Bought a Lee Enfield no.4 MK1

O

Old 454

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Just puchased a Lee Enfield No.4 MK1 with a date of 1943 on the wrist and serial AT 11422 I belive this is a Maltby.

Also all the same serial number is found on the wrist below the in back of the bolt, and on the bolt and on the forarm under the front sight,it has a brass butt plate, and the barrel is in really nice shape, after running some cleaner and patches dow the barrel, there are 2 grooves and are in really good shape and bore is brite and shinny.

The stock is in good shape as well, not totally beat to heck.

But there are no import marks of any kind. there is the broad arrow from the armore, and there are letters on the right side by the bolt.

Is it unusuall to find a LE with out any import markings and all matching serial numbers?

Will try to add a few pics when I find me camera.
 
Look at the barrell just behind the front sight, some importers marked "England" there. If you see "England" stamped anywhere on the metal, that is the import mark.

Sounds like you got a good one, marks or not. Enjoy shooting it.
 
Is it unusuall to find a LE with out any import markings and all matching serial numbers?
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Not at all. LE's started coming into the USA in the 50's as surplus. Cost 10-12 bucks and every store in town had some.

No import mark means it came in before the 1968 NFA. The "ENGLAND" stamp found on many pre 1968 LE's is the "country of origin". Many importers/exporters stamped this before 1968.

11422 is a ROF-Maltby assigned serial number and "AT" was used in 1943.
 
also forgot to mention that the serial number is also stamped on the magazine.

I will look for the ENGLAND mark on the barrel be hind the frt site.

Thank you all for the help.
 
Look underneath, at very end of the barrel, in very small letters, you may find the importer stamp ( James K. clued me in on that ). FWIW, the country of origin act has been in effect, in one form or the other since the 1890's. If it was legally imported it will have the country of origin.
 
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No there is no marking on or around the barrel. only C.E.W.


But on tiny letters on the left hand side of the reciever on the left corner front it say .303 British, I think this is the import stamp
 
The import mark well include the company name. Normally marking on the receiver side is a indication of a importers mark. Most No4's when sold out of service in GB had to go through proof testing. These marks are normally stamped on the barrel near the Knoxx form.

Some importers used very discrete markings and others could care less.
 
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