For the latest GOTM we have a 1942 Fazakerley No4 MkI. I nearly wasn’t going to use this as a subject gun, considering it too plain and boring. However it has the odd twist and a recent conversation with a big time dealer/collector brought to my attention something I wasn’t aware of regarding this rifle.
Here is the traditional right and left profiles. Not the most imposing specimen is it ? However when offered it the price (free) was right. Yeah another rifle I’m confident I can make a modest profit on or at the very least, break even.
How the rifle came my way is moderately amusing. I had been chatting with one of the Consultants a few months earlier and as he owned a farm the subject of firearms came up. It appears that at the same time he was completing his education (at a very elite private establishment) they were disbanding their rifle team. The rifles were offered to the students and he bought one. Other than being a Lee Enfield he couldn’t tell me much about it. So I suggested he check the registration papers, it was registered wasn’t it ? He assured me it was and he would check the paperwork. Next time I run into him there happened to be a firearms amnesty in progress. He called me aside and quietly indicated that, just maybe, the rifle wasn’t as quite as registered as he thought it was. Would I, very discreetly, like to take it off his hands ? Well you know me, anything to help out. So it came into the fold, duly registered under the amnesty.
Manufactured at Fazakerley Royal Ordnance Factory it was completed in April 1942. Both bolt and forearm are numbered to the rifle. As can be seen the serial number on the butt socket bears an A suffix. This indicates there are non-standard/non-interchangeable parts on the rifle.
In this case the most obvious non-standard part is the wartime expedient variation of the cocking piece. There are no grooves on the rear and the half bent is only machined halfway through.
The front sight protector is the early fully machined type not the later pressed steel variety.
Both bands are marked CEW (CE Welstead) not the later factory code of S126.
The King screw has been replaced with a target swivel, probably at the school. Also when I first acquired the rifle I naturally stripped and cleaned it. Upon reassembling I found some odd pieces of cork. Not knowing any better at the time I simply thought they were junk and threw them away. Hindsight says they were probably for bedding the rifle and done by someone who knew what they were doing.
The original sight wasn’t present just a Savage marked two position flip sight. I replaced this with a proper MkI sight but then a mate wanted a MkI for his rifle and offered a straight swap for a Rawson Target sight. Call me a soft touch but once again I decided to help out a mate. I did point out the marked difference in value but he wasn’t interested.
The machining is on the rough side on the receiver. It also looks like the left sidewall was only partly machined. Pressure to produce rifles ?
The butt plate has also been replaced. Again by me in my ignorance. Although I do still have the original.
The sling, as the more astute have probably noticed, is also not original. A copy of the Long Lee sling I had a local leatherworker make up. I wasn’t happy with it so it went to the nearest available rifle. On day I’ll replace it with something more original.
Regarding the conversation with the dealer/collector. He informed me that rifles from this period didn’t have the serial number stamped on the forearm just the date. Now mine has both. This left us a bit puzzled. He states that the serial would only be stamped if it went back into the system for repair/refurbishment. However if this happened one would expect the cocking piece to be replaced. Of course the cocking piece may be a later replacement.
So that's it for this month. April GOTM may not happen due to the amount of Uni work I have. However I have organised some holidays in May and the wife has agreed (somewhat reluctantly I will admit) that during our travels we will be visiting both the Lithgow Small Arms Museum and the Australian War Memorial. Hopefully there will be some photos of interesting bits and pieces to show in May.
