Survey of Long Branch #4 serial number ranges

[ansleyj]

Limpetmine has requested that we do for the Long Branch what we have been doing for the Savage.
If you decide to contribute please list the following: serial number(x out last 2-3 digits); year made. You may also, if you so wish, list special attributes you find interesting.
I would prefer you did not contribute pictures so as to save vic's and TUCO's memory space. If there is a request for a picture, then go ahead, but not too many.

[DiegoMenendez]

1950 C No. 4 Mk.I* 92L37XX / CMK3 sight / steel black painted butt plate / dark walnut /
matching mag and bolt / no grooved HG / dark blueing / brown patina on magazine

Regards, Diego

Edit: Your method worked better Limpetine

[danhar1960]

No4 MkI* 1943 22L92XX
This rifle had a butt disk on it which looks to be original.
Danny

[Gerry]

Hi
No4 Mk1*1942 3L67XX has Mk1 back sight LB and C^ all matching
Cheers

[limpetmine]

June 20, 2009 update.
Here is the long awaited update. 226 serial numbers so far, and 4 date/serial number changes in this update. As you can see, having all the digits in the serial number make are a great help to narrowing the change over serial number on year changes. The '44 '45 change of date is showing some really strange stuff; numbers are all over the map, with lots of out of sequence numbers. Also interesting is a 1945 rifle with a 1950 serial number, and the "5" of the 1945 looks hand stamped. Really a neat rifle! It appears to be a 1950 all the way around, but is dated 1945.
Please keep your numbers coming, I hope this public information will continue to be a useful resource./////limpetmine, June 20, 2009


1941 Mk 1 0L244
1941 Mk 1 1L2xxx (asking owner of this one to contact me)


1942 Mk1* 2L1037
1942 Mk1* 26L9463

1943 Mk1* 22L28XX
1943 Mk1*57L4906

All noted below are Mk1*'s
1944 50L66xx (this looks to be an abberation)
1944 57L6082
1944 83L842x (asking owner to contact me) CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!


1945 83L38XX
1945 90L80XX sniper (T)
1945 91L9864 CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE !!!!!!!!!!



1949 91L085X
1949 91L51XX (asking owner to contact me) CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE !!!!!!!!!!

1950 91L0510 CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1950 96L0012


************************************************** ******************************************
Origional post follows below:










and add more as time allows

1941 No. 4 Mk I / 1L882 300/600 flip sight / pot metal butt plate / mis matched LB mag / Force matched restamp bolt / [S] nose band / Grooved upper HG / dark walnut stock / worn blue black parkerizing / Import stamped

1942 No.4 Mk I* / 4L7546 / Mk3 backsight / Arabic stamping on bolt / Grooved handguard / very worn and dirty /
bore blocked / Gunshop review

1942 No. 4 Mk1* 6L957X 300/600 flip sight/pot metal butt plate/mismatch mag and bolt/ [S] upper forestock/grooved upper handguard/2 groove/replacement stock

1949 C No. 4 Mk I* 91 L085x / CMK3 backsight / Steel butt plate / matching bolt and mag / all LB parts / Dark walnut / "V" punched nose cap / dark bluing / CA stamped dog leg safety / No stock serial # / brown patina on mag / Import marked and BNP proof .303

1950 C No. 4 MkI* 92L121X / CMK3 sight / steel black painted butt plate / dark walnut /matching mag and bolt / no grooved HG / dark bluing / brown patina on magazine

1950 CNo4MkI* 92L667x / CMk3 backsight / steel blk butt plate / very dark walnut CA stamps fore and aft / Not grooved HG / Dark bluing / Blue magazine / "V" notch in upper nose cap / Dog leg safety / stamped sheetmetal retainer on safety / 5 groove bbl / Matching bolt and mag, forestock not serialed / import stamped

[lite-box]

1942 MkI* 2L49xx , South African Prop-Marked.

1943 MkI* 45L09xx , W in star mark on recvr ring.

[limpetmine]

What type of back sight does your 2Lxxx have?
Thanks,
Limpetmine

[lite-box]

It has a F marked replacement Mk1, other than the rear sight and un-numbered mag it is in verygood near orig condition.

[Timberlord]

-1943
-serial # 41L8XXX , matching except for Mag ( LB but diff. number )
-Mklll (Mark 4) rearsight , C arrow stamped
-Walnut stocks , LB and C arrow stamped only ( no serial# )
-Steel buttplate
-No import/export stamps

[Windstar]

My Longbranch is a 1942, ser. no. 11 L 17xx. Bolt matches, metal parts stamped LB. Light colored stock also numbered and matching, grooved handguard. Composite material buttplate, 300/600 rear sight.

