[spinecracker]

I did email the seller of the stock set, but he does not have any Long Branch parts.

Well, I am just waiting a check in the mail forn the new owner. I hope he has good luck finding the right forend. If people do find the right forend, please let me know, and I can pass the details on (no, I won't pull the old "I'll buy the forend and pass it on for a 100% mark-up" trick...we Enfield collectors need to stick together lol)

[spinecracker]

Anyone know where I might be able to lay my hands on a Long Branch-stamped early button-type cocking piece? I may have a use for it.

[frenchy]

Quote:       Originally Posted by spinecracker

Anyone know where I might be able to lay my hands on a Long Branch-stamped early button-type cocking piece? I may have a use for it.

No but I'll sure watch for one as i ramble about my ever growing Favorites
frenchy

[spinecracker]

Thanks, Frenchy. We Enfield collectors need to look out for each other lol. Perhaps we could post when we are going to a gun show, so people can can post their shopping lists - I'm already looking out for parts for 1 or 2 people, and they are doing the same for me. Now, selling the .303 I have for sale at gunboards.com would really help my restoration projects lol (ok, that was an unabashed plug :P )

[frenchy]

Plug away my spinecracking friend

[spinecracker]

Will do :P . I am trying to get funds together to work on another 1941 Long Branch that may be coming my way (it never rains but it pours - not that I am complaining lol), and my Enforcer needs a tiny bit of cosmetic work to get it back to original configuration - why did I have to pick expensive rifles as a hobby? Why couldn't I have chosen mosins??? lol.

[SNO4MKI]

Quote:       Originally Posted by spinecracker

Anyone know where I might be able to lay my hands on a Long Branch-stamped early button-type cocking piece? I may have a use for it.

I haven't seen one, but I will keep my eyes opened.

[spinecracker]

Well, another 1941 Long Branch landed in my lap, but I won't have it in my greedy little hands for about a week -

New Long Branch 1941 pictures by spinecracker - Photobucket

[madcratebuilder]

You wanted that one pretty bad. I stopped bidding rather soon. I love the serial number but the rest is..........pretty rough. She's seen service as a grenade launcher at one time. Those two holes drilled in the lower band are for a grenade sight. If it had been any seller but TGI I may have kept bidding. Those guys scare me.

[spinecracker]

To be honest, I didn't think it would go that high lol.

[spinecracker]

Well, I am waiting for the seller to let me know his business hours so I can pay by credit card. I am consoling myself to the fact that it is a rare rifle and does not have the AWFUL CAI import stamp on the receiver (couldn't they have made it any bigger and any more obnoxious?). When it turns up, I will strip it down, clean it up and post photos for you to rip to pieces

[madcratebuilder]

Quote:       Originally Posted by spinecracker

Well, I am waiting for the seller to let me know his business hours so I can pay by credit card. I am consoling myself to the fact that it is a rare rifle and does not have the AWFUL CAI import stamp on the receiver (couldn't they have made it any bigger and any more obnoxious?). When it turns up, I will strip it down, clean it up and post photos for you to rip to pieces

I hope you have a diamond in the rough.

The new CAI marking should have someone shot for that decision.

[spinecracker]

Yes, I agree. the person who thought up the CAI import mark should be shot in a useless appendage - which in this case would be the person's brain (well, he obviously wasn't using it when he came up with the mark...)

[spinecracker]

The rifle turned up, and I was pleasantly surprised. I will be putting photos on photobucket tomorrow. The receiver and barrel look in pretty good condition. There is a star mark on top of the receiver near the knox form (armourer's mark saying that rust was found in the barrel) but I have cleaned and checked the bore and chamber and can see nothing major - pretty shiny with good rifling. Most of the small parts are Fazakerley replacements, including the rear sight (can't win them all), but this would be a good candidate, in my humble opinion, to put back to the original condition, if only I can find the right forend (rocking horse poo...)!

[spinecracker]

Added some more photos at photobucket, and comments would be appreciated, especially about the star mark next to the "rust" stamp on the receiver - I have seen it before somewhere, but I can't remember where...

