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british 303

jaws55
I RECENTLY PICKED UP A ENFIELD 303 IN TRADE .THE GUN STOCK HAS BEEN CUT DOWN AT THE BARREL END .I GUESS THEY WERE TRYING TOO SPORTERIZE IT ,MY QUESTION IS THIS HOW CAN I TELL WHAT MODEL THIS IS ?WHERE CAN I GET A SCOPE MOUNT FOR IT ? THANKS DONKEEP ON BANGIN
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  • jaws55
    hi guys
    i have a 1943 no.4 mk1 303 and i am trying to figure out where it was made.according to the Standard Catalog of Millitary Firearms 4th edition. this riffle was not built by enfield, but instead built by longbranch or savage stevens. but i am having trouble figuring out witch one made it. on the left side of the receiver on the grip it reads m1943. under that it is marked AS and then under that the serial number. if anyone know for sure i would live to solve the puzzle.
    its not a no.4 mk1* or(T)
    thanks
    joe
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  • sandwarrior
    jaws55,

    Mine is made by Savage and it has a big (1/4") "S" in a circle. It has the later double peep sight instead of the earlier volley sights that these rifles came equipped with when built in England. My understanding was that the early No. 4 Mk.I's were built in England. That series was finished out by Longbranch and Savage. I'm told the giveaway is the volley sights. Only Enfield put those on them. A guy I shoot with has one with the volley sights.
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  • Mossbergboogie
    These rifles were also made in australia. USA made lee enfields say that they are US property. If memory serves the Longbranch say longbranch on the reciever. What is on the metal band around the stock?
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  • jaws55
    there is nothing on the band closest to the receiver. but on the one by the muzzle there is a lone S stamped on the right hand side. there is nothing that says longbranch or us property on the gun. and i don't see an s with a circle around it.
    sandwarrior what do you mean by volley sight. mine has a rear peep sight that you can flip up and use a smaller peep sight that will slide up and down for range. is that a volley sight?
    thanks
    joe
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  • sandwarrior
    jaws55,

    Edit:

    Welcome to the forum BTW!

    You have the peep sights like mine then. Volley sights are like those of the M1903 if you know what I mean. They are two bars and a cross-member. A slide that goes up and down the bars. Laying flat they give minimal elevation adjustments. But, when raised vertically (90 deg.), you look through an aperture in the bottom of the slide and that adjusts for long range elevation. This opposed to the German type slide that adjusts for elevation all the same way, by running the slide up and down and having the same sight raised or lowered. The slide in that case rides on a cam.

    This may sound unimportant, but IMO, from a good shooting position it is easier to lay in accurate fire with volley sights than the raised V-type sight of the German Mauser. FWIW, it wouldn't have been hard to make the conversion either as both sights work off a front pivot.
    WWI had probably the most reknowned instances of long range mass rifle fire having an effect on the battle. Belleau Wood being the most prominent.
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  • jaws55
    thanks sandwarrior for the info. i do know what your talking about now. i just haven't heard those sights called that. i guess you learn something new every day. so do you think this could be a savage? just without the us property marks. i have looked at a lot of different web sites and haven't see any markings or stampings like what is on my gun. compared to what i have seen this riffle is fairly plain Jane.
    thanks for all the help guys
    keep it coming
    joe
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  • richbug
    quote:Originally posted by Mossbergboogie
    These rifles were also made in australia. USA made lee enfields say that they are US property. If memory serves the Longbranch say longbranch on the reciever. What is on the metal band around the stock?


    Lithgow Australia didn't make #4MK1's, they made #1MK3's right to the end.

    A Savage rifle will have a "C" in the serial number, in the third position. This denotes Chicopee, Mass manufacture. 12C3456 for example.
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  • jaws55
    the serial number has no letters in it.
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  • sandwarrior
    quote:Originally posted by richbug
    quote:Originally posted by Mossbergboogie
    These rifles were also made in australia. USA made lee enfields say that they are US property. If memory serves the Longbranch say longbranch on the reciever. What is on the metal band around the stock?


    Lithgow Australia didn't make #4MK1's, they made #1MK3's right to the end.

    A Savage rifle will have a "C" in the serial number, in the third position. This denotes Chicopee, Mass manufacture. 12C3456 for example.



    Richbug,

    After you said that, I had to go down and check mine. Mine has the 'C' in it just like your description.
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  • heywood
    the longbrance 303s were made in longbrance ontario just outside toronto
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  • jaws55
    does anyone know what the "AS" stands for above the serial number on the no.4 mk1? i have seen other stamps on these such as "BC" but not the "AS"
    thanks
    joe
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