The .303 British in Dad's foorlocker

[LucyvanPelt]

Hi folks. I'm a bit nervous posting here, not knowing where to ask for help. So here it goes...
Dad bequeathed a rifle to me, and it seems it's history is longer than his. Can you help me identify it? By my reckoning (thanks to this forum) the serial number is Mk1 with Parker Hale plate under the scope... I realize the front sight markings are blurry, but maybe the structure is helpful. I have held a No5Mk1 and the wood doesn't have the pretty embossing this one has.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

You're going to need a great deal more info than that...how about a few pics and we'll tell you what it is?

[Brian B]

Hi Jim,

I tried to copy and past the links over for him but I couldn't get them to work. All I see are the dreaded blue box with the question mark. I right clicked on the blue box and was able to open the image in a new tab to see the scope and mount. Looks like an early Savage (OC serial) that has had a scope added using a similar rear base as the Enforcer.

Brian B

Let's see if this first link works:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/182886370@N04/7070c6

https://www.flickr.com/gp/182886370@N04/mo569K

https://www.flickr.com/gp/182886370@N04/TF88A2

https://www.flickr.com/gp/182886370@N04/82kbim

https://www.flickr.com/gp/182886370@N04/99M5B1

https://www.flickr.com/gp/182886370@N04/J1F700

https://www.flickr.com/gp/182886370@N04/3jFB14

[browningautorifle]

Still, not one overall pic for us to just stand back and look...looks like a sporterized #4 rifle from here. One of the deluxe grades done by Parker Hale I think...

[rgg_7]

Parker Hale "Supreme" built on an early Savage No4. Very popular sporting rifle in the mid 60's.

[Mk VII]

It's the P-H scope mount for the No.4, from which someone has ground off the backup aperture on the back, probably because it fouled the scope body. The receiver ring will be drilled & tapped for the front block.

[Alan de Enfield]

Built 1942, one the early No4's built by Savage in the USA. Should be a No4 Mk1 rather than a No4 Mk1*

Sold off in England after WW2 into the UK civilian gun market (hence the UK civilian proof marks (18.5 tonnes, 2.222" etc etc etc)

Sporterised by Parker Hale in the mid 60's

Imported into the USA prior to 1968 (US pre '68 Import mark)


Serial number is "0C3072" showing it was the 3,072th rifle built by Savage (C -= Chicopee Falls Savage Plant)

[LucyvanPelt]

Thank you for helping my thread along Brian. This is my first crack at posting anything in a forum; embedding photos was a rather enigmatic.

Gee Alan, I totally misread Jay Currah's Enfield serial number cipher, so thank you too! That is the kind of history I am interested in.

I can provide an "overall pic" browningautorifle was wanting, and any others you might deem helpful if you reckon there's more to learn. Let me know what you'd like to see and I'll share (cough cough, of the rifle that it is :-)

Also, any advice before I buff it up and put some rounds through it? Been packing grampa's Remington 742 around the bush for years and I'd love to take this one into hunting season this fall.

Kind regards, Lucy

[browningautorifle]

I can provide an "overall pic"

Over all would be nice but I doubt there's much to add after what's been said. I carried a 760 Rem carbine in .308 around for years too, close to your 742...