[FlipFlop]

1950 Long Branch S/N 93L4XXX. Dark walnut stock, blue finish on metal, CMK3 rear sight and matching numbers except the mag.

[Peter in CA]

1949 Long Branch, looks a lot like the one FlipFlop has, but serial number 91L1096.

Peter in CA

[tertle]

my two LB girls

No4 Mk1* Long Branch 1942
17L79XX
Matching numbers on wood, reciever and bolt - has N/l\Z on butt with what i believe to be an authentic pressed steel MkIII rear sight with correct LB saftey and as sexy as hell

No4 Mk1* Long Branch 1942
15L10XX
DP
Matching numbers on wood, reciever Not bolt however only a few numbers off, has matching DP numbers on reciever, bolt and wood,has N/l\Z on butt, old styled LB bolt (flat button head as opposed to groved rectangled) 300-600 flip battle sights, barrel in VERY good condition and another sexy as hell 303

Cheers

Tertle

[pugs1970]

1950 No.4Mk1* Sn# 91L91xx
C Mk3 rearsight
Sling is marked Z.L & T 1942 and all are in Exellant cond.

1943 No4Mk1* S.n# 39L32xx
No7 rear sight
mag is Lb stamped as well
2groove brl
with matching oilbottle and pull through still in the butt
Rifle is in Exellant cond also

Both are all matching no.

pugs...

[Sporky]

1941 No. 4 Mk I, 0L57**, matching bolt/barrel/foreend/magazine, original '41 dated two groove barrel, LB-marked Mk I rear sight, hinged front barrel band, early style LB-marked safety, in short everything is LB-marked. Later type cocking piece and milled front sight protector. The buttplate is steel, if I remember correctly. FTR '50 marked.

[Sprog]

Just brought home the latest addition. It's a '43 LongBranch #4 Mk1* no FTR, serial # 41L15xx with matching bolt. The mag has #11L7132 & NZ 6096 stamped on the bottom & a B in an O on the platform. The safety is the classic LongBranch kicking one & the butt plate is the pot metal variety. The front sightprotector & sight are Mk 1 (altered) & the rear sight is marked MkIII with no LB marks. Overall the rifle is in excellent shape for an unFTR'd #4 with better than average blueing left on the metal. I haven't mentioned wood for a very good reason; I bought the wood on ebay & then sold it to a friend who used it on 41L15xx & then a year later convinced me I really needed a LB. So although I know the butt is LB I haven't stripped the rifle down to check on the rest of the wood.
Now to see how she shoots.

[Tailgunner]

I have a 1942, ser. no. 56 L 04xx , bolt matches, metal parts stamped LB, some minor parts are stamped S, for Savage I presume. Light colored stock, brass butt plate. Some Longbranch rifles have Savage parts, because when Savage quit making them, they sent the parts to Canada.

[limpetmine]

Some Longbranch rifles have Savage parts, because when Savage quit making them, they sent the parts to Canada.

Savage also sent parts that way when SAL was getting the LB plant running in 1941. Parts went both ways, but mainly south to north.

[David Murvihill]

1942 No 4 Mk 1*, Ser # 12L19xx, same on bolt, Mk III backsight, smooth handguard.

[pymi]

1945 LB No.4 Mk1* serial#84L02xx

[David1974]

1944 No4 mk1* = 71L23XX
1950 No4 mk1* = 96L00XX

[limpetmine]

1943 MK1* 49L7422 Mk3 backsight, PH front blade, pot metal butt

1943 MK1* 31L26XX All chromed parade? rifle

1944 Mk1* 79L3854 Mark1 milled backsight

1950 C No. 4 Mk1* CMK3 backsight no serial # shown

1945 Mk1* 86L95XX Mark 2 2 backsight (300/600)

1942 Mk1* Mark 2 300/600 flip sight steel butt, FTR'd

1942 Mk1* Milled Mark 1 sight dogleg safety

1944 Mk1* 57L6082 Mark 2 sight (300/600) mismatch bolt, brass butt

1942 Mk1* 14L4653 Mk 4 stamped backsight steel butt

19?? (F) FTR LB27882 Brass butt plate

[redimacchia]

With 2-groove rifling

N°4 Mk I* Long Branch 1944 78L6465 MkIII sight
C N°4 Mk I* Long Branch 1955 0C28471 ( Yes a tipical Savage serial number on a LB) C MkIII sight

