Lee Enfield No 4 Mk1 from an auction

[30Three]

Regarding the bolt number. Have a close look at the rear face of the bolt handle. Normally the serial number would be stamped there; not on top as per your photo. (At least both my Maltby made No4's are at the rear).
So maybe that number is something else.

Also, I'm not sure if the 300/600 flip sight would be original for a 1942 rifle. Hopefully one of our more knowedgeable members can confirm!

[mrclark303]

Good point Shaun, never seen a Lee bolt marked on the top, unless this was done by an Armoury to see numbers while the rifles were in the rack perhaps??

As per the flip sight, I 'think' they came into service in 1942, along with the other austerity parts, to try and speed up production....

[DJCee73]

Regarding the bolt number. Have a close look at the rear face of the bolt handle. Normally the serial number would be stamped there; not on top as per your photo. (At least both my Maltby made No4's are at the rear).
So maybe that number is something else.

Also, I'm not sure if the 300/600 flip sight would be original for a 1942 rifle. Hopefully one of our more knowedgeable members can confirm!

ya you are correct I was looking on the top of the bolt instead of the back of the handle and upon further inspection the both serial numbers match!!! very happy about that!!

[DJCee73]

I'm such a noob!! The more I read the more I'm learning about these rifles. I just realized mine has the spring door in the butt(steel butt plate) and to my surprise there is a Mk 4 brass oil bottle and brass string pull through in there!!!
I have no idea if this is the correct one given to the rifle upon completion of manufacturing. I believe I see the < denoting government property and I think EFD denoting manufacturing at the Enfield factory(hard to see as brass is dirty). Would this be a standard issue oil bottle for my 1942 Maltby No 4 Mk 1?
Thanks again!!

[Alan de Enfield]

I just realized mine has the spring door in the butt(steel butt plate) and to my surprise there is a Mk 4 brass oil bottle and brass string pull through in there!!!

Never say never with LE's but I'm fairly sure that Maltby's we never issued with steel butt-plates, Brass, yes.

As far as I remember the steel butt plates were a temporary 'fix' for Long Branch (Canadian rifles)

The other material used (primarily by Savage and Long Branch) was the 'pot-metal' known by various names Mazac, zamac or Zamak

(ZAMAC is an acronym for the Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium, and Copper alloy that Hot Wheels, Dinky and other pre-WW2 die-cast toy cars are cast from).

[DJCee73]

Never say never with LE's but I'm fairly sure that Maltby's we never issued with steel butt-plates, Brass, yes.

As far as I remember the steel butt plates were a temporary 'fix' for Long Branch (Canadian rifles)

The other material used (primarily by Savage and Long Branch) was the 'pot-metal' known by various names Mazac, zamac or Zamak

Thanks Alan for your reply and the butt plate does seem to be the Zamac (light dull gray) however as in your previous post based on the pictures I posted you told me that the serial # of R11641 both on the bolt and the gun and the M above it denoted its was a Maltby gun. Now I'm confused

[Alan de Enfield]

Thanks Alan for your reply and the butt plate does seem to be the zamac (light dull gray) however as in your previous post based on the pictures I posted you told me that the serial # of R11641 both on the bolt and the gun and the M above it denoted its was a Maltby gun. Now I'm confused

It suggests that either in service (unlikely) or in civilian life it was fitted with a non-Maltby butt plate.

The rifle factories were primarily 'assemblers', they would manufacture the primary components (Body, barrel & bolt) but all woodwork, nuts and bolts, slings etc etc were manufactured by other companies on a sub-contract basis. These parts would be supplied to Maltby and they would then assemble all the parts with their own manufactured components,

The 'parentage' of a rifle is by the maker of the body (action) as that is the key numbered component and everything else is 'hung' off it.

[DJCee73]

It suggests that either in service (unlikely) or in civilian life it was fitted with a non-Maltby butt plate.

Thanks so much for the clarification. Do you have any ideas on the oil bottle and pull through? Do you think it was a proper issue to this rifle?

[Alan de Enfield]

Thanks so much for the clarification. Do you have any ideas on the oil bottle and pull through? Do you think it was a proper issue to this rifle?

EFD made oil bottles and an EFD could quite easily be issued from stores.
I would suggest that whilst a brass oiler bottle is not incorrect, it would more than likely be a plastic bottle.

I'm not an expert on oiler bottles.

[DJCee73]

Auctioneer just called me says when I picked up the No4 I didn't get all the pieces that were supposed to go with auction. It was supposed to come with a rear sight. He sent me a picture and it is a Mk 1 sight with an F on the top left which leads me to believe it was manufactured at Fazakerley. Should I leave the Mk 2 300/600 L sight on or put the Mk 1 sight on the gun? All in all a great surprise from the auctioneer!