Lee Enfield No4 Mk1 Value Serial Number Inquiries Has
Lll Front and Rear Hand Guard Set 2pc set. The volume of serial number inquiries has prompted me to fashion this page together and try and explain how best to identify a. Over the years I have received many emails regarding serial numbers. Serial Numbers, Model, Mark and Manufacture Identification. Here is a simple shadow board depicting the 4 most common Enfields.
I* (T) were the standard WWII sniper rifles for the British and for the Commonwealth, except for Australia. I and converted to sniper equipment by Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield early in 1942. I (T) Serial number 0C820 made by Stevens-Savage as a No.
III rifle (the old S.M.L.E. The Australians built their own sniper variant based upon the No. 1 MK. III sniper rifle and Enfield No. These included the Ross MK.
4 Mk 1 Lee-Enfield in this story was one of the best deals of my life when I bought it. However, the 1945 Canadian No. Also note the Tommy-gun I’ve never regretted money spent on a military surplus gun. Most commonly issued British empire rifle in WWII. I* (T) RIFLES WERE MADE?A squad of Canada’s 48th Highlanders in 1943 was armed with the No.
AN ARMOURER’S PERSPECTIVE by Peter Laidler and Ian Skennerton pp. NOT a USA Lend lease rifle. Used in the Far East against the Japanese Army. Australian Lithgow Proof stamped & also FTR at Ishapore. For more information on these sniper rifles, including details of the number that were converted, please see these books:WW2 Number 4 Mk1 Savage 1942. The figures below do not include prototypes, pilot models and experimental sniper rifles, of which very few were made.
LESS TELESCOPE)3,440 remained unfinished on the date the contract with Holland and Holland ended in 1946. 4 (T) about 1,100 to 1,200 were converted to L42A1 sniper rifles in 1970 – 1992. THE BRITISH SNIPER A Century of Evolution by Steve Houghton (2019)1,403 Converted by Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield in 1941-194221,617 Converted by Holland and Holland 1942-1946100 Assigned to BSA (their fate is not known, but we assume that they were )1,588 Converted by Small Arms Limited and later Canadian Arsenals Limited at Long Branch 1942-1946, TOTAL (as far as I can tell) 24,708Of those No. THE LEE-ENFIELD by Ian Skennerton p.
4 (T) sets sold in North America appear to have been sold with mismatched scopes by surplus dealers. The later are almost certainly those that were incomplete at the date and time that the contract finished.Collectors need to be especially careful when purchasing No. Most of these were Stevens-Savage made, but some were made at BSA-Shirley. As best we can tell from surviving examples, these rifles had the “ S“, “ TR“, “ S51” marks and cheek rests, but neither the “ T” nor scope serial number on the wrist of the butt. LESS TELESCOPE)” as they never had scopes mated to the rifles, and this designation was stencilled on the front of their No.
Collectors also need to be very careful of any No. Scope not perfectly aligned to the barrel). LESS TELESCOPE) rifles, being already 80% converted, are the easiest to “finish off” though they would not be properly collimated (i.e.
HOLLAND AND HOLLAND CONVERSIONSLate in 1942 a contract was issued to Holland and Holland, the famous gunmakers in London, England, to convert rifles into sniper equipment. Rifles converted by them are marked with a tiny Enfield examiner’s stamp on the top of the front scope pad and NO “S51” stamp on the underside of the butt stock. A very few of these early conversions by Enfield were Stevens-Savage made in the USA and a few may have been made by Maltby and BSA. Most, but not all, of these were 19 Trials rifles.
The wooden shoulder stock/holster for the Inglis pistol was also made at SAL. 4 rifles and the Sten Gun MK. The second and fourth albums are of Small Arms Limited at Long Branch where the Lee-Enfield No. That external web site is hereAt this time () he has 4 albums. SMALL ARMS LIMITED (S.A.L.) at LONG BRANCH CONVERSIONS The Canadian sniper rifles were produced at Small Arms Limited at Long Branch (two words) Toronto, Ontario, Canada.On Flikr there are some albums of official photos posted by Gary Blakeley. Two of the photos in “Small Arms Ltd., Company Photo Album” show sniper rifles. I wish to thank the many collectors and museums who have granted me access to photograph their items.
On page 1, the 12th photo entitled “Princess Alice – 5” Princess Alice is in the centre wearing the fur coat, was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and was married to the Earl of Athlone, Governor General of Canada during WWII. SAL Long Branch Princess Alice and display firearms Below are links to higher quality images on Flickr. Low resolution copies of those two images are shown here. NFB is “National Film Board” of Canada which did a lot of documentary film work. 2 pistols (versions of the Browning High Power Model 35).
Similar in concept to the British Swift Training Rifle apparently. Long Branch Training Rifle (non-firing). Chinese contract wooden holster for the Inglis No. Nearest the camera to the people:SAL Long Branch example firearms close-up
Butt stock has British style cheek rest on top and the butt plate is standard metal one. I* (T) with a British style mount for No. Notice lightening cuts in fore end and butt. This model was not manufactured in Canada other than prototype(s).
He also carried one in the Battle of the Bulge when 6 AB Div was sent over by sea and land, due to the bad weather, to reinforce the Americans. I (T) with 1 Canadian Parachute battalion in the 6th Airborne Division. Cliff Douglas (3rd from left) Peter Braidwood CCoy1CPB w 1943 sniper riflePrivate Peter Braidwood parachuted into Normandy carrying a No. Peter Braidwood (2nd from left) and Pte. This photo was probably taken in the same room as the first photo with Princess Alice.“C” Coy 1 Canadian Parachute Battalion and King George VI May 1944 Two snipers are in the front rank. Unfortunately they are out of focus.
The scope only was brought back as a souvenir by Private George Siggs of 1 Can Para Bn. I serial number 7466, was issued to 1 Canadian Parachute Battalion, so it is possibly one that Peter carried in battle. I (T) which he carried on the Operation Varsity parachute jump into Germany in March 1945 and on the advance to Wismar to cut the Soviets off from illegally occupying Denmark. I (T) but as it had shrapnel in the furniture, he managed to “accidentally” drop it during a practice parachute jump.
The two “orphaned” scopes are originals. Two of the 350 sniper rifles built by Canada that were fitted with U.S. 4 MK.I* (T) Trade Pattern. I (T) which is now in a private collection in Quebec fitted with a different scope. The scope 7466 is shown here mounted on an early British sniper rifle, a 1943 BSA Shirley serial number AT4872 made No.
The process was very specialized and involved PERFECTLY aligning (collimating) the scope and the rifle barrel.Sadly, when most of the No. If a scope had to be changed in service due to damage, loss or upgrading to a newer model, the old scope number was cancelled and the new number was marked. The rifle was marked with the scope serial number on the wrist, the flat spot on top of the wooden butt stock, just underneath and aft of the cocking piece. 4 (T) rifles each had a scope mated to them at the time of conversion. Stevens photo) MISMATCHED SETSThe No. I matched the bottom rifle with its scope.
So far I and others have managed to “match-up” over half a dozen sets. This includes matching sets as well as serial numbered components such as scopes, brackets, rifles and scope cases. I have a research database listing roughly 2,000 serial numbers at this time. A matched set is much more valuable and is a better shooter.Contact me. As a result, most sets are mismatched.