Rare Long Branch

[p246]

I posted this on Gunbroker and got peppered with questions, maybe I'm missing something. I know there were not very many LB 1941's made. I think the nose hardware was updated. Anyway the auction number is 568525107 but I'll post pics here. Let me know if I'm wrong somewhere

[p246]

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[p246]

Yeah the picture sucks even baby powder didn't help. Double struck 5 then 132 in larger font. In smaller font and slightly higher is the number 201. Its stamped over the 5132. I've got about 10 of these mostly 43 through 45's and I've not seen this smaller font. Any ideas (rack number?)

[Sunray]

Regardless of any numbers, check the headspace before shooting. The 'IAC Alex VA' indicates a Century Arms assembled out of parts bins with zero QC rifle.
"...stamped over..." Put on when the rifle was rebuilt by some other country some time before Century got hold of it. Brits or Greeks, et al. Century's monkies just took a bolt out of the bin, slapped a bolt head on and shoved it in without bother to check to see if the headspace was ok.
Rumoured to be a total of 7,589 made in 1941. The receiver is from 1941, but the rest of it likely is not.

[p246]

Thanks. I sent pics to a L.B. collector I know and he finally got back to me with much the same info. I have a headspace gauge and it checked. It passed so that part is okay. He said front sight was correct as only the first 4000 had the waisted front sight protector. However the front band has been replaced since the original was hinged. He said the same thing about the bolt. It was force matched during a re-arsenal. He said the 41 bolt knob is hollow so this is a later version. He thought it would still bring between 4 and 5 with the import mark and sanded stock. He quoted the same number you did on production. He added a lot of those 7589 did not survive the war which is not surprising given what occurred for the first four years of their life.

As always thanks for your input.

Shane

[Johan412th]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it wasn't a no4 mk1*, if I read that correctly, but a full on no4 mk1. Which would be rare coming from the long branch arsenal?

[p246]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it wasn't a no4 mk1*, if I read that correctly, but a full on no4 mk1. Which would be rare coming from the long branch arsenal?

Yes its a No 4 Mk 1 if I said it was a 1* somewhere then my mind was on autopilot again...

[Johan412th]

I would almost say it was pre-war if not for the 1941 stamp... So this was still before they were collaborating with the US on the standardization of parts from the lend-lease act. That's incredible, even if the parts don't match. It would have to be enfield or lithgow parts, right?