Fultons - advice and ID
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Topic: Fultons - advice and ID
Posted By: Bulletfreak
Subject: Fultons - advice and ID
Date Posted: August 28 2025 at 10:42pm
 Hi from Aus Looking for advice and ID on these please. I have to decide what I’m going to do with a bunch of rifles I inherited from my grandfather who represented Australia during 1950’s-1970’s The government is restricting the number of rifles one person can license here so these may have to go if I want to keep my other hunting rifles  |
Replies:
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 12:00pm
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That's sad to hear. You appear to have, Top To Bottom. Rifle, No 4 Mk1, fitted with a base for some kind of Target sight. An S.M.L.E. (a.k.a Rifle No1 MkIII*, affectionately known to the troops as "Ole Smellie") Fitted with what looks like a Central (or one of its copies) sight. A Rifle No4 Mk2, also with some kind of "Central" target sight. Its possible the same sight was also used on the top rifle as they should have a quick change screw with a rapid release lever. I'm not sure the function of the "T" shaped piece of duck tape. How did you establish the "Fultons" association? That might well have a positive boost on pricing as "Fultons Of Bisley" were the past masters at improving military rifles into fine target rifles. Does it say anything like "Regulated By Fultons" on it somewhere? We can give you an idea of U.S pricing, but have no idea how that translates on the Aussie market. The fact they are documented to have been part of the Australian
Rifle Team, may add to collectors value, but I can't give you any idea
of how much again. Things like matching serial numbers on the bolt handle, receiver, barrel & forend on the No4, & nose-cap on the SMLE, & condition of the bore internally will have a bearing on price too. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 1:19pm
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The target back sights are worth several hundred dollars each. The duct tape may have been used to cut glare from the sun.
Agree with Shamu’s assessment. |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 1:38pm
| Do they have royal cyphers, manufacturer, and dates on the butt socket or simply the manufacturer? There are different collector markets for ex-Service rifles and civilian target rifles. The marks will be hidden by the bolt handles. Also, any stamps on the receiver ring or barrel would be interesting. |
Posted By: Bear43
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 1:59pm
| Oh my! Those appear to be pretty nice. Love that rifle case in the top picture! |
Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 5:01pm
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Wow some much awesome information - thanks so much Both appear on the paper work as Fultons
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Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 5:05pm
Some markings 
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Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 5:12pm
More stamps   
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Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 6:48pm
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Your No4 Mk1 is an American made Savage/Stevens No4 Mk1, a little rare as the switched to the simplified No4 Mk1* just after production started. Serial # should have a "C" (for Chicopee Falls Mass in it.) The "U.S. PROPERTY" stamp indicates it was made for the U.S. Lend/Lease program to England & other countries during WW2. I was mistaken about the sight mount. those are the pivots for a standard "Singer" type micrometer rear sight. Without that its a bit crippled, but they are reasonably cheap to get & simple to install.  You'd need the one on the left, graduated to 1300 yds. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 6:56pm
| interesting rifles - is that one handguard taped in place ? the one in the first picture last post .... |
Posted By: Bear43
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 7:09pm
| In looking at the pictures it seems that the tape runs down most of the sight line. Bet it was to reduce glare to give a cleaner sight line. |
Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 7:13pm
You are correct 
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Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 7:22pm
  Numbers match
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Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 7:33pm
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The black cloth tape was to reduce glare and runs down the hand guard I can read No4MK1 ROF(F) 7/4  |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: August 29 2025 at 11:42pm
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Some fabulous rifles you have there. It's a shame that you can't keep all your rifles, in particular, ones that have family history! Personally, those would be the last to go, if they were mine! Have you shot these rifles? I suggest you take them to the range see how good they are. I would suggest keeping at least one. For the No4 without the rear sight, you can fit a Fulton's scope mount, fit a modern scope, and you have an excellent hunting rifle! Obviously it's personal choice, and you have the government to thank for being forced into that choice. It's a shame that they don't understand that it doesn't matter how many rifles you have, because you can only shoot one at a time! ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: August 30 2025 at 12:08am
