Mystery of the Missing Wartime Long Branch Snipers

[Roy W]

The front page shows that 71L0374 is/was in the UK.

If the owner is on here please contact me, I may have some good news for you.

For the record I have 71L0373.

[desperatedan]

80L8074 - transit chest for this rifle recently sold in NZ.

Chest marked "Special Butt". Photos from advert attached, inc contents list, scope C no32 TP

I wonder where the rifle is now?

[Seaforth72]

[QUOTE=desperatedan;523759]80L8074 - transit chest for this rifle recently sold in NZ.

Chest marked "Special Butt". Photos from advert attached, inc contents list, scope C no32 TP
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This No. 15 Mk. I Canadian made transit chest is now safely back in Canada. Although I have both an 80L8xxx and 74L0xxx among my No. 4 (T) rifles, my matching 74L0xxx "TRADE PATTERN" rifle is the one now assigned to this chest because of the special label inside the lid for the Lyman scope. Oddly this rifle and scope came out of Australia and the chest came out of New Zealand.

Of the 80L8xxx there were fewer thatn 104 made. Of the 74L0xxx "Trade Pattern" there were 350 (not 99) made.

[Roger Payne]

Could the chest have had two previous occupants? The label refers to the Lyman TP scope yet the serial number on the card on the end of the chest is for a CNo67 rifle (something that has eluded my best efforts for the last forty-five years, although I have the scope & rings!).

[Warren]

Being that the 32TP did NOT have a soldered on base, unless it was done overseas, they would be difficult to recognize by the normal punter.
Canada did not solder on the pads nor the TP brackets until they got into a bit of a pi**ing match with the UK over loose and sheared screws on Canadian No.4T snipers.
I have a chum who had one or two of the rifles, he purchased in Canada, and the only reason he recognized them was because he had the scope and mount that was one digit away from one of the rifles.
I will see if he remembers what he did with them and knowing his anal retentive record keeping he probably has the numbers.
Hang on, and no promises.

[ChuckyPete]

I’ve pinged a few folks within this thread about this, but an acquaintance of mine picked up a BSA No4 (T) wearing a Long Branch bracket and a REL scope recently; bracket 71L0597, scope REL 1945 Mk2 671-C. I am still kicking myself for passing on this rifle as “unmatched” as I didn’t have the info at the time to realize the value of the mismatch. If anyone knows who the rifle belongs to please ping me as we’re trying to get this pair complete again. As an aside, the BSA (T) is a 1944 M47C H32965 if anyone has that bracket and the scope…

[Surpmil]

There's something familiar about that 8074 number. I have the feeling I've seen it somewhere before.

[Major Bob]

Check Collector’s Source on their new arrivals page . A new offer of a LB TP sniper rifle .