WHAT IS THIS STAMP ON MY No4 MK1 T?

[IanS]

My T has the stamp 6CE on the butt socket. It's in the same style as the D6E stamp.
Just wondering if it has any significance to the rifle being a T. The rifle does not bear the D6E stamp.
Ian.

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[Roger Payne]

Ok, I'll start the ball rolling, although Ian's already broached this question with me off forum. I suspect none of us can be 100% sure of the significance of the inspector's stamp, but it looks to be an Enfield inspector's stamp, similar to the D6E & 7EE we see so frequently on 4T's, (but relating to a different inspector). There also looks to be a poorly stamped '46' by the inspector's mark. I thought at first glance that it had been partially linished away, but the surrounding markings (assuming it is the year 1946) would pre-date it yet are undisturbed, so I think it was probably just poorly stamped in the first place. If it does mean 1946, then it may relate to a time when the rifle was in some way refurbished, & that could then explain why a further examiner's mark was applied. And, if it was refurbished/FTR'ed in 1946, this was just before the era when FTR markings were standardised, & generally engraved on, rather than stamped. All this is supposition of course.........

The lack of a D6E in the usual place really doesn't mean a lot on a rifle of this vintage. She's real enough & a nice find.

Anyone got any thoughts or suggestions on it?

[IanS]

Hi Roger, thanks for kicking this off, it all sounds feasible to me, any feedback, whether in agreement with your "supposition" or otherwise, will be worth seeing. Other than no D6E stamp and the scope not being the original, all other markings for a T appear to be there. The scope bracket shows the original rifle number lined through and also has the current rifle serial number stamped on it. The replacement MK2 scope serial number appears on the butt in the usual place, above but not over-stamping the original scope serial number, which has been partially rubbed/sanded out.
If looked at closely, the 6CE stamp appears to had been badly struck and then re-struck.
Ian.

[Brian Dick]

We've discussed the '46 date stamps as seen on many No.4 rifles of all nationalities before. My guess is that it denotes FTR post WWII in a European workshop. Could the Enfield examiner's stamp be an additional inspection done afterwards? All speculation of course but sniper rifles were definitely a cut above and would have most likely been inspected again at dome point. Maybe Peter will weigh in.

[351 WINCHESTER]

All BSA No. 4 Enfields were marked M47C. The C looks like a double stamp to me.

[Roger Payne]

BSA only used 'M47C' from mid to late 1943 onwards. From 1941 to early 1943 they stamped just the letter 'B' along with the date & serial number on the butt socket. For a time immediately after that, for a few months during 1943, they stamped 'M47' without the 'C' (as per this rifle), & then from later in 1943 they used the full 'M47C'.

ATB