New Long Branch 1941 pictures by spinecracker - Photobucket

[frenchy]

Well she looks great to me spine, i don't have the knowledge to help with the marks but if nobody answers i'll look thru my book thats in the shop tomorrow afternoon.
frenchy

[spinecracker]

Thanks, Frenchy - you are a gentleman and a scholar

I did find one reference that might indicate that it is a government of Indonesia acceptance mark, but searches on multiple Enfield forums makes me think no-one has a clue lol

[frenchy]

Well in THE LEE-ENFIELD RIFLE by Major E.G.B. Reynolds
Yes the * is as you said, Defect stamp. Used on barrels to denote rust pitting.
The only "STAR" shown in the book has 6 points and a "J" underneath with the bottom point of the "STAR" just touching the top of the"J" this stamp means: Indicating arms repaired at Birmingham. In the past similar marks were allotted to private firms.
That's all i could find my friend.
frenchy

[spinecracker]

Thanks Frenchy. The star on the rifle is definitely a 5-pointed star, so it isn't Isreali or a UK arms repair stamp. Back to the books, lol.

While I'm at it - Range report - weather sunny, slight 5-10mph side wind left to right on occasions, temperature 90 degrees F in the shade, shooting from seated position, rifle resting on a sandbag. The micrometer sight was used, set at 200 yards, and the ammunition used was 1969 Kynoch .303 Mk.7Z. I managed to get a 6-round 1 1/2" grouping 3 inches high and 3 inches to the right, so all I have to do is adjust for windage (3 inches high at 100 yards with the sight set at 200 yards with military ammunition is correct, according to my resources). Next time I will be trying the rifle out at 200 yards, after correcting for windage.

Madcratebuilder - I think that the rifle, based on the condition under all the crud and its performance at the range today, is worth every penny. If I can get the correct forend, then I might just restore her to 1941 condition, but she is good enough just to leave alone.

[spinecracker]

I managed to strip the gun down quite far, degreased and cleaned (what I, and some other people took for suncorite was just really thick, dried-on grease - it is coming off, slowly but surely - the original finish has not been monkeyed with, and has the usual wear on the high points/points of contact), and now I can see some of the details better. My camera is not working at the moment, so bear with me -

Receiver - serial number 0L75XX correctly stamped on the buttsocket, with something that looks like "K1" with M" underneath stamped in small letters directly under the safety catch, and "50" stamped just to the right in numbers about the same size as the serial number. Left side of receiver wall stamped with "No 4 Mk 1", "LONG BRANCH" and "1941" . Magazine catch is stamped "LB", but I cannot find any markings on the sear (still has some gunk on it though - a job for another day). The breech bolt head catch plate (what a mouthful) is stamped "LB", so I think the entire assembly (sear, magazine catch, sear spring, breech bolt head catch) is probably original. The safety catch looks to be stamped with a "B" and a board arrow. The rear sight is a Fazakerley Mk.1 micrometer sight. There is a "rust" star stamp on top of the receiver, just in front of a 5-pointed (no, not 6-pointed) star stamp (the stamp is incomplete, so I cannot work out the lettering inside the stamp).

Barrel - stamped with serial number matching the receiver, dated '42 with the correct inspection stamps, etc. Importers mark at end of muzzle (fortunately not too noticeable). I cannot find any damage that would relate to the "rust" stamp mentioned above - must look harder lol.

Bolt - handle correctly serialed to the receiver and barrel (not a force-match), has "LB" stamp and "crossed flags" stamp in correct places. Cocking piece is replacement, stamped "N67 Mk.II". Bolt head is stamped with the Savage "S" and there are no other markings (I know that Savage helped Long Branch out several times with parts, and vice versa, including 1941, so the bolt head may be original, but we will never know).

Wood - butt stamped with Savage "S", has arsenal heel repair. Cannot find any marking on forend, but it is an obvious replacement. The forend cap is stamped with "F" over "55" and maybe "O" over "21". The forend wood has some "tiger stripping" and has a red tint, so stained beech? Front handguard cap stamped with "S.M.", so obviously a replacement.

Magazine - stamped with broad arrow and "KO" on back of rib on back of magazine. There are some other marks, but they are mostly obliterated. The magazine has been serialed for 3 rifles, my rifle being the last. Magazine follower stamped with "F49"

Front sight protector, bands - unstamped - nada.

Trigger, trigger guard - trigger with Savage "S" stamp and some other stamps that look like inspection stamps, trigger guard has a big partial "B" (?) stamped next to, and under, the loop, and a "3" on the other side.

That is enough for one night. Opinions - who thinks that this can/should be put back to 1941 configuration?