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N° 2 Mk IV* .22 LR

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Deejay View Drop Down
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    Posted: June 10 2018 at 2:05am

Here is my newly acquired N° 2 Mk IV* in .22 LR calibre. It was built on a 1916 BSA SMLE III* frame, but, unlike most other .22 LR conversions, bears no N° 2 Mk IV* marking anywhere on the timber.

















According to what I have read here and there, this rifle is part of an Air Ministry contract for the RAF, which explains the AM prefix of the new serial number. The conversion was made by Parker-Hale in Birmingham. A large quantity of these .22 trainers were imported from Ireland to the US in 1991. Mine was imported into continental  Europe by Hege (Germany) in 1991 too, judging by the proofmarks.

Some say the rifles were converted after 1936 and before April 1945 and then sold to Ireland in the late 1940s. I have read somewhere else that some of these rifles were kept in RAF armouries up until the 1980s or 1990s, so I am a bit confused as to the ultimate origin of my N° 2 Mk IV*.

Could anyone on here tell me more about this "batch" of .22 LR SMLE trainers ?


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2018 at 9:12pm
none of mine are marked on the timber - all are marked on the wrist , most of mine were navy "N" marked but im no expert here - i just know my 1892 cond II is navy marked conversion in 1912 , and my 1910 BSA no2 mkIV* was converted in 1921-25 for the navy , it is actually a no2 mkIV no star but stock got changed and the volleys are gone sometime along the way , 

my 1905 no1 mkI***  rifle did the ireland tour and was renumbered with an altered ER serial number , 
parker hale did a good number of conversions , ive not been lucky enough to come upon one of those with sufficient funds yet , but ill keep looking , 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2018 at 4:24am
It look's like a very clean rifle.
I am surprised that it's not stamped No2MkIV* on the wrist; would that be normal for this period?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Deejay Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2018 at 8:12am
Well, apparently, all of the N° 2 Mk IV* rifles with this AM (= Air Ministry?) prefix in their serial numbers have unmarked wrists and stocks. Worthy of note is the fact that not a single marking is to be seen on the wood.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Deejay Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2018 at 10:13am
Some more pictures :




The German proofmarks show that the rifle went through the Ulm proofhouse in 1991 after being imported by Hege.







The stock was repaired at some time - damaged during WW1?





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Deejay Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 13 2018 at 1:58pm
An update :

I have found ONE marking on the timber, a faint SRG in a triangle, which is supposed to mean "South Rhodesian Government", but it doesn't add up, as this trainer is, in theory, an ex-RAF training rifle sold to the Irish in the late 1940s!
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