Enfield No.4 help needed

[barry1954]

Hi Guys

I want to add a Enfield rifle to my collection and found one for sale. I know very little about them so would appreciate some advice on what to look out for? From the serial number it looks like a very late produced Savage example and one of the questions I had was should there not be a date on the band just behind the trigger? I looked at threads of the forum online and pictures show them dated 42 or 43 but this one only has the stamped number and what looks like a B?

I will add all the pictures I have and as always thanks in advance for looking and all opinions welcome.

Barry

[barry1954]

[barry1954]

[barry1954]

[barry1954]

[barry1954]

Last pictures thanks for looking.

Barry

[peter monahan]

A possible answer here, Barrie: 'Savage' marked parts were assembled at Longbranch into the 1950s, apparently. - I wonder if the "/51 ..." on the receiver might be a date?

OR - apparently, some late war production were undated:

Only the North American factories of Longbranch and Savage produced the No4 Mk1* rifle - when Savage closed its doors all spare parts were sent to Longbranch and it is due to this that some Longbranch No4's can be found with Savage marked parts. Savage rifles are generally marked U.S Property on the left receiver face, serial number is located on the left butt socket wrist with a letter prefix of C included - for example 96CXXXX would be typical; the C stands for Chicopee. Late war Savage No4 Mk1* rifles are nearly always without a year of manufacture, based on serial number surveys these are estimated as 1944 production.

The first rifle contract was for 300,000 No4 rifles at a cost of $75 each and of the 96 parts required to complete the No4 rifle about 86 came from 30 parts sub contractors. Savage only produced the receiver, barrel, bolt, trigger guard, bolt head and stock and the entire package was assembled at Savage by them. Overall averaged output of Savage No4 rifles is placed at 1,196,706 and with 40,000 on lend lease to China.
https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=360192

[Richie B]

This may be of interest re FTR marking

http://www.allaboutenfields.co.nz/no...3-mk2-and-ftr/

[barry1954]

Thanks for taking the time to comment Richie and Peter and also for the links/info. Some additional information I received from a gentleman that was kind enough to help out with some questions I had-

Mid 40s Savage made No4 Mk1* later converted to No4 Mk2 specs at Fazakerley & redesiginated as a No4 Mk1/3

I bought it so looking forward to shooting it sometime.

Barry

[byterock]

I bought it so looking forward to shooting it sometime.

Barry

Watch out! They kick like a mule, so you have to have handle it correctly or your going to get a black eye or worse

The Canadain Army just retired it a few years ago so 100+ years as an in-service rifle which I think beast out the Brown Bess

[peter monahan]

To be fair, the CF issued the Lee Enfield, since the '60s or so, only to our 'Canadian Rangers', our first line of defence against the Red hordes sweeping over the Pole. While the US has the DEW Line, we have a few hundred 'Rangers' who each get issued a cap, a sweatshirt, a rifle and 200 rounds of ammo a year. Most are First Nations - many Inuit - and they serve as guides, scouts and on SAR missions.

BTW, the decision to phase out the Lees was because finding spare parts was becoming so difficult ,but the Forces have promised to make at least some of them available for purchase by [collectors] and they will be highly coveted! And, yes, they kick like a bu&&er when fired!