Need help identifying where my new enfield is from.

[Bongfu]

So I bought my first military surplus rifle. I went with my favorite and got a Lee Enfield No 4 Mk I... Or so I thought.

Having trouble nailing down the details from it. A friend of mine, who is quite knowledgeable with military surplus stuff, is stumped.

The receiver says:

No 4 Mk I F(FTR)49

So there I believe the right was repaired in 1949. F most likely means the armory in Liverpool.

The serial number (matching both the stock and receiver) is the weird part.

JA21537A

On top of the receiver there are two worn stamps I cannot fully read. One looks like the top of the crown, but mostly worn away. The other is a "B" with a "3" underneath and surrounded by a circle.

Any help would be appreciated!

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[Lee Enfield]

So I bought my first military surplus rifle. I went with my favorite and got a Lee Enfield No 4 Mk I... Or so I thought.

Having trouble nailing down the details from it. A friend of mine, who is quite knowledgeable with military surplus stuff, is stumped.

The receiver says:

No 4 Mk I F(FTR)49

So there I believe the right was repaired in 1949. F most likely means the armory in Liverpool.

The serial number (matching both the stock and receiver) is the weird part.

JA21537A

On top of the receiver there are two worn stamps I cannot fully read. One looks like the top of the crown, but mostly worn away. The other is a "B" with a "3" underneath and surrounded by a circle.

Any help would be appreciated!

You indeed have a "Lee Enfield" No4MkI manufactured during WW2 in the UK, Factory Thorough Repaired at Fazakerly in 1949

[Bongfu]

Sweet!

I just wanted to make sure that serial number made sense.

[Lee Enfield]

Sweet!

I just wanted to make sure that serial number made sense.

The B-3 inside a circle sounds like a Maltby inspectors marking - likely the rifle was manufactured at Maltby.

[Surpmil]

Maltby was the only UK maker to stamp their markings deeply on the left side of the receiver. They also used a stylized "M" in various places. The FTR markings etc. will be electro-pencilled, rather than stamped.

[Bongfu]

It looks like they filed off the original markings when they repaired it.

[WillSarchet]

The A suffix to the serial indicates a non-standard replacement part. Good luck figuring out which one it is though. Could be anything from a screw to the bolt. First number is a 2 which indicates a Faz rifle.

[Roger Payne]

It certainly could be a Maltby rifle reworked by Faz in 1949. The circular stamps sound very Maltby. However, I do have one difficulty with this in that the rifle serial number (ignoring the 'A' suffix which is not relevant to this point) looks to be a WW2 era Faz serial number, not a Maltby number. If Faz renumbered a Maltby rifle at the time of the FTR in 1949 would they not have used a serial from the more typical 'PF' block by then? I ask, as I am not exactly sure when the PF numbers came in, but thought they included the vast majority if not all of post WW2 Faz No4 poroduction (until the UF prefix came in, anyway).

I just raise the possibility that the rifle could be a Faz that went through Maltby as well as going back to Faz for the FTR in 1949. Or the receiver stamps could be a red herring - this is where a photo might help id them for sure.

One way the OP could verify the original manufacturer is to have a look at the underside of the body/receiver. On UK produced rifles the shape of the two draws is symmetrical on BSA & Maltby produced rifles, but asymmetrical on Faz rifles. I enclose a photo to illustrate in the event that the OP wants to have a look for himself, although it will mean removing the forend woodwork, hand guards & furniture. The comparison receiver with symmetrical draws is a BSA 1945, but Maltby rifles are the same in this respect.

[Roger Payne]

Another thought, during WW2 Faz initially stamped their markings into the LHS of the butt socket in a similar fashion to BSA. However, mid-war they switched to engraving them very shallowly onto the receiver side wall underneath the rear sight bed (just in front of the safety lever). They are almost invariably VERY shallow & easily missed, especially after a FTR & refinish, but it might be worth having a close look there, just in case there are traces of 'ROF (F) 5/44' or some such.....

But failing that, checking the draws is probably the best bet.....

[browningautorifle]

Good clear pics might be invaluable here...