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No. 4 mystery marks!

Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Enfield Rifles
Forum Description: Anything that has to do with the great Enfield rifles!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8431
Printed Date: March 28 2024 at 11:22am
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Topic: No. 4 mystery marks!
Posted By: Captn Kraut
Subject: No. 4 mystery marks!
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 11:05pm
Howdy all! I'm nit entirely sure how active this forum is at the moment but I assumed I'd give it a shot. I have a No. 4 Mk1 that at first seemed quite standard to me, its dated 8/42 and everything but the magazine, stock rings, and barrel are marked F for Fazakerley. I've tried for a good while to find out as much as I could about the rifles and my rifle in particular, but the mire time I spend looking at it the more tiny things jump out at me and I cant find any info on them. I think the major point of bother for my is this big "K" stamped on the side of the barrel, I cant find any info on this at all.
Another thing is that the shank appears to be ground down flat at the too because some older markings appear to have been polished away by this. Now I cant exactly find any sources on whether there was a difference in barrel shanks between the Mk III and the No. 4 but I assume its an okder barrel fitted for the No. 4
I've also had trouble finding a source on these magazine chain loops, because the only thing I find are other forum discussions and no really concise mention of if they changed from a solid piece to wire at some point, if they were centered or offset, etc. and its a just a minor irk because I havent had a chance to look at too many of these rifles up close
My more minor problems that dont even seem that problematic are this large "4" and three large dots on the stock.
Thanks in advance for the help and I hope these arent entirely stupid questions!



Replies:
Posted By: hoadie
Date Posted: May 02 2017 at 3:51am
What about the serial numbers? Do they all match?
How about the makings that are ground down..can we get some pics?
The more detailed pics you can provide..the more info we can glean

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Loose wimmen tightened here


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: May 02 2017 at 8:43am
I'm not quite sure I understand about the flat on the barrel.

A flt is normal because it was used to wrench the barrel into the receiver during manufacture. Are you saying any flat is abnormal, or do you think your normal flat has been ground even more?
Regarding the loop my '55 Faz has a solid one, so I'm a bit confused there too.



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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: englishman_ca
Date Posted: May 11 2017 at 6:45am
The barrel looks pretty normal. Nothing jumps out as being out of the ordinary. It is interesting to decipher markings, isn't it? It is often like detective work.

The barrel shank as you call it, is termed the barrel reinforce. The flat is termed the Nock's Form and is used as a reference datum face when breeching up. 
Some barrel wrenches do use the flat for purchase to hold it, yes, but the factory rig would clamp down onto the entire taper with a vise to grip it.

The K is likely a process marking. It quite is normal for a barrel to have what appear to be random letters and other wonky markings, not always well stamped. All applied as the barrel made its way through different stages of the production line. The meaning of these factory process markings has now been lost in time. 

The loop on your trigger guard should be wire and centered. Its intended use was for the attachment of the leather laces of the canvas action cover. As far as I understand, all No.4 rifles used a wire loop.

Solid 'loop' trigger guards are found on the earlier Australian No.1 rifle, not interchangeable with that of the No.4


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Look to your front, mark your target when it comes!


Posted By: Captn Kraut
Date Posted: May 11 2017 at 12:50pm
The random process stamps makes sense, upon closer inspection they look more half stamped than ground off like I previously thought. The flat does have a grain to it like it was ground down but that may just be the way they're made. When it comes to deciphering proofs and stamps I always have this optimism each of my surplus guns hides some rare mystery.
The loop is definitely a solid and centered piece on mine, and yet no aussie marks to be seen.


Posted By: englishman_ca
Date Posted: May 15 2017 at 5:08am
You show a wire loop, ok, I guess it could be termed a solid loop. 

I miss understood, there are swivel loops on other Lee Enfields that are solid lump of metal that has not been fully machined out for the swivel. A war expedient for Australia.

Not in this case. Different model completely.

Yours looks to be a standard wire loop for attaching the cover.


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Look to your front, mark your target when it comes!


Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: May 15 2017 at 1:32pm
there are king screw swivels , this rifle has the wire loop for the action cover - its a no4 type Cno7 trainer 

http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/watabmike/media/mikesphotos-3027_zps7a841382.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">
http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/watabmike/media/mikesphotos-2098_zps7f69864e.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">



this one is milled for the swivel - its a no 1 type , no2 mkIV trainer -

http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/watabmike/media/mikesphotos-2101_zps7793b2d9.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">
http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/watabmike/media/mikesphotos-2102_zpsdaf471c4.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">



this one is also milled for the trigger guard swivel , its a mkIII -

http://s1034.photobucket.com/user/watabmike/media/mikesphotos-2113_zps80984152.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">







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