No 4 MK I*
Long Branch
1943
Matching numbers on the receiver collar and bolt handle, with sling and bayonet. All other parts appear to be Long Branch. Has the England and pressure stamps. Not sure what the knox form stamps mean, nor if the furniture cartouches denote refurbishment? Original? Two groove bore with extremely sharp rifling, and my bore pic skills stink - it's not dark as the picture suggests, bright and shiny with a bore light with no pitting, excellent crown.
A little bit of reading from some excellent threads tells me that the peep sight on a '43 is correct. And the "FR" cartouche on what appears to be age/wear matched wood means that it was issued to the French Resistance (as good a theory as the rest. Ha!). If there were field repairs needed or done, I can't see them. Maybe it was factory refurbished?? Don't know, but any commentary is welcome.
Lots of pics, and thanks for looking.
The matching bolt is nice. I have read that every bolt was fit to each particular rifle. There are some interesting armorers notes detailing how the bolts were fit to its own specific rifle. Apparently the Lee-enfield bolts are interchangeable but that doesn't mean they have been fit properly...from what I have read. To have a matching bolt should mean that it has been fit to that particular rifle.