Standard 5-groove rifling

C N°4 Mk I* Long Branch 1950 91L8603 C MkIII sight


regards

[A square 10]

ill add mine -

1942 no4 mkI* #2L4150 , walnut stock fluted handguard ,

1945 C no7 mkI #21L04928 , walnut stock and fluted handguard ,

[limpetmine]

1941 0L57XX earliest Mk 1
1941 1L882 latest Mk 1

1942 2L4150 earliest MK1*
1942 17L79xx most reasonable latest MkI* for '42
1942 56L04xx latest for that year (appears to be an aberration)

1943 22L92xx earliest
1943 49L7422 latest

1944 57L6083 earliest
1944 79L3854 latest

1945 84L02xx earliest
1945 86L95xx latest

1949 91L085X
1949 91L1096

1950 91L8603
1950 96L00XX

1955 0C28471 (YES, A SAVAGE SERIAL #, RIFLE IS IN ITALY)

Keep the numbers coming, and spread the word to your friends to post their data. The sight information is making some sense. This is only a sample size of 37, so far, inclusive of post #24.

[cattle4]

1950 Greek issue all matching-94L66XX

[Jakeman]

1942, s/n 11L71XX

[Coogan]

1943 24L8077, NZ 37738 - Mk2 300/600 (but currently sports a LB Mk3)

[cemorse]

1942 5L73XX matching bolt, stock. Mk1 backsight, 2 groove barrel, all Long Branch parts.
Charlie

[Sgt Neutron]

No.4 Mk 1*:
1944//79L95xx

[kennedy]

1944 no4 mk1* 74L7452 brass butt, all matching,

[David1974]

Follow up my my 1950 Long Branch. Since I've seen no number higher.. the complete serial is:

96L0012

[Hartman]

1943 LongBranch No.4 MK1*
Serial No. 49L23**
Grooved handguards
2 Grooved barrel

1945 LongBranch No. 4 MK1*
Serial No. 87L86**
All matching numbers
5 grooved barrel

[POLSKA]

C No4MkI*
1950
93L14xx
all matching,beautiful bluing,walnut stock

CNo4MkI*
1950
93L91xx
all matching,walnut stock,blue but has like a blotchy dull finish(all most like very thin parkerizing)over it but I can see the blueing under it.

[Tikirocker]

1942 No4 MK1*
S/N = 4L44XX -
All matching with S/N on fore end, 2 groove barrel - Flip battle sight with early round style cocking piece - bluing near mint, furniture 90% with grooved rear hand guard.

[cantom]

41 No 4 Mk I 0L19XX Brought back to original configuration from Whitworth sporter
41 No 4 Mk 1 0L75XX Brit FTR
42 No 4 Mk I* 15L38XX RCAF butt and sling
44 No 4 Mk I* 75L20XX Canadian FTR, PH5C2 target sight
45 No 4 Mk I* 83L45XX Gorgeous all original
45 No 4 Mk I*T 90L80XX Complete T sniper set
49 No 4 Mk I* 91L21XX Unissued, was in Greece
50 No 4 Mk I* 95L36XX Late 50 rifle, parkerized

All rifles have matching numbers on bolt and receiver.

ps I love Long Branches!

[Timberlord]

Welcome to the forum Cantom !
How 'bout some picts on that LB No4T ???

[cantom]

Welcome to the forum Cantom !
How 'bout some picts on that LB No4T ???

41 Long Branch No 4 Mk I






1945 LB No 4 Mk I T

[limpetmine]

C No. 4 Mk 1* 1950 95L7862 mismatched mag, dark walnut, C Mk 4 sight

Ask your friends to post-more data mo better! :D :D :D :D

[hagar]

I think mine is a 1945, serial $ 83L381X.
Seems to fit in the 1945 serial # range. Really nice rifle, with gorgeous wood, except it has been sealed, and original metal finish.

[blasterboy82]

1942 serial 2L1037

Found as with a sporter stock, but redid with all LB parts...

(Bottom Rifle)
Howard

[limpetmine]

1942 serial 2L1037

Found as with a sporter stock, but redid with all LB parts...

(Bottom Rifle)
Howard

Blasterboy, is your rifle a Mk 1 * or a Mk 1?

[robynm1640]

1944//// 75L6309
Any info would be greatly appreciated *smiles*

[Plain Old Dave]

1944 No 4/1*
69L26xx
Came with "L" sight
4/48 Fazakerley FTR
maple buttstock, potmetal buttplate
walnut front wood
Orig 1944 barrel

[jimlay]

No. 4 Mk. I* 1942. Serial #15L2746. Brass butt plate.