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Unfortunately I also inherited these on top of 4 I already have Zed our government is destroying our history and culture
Yes I have shot one of them a few times including on the range. Extremely accurate but so is my Sako 85 We are allowed 5 per person now or join a club and have 10  |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: August 30 2025 at 4:33am
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Do both of the No. 4 rifles have the “Regulated by Fulton” stamp? Fulton’s have a long history in preparing and maintaining British service rifles for competitive shooting. These likely have replacement barrels and may have replacement furniture. Correct fore-end fit and bedding of the barrel and receiver is a critical step for accurate shooting. Many of the Commonwealth national shooting teams purchased their service rifles from Fulton’s while they were at Bisley camp during the annual meetings, I have one such rifle bought by a friend of my Dad’s when he was at Bisley in the 1960’s. Lovely rifle and a very good shooter. The No. 4 Mk I ROF (F) was made at Fazakerley but has a Mk 2 fore-end fitted which is a bit odd. Fazakerley converted large numbers of No. 4 Mk I rifles to No. 4 Mk I/2 by brazing a steel bracket to the front side of the action body butt socket to which the trigger was pinned to. The Mk I had the trigger pinned to the trigger guard. I suspect the Savage No. 4 Mk I you have was used with the central target sight, or perhaps there is another rear sight among your grandfathers shooting equipment. These rifles appear to be in mostly unaltered configuration, except for the Fulton Regulation as a target rifle. Very nice rifles. A word of caution, do not attempt to remove the Fore-end until you learn how to do it correctly, otherwise you will damage the wood bearing surfaces at the action body sear lugs which are critical to maintaining a tight fit of the fore-end and accurate shooting. |
Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: August 30 2025 at 5:10am
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Thanks Britrifles, Yes I believe he and others on the Australia Team had them built up at Bisley prior to Queens. I think 1958?? Some where I have his blazer from the Commonwealth Games and his hat covered in tags from NZ, Canada, Rhodesia Thanks for the tip on the forestock, I actually been reading this page for a while and understand tuning a rifle using tension on the action screw. There is spare woodwork and sights in the original pine case including striping tools and Parker and Hale willow cleaning rods Looking for a rough value Already handed in 4 older BSA clubman’s, Franchi spas and a ruger 10/22 so I can keep the Browning A5 and Berretta SL22
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Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: August 30 2025 at 6:13am
| Get married to three(3) women and have them each join a club. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: August 30 2025 at 9:09am
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If you need a detailed & lavishly illustrated stripping manual for either or both of those rifles let me know & I'll e-mail them to you. I'd post them on here but they're too large a file size because of the level of detail & quantity of illustrations. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: August 30 2025 at 9:11am
I was going to suggest joining a club Paddy, but Converting so he can have 4 wives & unlimited concubines may be a bit drastic! ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: August 30 2025 at 11:11am
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Hey! I have been married three(3) times and I am still here. Best of all I did not loose any guns in the divorces. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: August 30 2025 at 2:01pm
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Looking at the SMLE & the No4 Mk1 with the cross bolt Mk2 cross bolt triggered a memory for me. I vaguely remember Fulton's using screws or bolts to "clamp" the Mk2 stock to the the Mk1 action as an accuracy thing. I don't remember if they also upgraded to the hung trigger or something else internally though. One of the action bedding mods involved hardwood dowels inside the stock on the sides to do a similar "better fit" mod. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: DisasterDog
Date Posted: August 31 2025 at 3:43pm
| Yep, the Mk2 is a MkI or Mk1/2, as it has the cutoff boss which was eliminated on Mk2 production. |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: August 31 2025 at 4:12pm
| interesting bear - reduced glare , id not thought that far on that condition , i was thinking cracked handguards of course , |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: September 01 2025 at 9:57am
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It was news to me to. I don't even know if its "Legal for Competition" any more? ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: September 06 2025 at 11:35pm
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Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: September 06 2025 at 11:43pm
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Posted By: Bulletfreak
Date Posted: September 06 2025 at 11:45pm
| Colin Blechyndens team hat and a couple of NRA pins from the era of big bore |