in font remarkably similar to that on mine (strangely mostly the same numbers that are on mine). However, this other rifle has additional CAL maple leaf proofs that mine doesn't. So, final question- if CAL used a wartime receiver (as on mine, '43) that was already proofed once, would they re-proof the receiver in addition to the new barrel or just the barrel?

Ridolpho