My First N04 Mk1 (Long Branch???)

[bobby.fox33]

Hello everyone, just got a addition to my MILSURP Collection and its a beauty. So without getting run out of town by those of you who are a little bit more educated with regards to Enfields then I am I just wanted to say I traded this bad boy for an SKS sooooo even if it is a "frankengun" its still pretty cool for me and extremely excited to join the Lee Enfield fraternity
It seems to have a mix of Savage and LB markings. I have more pics if needed.

Any info anyone wants to share please feel free....so here we go

- SN - P28993A (on Receiver and bolt handle)
- Receiver marked with No4Mk1 (no * and nothing else)
-LB 66 markings on, Lower front hand guard
-LB on Safety, Mag housing, butt stock
- Stock is in fantastic shape and almost to good to be true
- Bluing is in fantastic shape and almost to good to be true (if its been redone its not a hack job)
- Rear flip up sight is stamped with Mk3 on the slide part and M47 on the base part
-Savage (block) S on several parts

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.

[Bindi2]

The serial # is not a Long Branch #.

[bobby.fox33]

Well that is a start. Thanks for the info.

[Maxwell Smart]

Not a Long Branch made rifle.

By the serial number, believe it to be British made, from ROF Fazakerley.

[Alan de Enfield]

Hello everyone, just got a addition to my MILSURP Collection and its a beauty. So without getting run out of town by those of you who are a little bit more educated with regards to Enfields then I am I just wanted to say I traded this bad boy for an SKS sooooo even if it is a "frankengun" its still pretty cool for me and extremely excited to join the Lee Enfield fraternity
It seems to have a mix of Savage and LB markings. I have more pics if needed.

Any info anyone wants to share please feel free....so here we go

- SN - P28993A (on Receiver and bolt handle)
- Receiver marked with No4Mk1 (no * and nothing else)
-LB 66 markings on, Lower front hand guard
-LB on Safety, Mag housing, butt stock
- Stock is in fantastic shape and almost to good to be true
- Bluing is in fantastic shape and almost to good to be true (if its been redone its not a hack job)
- Rear flip up sight is stamped with Mk3 on the slide part and M47 on the base part
-Savage (block) S on several parts

Not a Frankengun but certainly an assembly of different manufacturers parts and not as it would have left the 'factory'

Fazakerly (Liverpool England) = Action

Longbranch (Canada) = Forend, Mag housing, safety and Butt

BSA (Birmingham England) = Rear sight

Savage (USA) = "several Parts"

Just think if you could find a part with an RoFM on it (Maltby, Yorkshire England) you'd have every manufacturer of wartime No4s represented on one-rifle.

My guess would be that it is a civilian well done re-built 'sporter' put together with 'ebay parts' that were available at the time.
I have done the same with a Lithgow No1 Mk3*. Sourced parts from all over the world, its a 'Bitsa' but its MY Bitsa.

[Roger Payne]

If you look carefully there may be a year of manufacture stamped into the upper part of the butt socket above the serial number & below the safety. I can see some sort of mark on one of your pix but not enough to make out what it is.....

[bobby.fox33]

Thanks so much to everyone for your time and the info, this is all great info and i am truly enjoying researching this gun.

[Sunray]

It was assembled out of parts bins with no QC whatsoever by Century Arms. That's what the CAI ST A VT(the ST V VT means Saint Albans Vermont) stamps on the barrel mean. Check the head space before shooting it. Century is notorious for assembling both types of Lee-Enfield out of parts bins without bothering to ensure the thing is safe to shoot.
Fortunately, if the head space is bad, fixing it on a No. 4 isn't the expensive nightmare is it with a No. 1 Rifle. There should be a number(0 to 3) on the bolt head. You can buy one number higher and try it with proper head space gauges. However, if the number is a 2 or higher finding a bolt head will likely be an issue. You can rent or buy head space gauges from Chamber Reamers, Headspace Gauges, and Firearm Accessories Since 1957 - Pacific Tool and Gauge or Brownells. No fuss at the border for tools.
For reason known only to them, Gunparts lists the No. 4 Rifle under SMLE on their site. Being in North Bay helps. Try Epp's in Orillia(they speak Lee-Enfield) or Western Gunparts(no online catalogue).
Firearm Parts - Hunting
Request Rejected

[Brian Dick]

Just because it has a Century Arms import mark which means it was imported to the USA post 1968, doesn't mean that it's not a legit rebuild. I'd like to see some proof that Century Arms assembled SMLE and No.4 rifles from bins of parts Sunray. Can you provide it? I know they've assembled some real crap semi-auto rifles from parts kits they imported because I've repaired many of them but I'm not so sure about Lees. I've had hundreds of Century Arms import Lee Enfield Rifles over the years. Most in the same condition as imported from numerous different countries. Many were legitimately rebuilt rifles in the countries of origin prior to being sold off. It may well be a legit Canadian rebuild. What are the markings on the barrel at the chamber end? I've seen British rifles mixed in with other Canadian rebuilds too. Post 1950 Canadian rebuilds will be Parkerized the same as yours and many have a mixture of Savage and Long Branch parts since the remaining spares from Savage were all sent to Long Branch when the Savage contracts were completed. I'm not so quick to write it off as an illegitimate bitser. Anyhow, I'd have to examine and gauge it up close and personal to be sure just what it is.

[bobby.fox33]

Guys, Thanks for the info and if anything it does make for good convo. I will post more pics of the chamber later. There are some interesting stamps that may shed some light. Like i said in my first post...i traded it for a SKS so if it shoots its a great deal regardless.