Savage Made #4 Enfields

[foghornl]

Question for those of you knowledgeable about the Enfield Rifles...

Some of the MK4's were made by Savage, and are now being re-imported and sold. I looked at a couple of them over the weekend, but I couldn't find the "US Property" markings.

Does anyone have a pic of the Savage-made "US Property" marked Enfield, showing the US marks? I'm interested in getting one of those, but I'm NOT interested in buying a supposed US made, then finding out it isnt.

TIA

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Savage made Number 4s for the British (and Canadians), not for the US. Some Savage Number 4s found their way into US property, but by far the majority will not bear US Property marks -- that doesn't mean they weren't made in the USA.

 

[rbernie]

I'll try to find a pic - it's US PROPERTY in block letters on the left side of the receiver.

But a question - were the bolt/bolthead/receiver/etc otherwise marked with the Savage name or a block "S"?

 

[Ash]

The Lend Lease Savages were US Property marked. I was under the impression that all Savages were Lend Lease, but I suppose some may not have been.

Ash

 

[foghornl]

Hmmmmmm

You are right, Vern, after re-reading my post, yeah it isn't very clear what my question is all about...

Ok, try #2...

Some of the Savage-made #4 Enfields were marked "US Property", maybe part of the WW2 Lend-Lease arrangement?

Wanted to know if anyone had a pic of how those were so-marked. Some of them are finding their way back into the US, probably courtesy of Century Arms. Supposedely, the "US Property" is stamped on the receiver, but I couldn't find it on the 2 I examined over the weekend. Or if someone knows what the Savage proof mark is ? ? ? Or the proof/manufacturers marks of the various makers?

I didn't see any stampings anywhere that said "Savage" or an "S" marking. Would like to buy one of those, just wanting to make sure I don't get 'taken' on a bogus Savage model.

 

[BruceB]

EVERY Savage-made #4 rifle I've ever seen, including quite a few which were in active service in the Canadian Army at the time I served (1950s), were marked "US PROPERTY" in rather large letters along the narrow angled flat on the top left of the receiver. Perhaps a few rifles might have the US markings obscured by refinishing, but apart from that the US marking was standard on Savage-made #4s, as far as I know.

The rifles were indeed part of the Lend-Lease Agreement, and Savage made over a million #4 Mk1 rifles under that Agreement. Along with a LARGE number of Savage-built Thompsons, I'd bet quite a few Savage #4 Rifles are on the bottom of the Atlantic, placed there by German torpedos.

To my knowledge, no meaningful numbers of #4 Rifles were ever issued to US forces. We had ample production capability for our own standard-issue rifles, even to the point that we COULD build a million-plus rifles for our allies.

 

[BruceB]

For a look at the Savage "US PROPERTY" mark, go to

www.gunsamerica.com

and type in "enfield" as your search subject. This brings up three pages of guns. On the very bottom of Page TWO, there's a Savage #4 and one of the photos shows the US marking. This mark, as mentioned, is on top of the left receiver wall (parallel to the bolt).

It's a pretty decent picture and shows the "font" quite clearly. HTH...

 

[foghornl]

Thanks to all.

I'll drop in where I saw them over the weekend, and let them know that those are NOT the Savage Enfields.

 

[rbernie]

Check the codes on the left receiver wall and wrist, and the symbols stamped on the bolt head.

Start by looking at this page, and then move along to the manufacturer's marks page, winding up at the issuance and ownership marking page. This should let you definitively state what Enfield's they have...

 

[Bridger]

That's what mine has...

 

[Detritus]

if it's not marked with "US PROPERTY" and you want to see if it might be a savage, and yes a few Savage made No4Mk1s were made under a british contract, before the guns became a lend lease item, then the savage "maker's mark" to look for is a "Square S" an S that's all flats and 90 degree angles like the 5 on a LCD clock.

a non US Property marked Savage is most likely going to be a true No4Mk1 and not the war expedient No4Mk1* major visble difference is how the bolt release works, Mk1s have a plunger you depress to allow the bolt to come reward to free the bolt head to turn allowing the bolt to be with drawn, a Mk1* will have instead a gap in the groove along the right side of the receiver, that retains the bolt head, bolt removal is by pressing forward till the bolthead and the gap are lined up, rotating the bolt head counterclockwise adn then withdrawing the bolt to the rear.

personally i want one of the No4Mk1 (no star) savages to go with my Mk1*