Experimental No 4 Rifle by Longbranch….(f 845) SOLD

Very rare and excellent example of a No 4 Experimental Rifle by Longbranch of Canada

Serial Number “EX 11”  Need one say more ?

Chambered in .303  Ten-shot detachable box magazine.  Marked on LHS of the wrist “EX11” and on the rear of the curved bolt arm.  Solid bolt arm knob, round cocking piece.  The shoe of the cocking piece marked with “12345” and the “LB” Longbranch logo. The sequential numbers may be to indicate a possible position for a serial number stamping.  LB marked bolt head also marked (sized) “1”.  Longbranch marked and shaped safety catch fitted to rear LHS of action.  Outer wall of action marked as follows; “No 4 Mk 1  / LONG BRANCH / 1941.”  Bolt face clean, appears unused – no primer ring.

Overall the rifle measures 43.5/8.”  The round barrel 25.1/4.”  the trigger Pull to center is 12.1/2″  Stocked in a beautiful tiger-striped stock with a fluted hand guard over the barrel.  The guarded front sight is waisted, the actual dove-tailed sight block marked with LB logo.  The muzzle has bayonet lugs attached.  The front band is War Department and inspector marked.  Finish on all the components is extremely fine – no rust or wearing about the edges.

The butt-stock is fitted with a brass butt-plate with a trap for the cleaning bottle and pull-through.  Brass oil bottle present the turn-screw top is marked with the rifles EX number and a trace of the Canadian acceptance mark which is repeated on the base of the bottle.

Standard rear sights with battle sight and ladder aperture sight.  The face of the sight is marked with both the LB logo and the Canadian acceptance mark.  It is graduated from 200 to 1300 yards – functions well.  Canvass webbing sling marked “MADE IN CANADA” with brass fittings.  It is possible with care to see the Canadian acceptance marks on the underside of the woodwork at the wrist and at the muzzle end of the fore-end.  There is the slightest crack in the woodwork, just forward of the safety catch, on the LHS of the fore-end.

Finish on metal work  is very good with strong blacks and blue.  The woodwork has had some time spent upon it in forming the tiger-stripe pattern but it has been done perfectly.  The action is mechanically fine and the bore is beyond belief – it is so good.  A very interesting and highly important piece for the advanced collector.  Viewing highly recommended for serious buyers.

Stock number F 845

£ 5750.   SOLD

POST SCRIPT: Some important further evidence as regarding the validity of the fact that this rifle is an experimental specimen, as this rifle has caused some in-depth discussion.  In the process of stripping it down, some very interesting discoveries were made; some very non-regular features which show that Longbranch were still trying to perfect the final design and experiment with alternative ideas.

All of these features are fairly self explanatory on first sight and were discovered on removing the fore end:-

• Experimental lightening of the Fore end with hand applied router longitudinal slots;
• Having worked in the woodwork trade for some years of my life I can tell just by looking at those slots that they were hand applied.  If applied on a fenced machine the slots would be dead straight – they would not deviate at the ends.  They have been applied AFTER the outer shaping stage.  Most of the internal workings on these stocks would have been made before the outer shaping.  SO I surmise they were an exploration of reducing weight overall.
• Spring loading of the barrel under the nose-cap of the fore-end:-
•  Sprung fore-end.  A practice more usual on the No I Mk III.  This must be an attempt into accurizing the rifle and reduction of barrel whip.
• Original workshop paint on barrel.   
• Work on free-floating the barrel.       
• Hinged No 4 Nose band.                     
• Brass spacer found fitted to forward action screw hand marked ” EXII

Conclusion EX 11 is an experimental rifle with many features that were never adopted. This is one of a number of rifles produced in the early production stages for the purpose of experimentation and the ironing out of problems.  It may have gone through transformations in its lifespan with the addition of target sights etc but these are red herrings.

Neither could it be a display rifle used in a travelling War Bonds campaign; as a regular rifle would have been picked from standard stock if needed.  You can’t approach the country as a whole and show them something that, 1) You can not guarantee to produce in their millions for your troops, and 2) that would be so much more of a grander affair than the standard service rifle.  In those days even the governments of the free would were not that devious.

This is there-fore, a rifle that is more rare than a No 4 (T) or “T-less T”, or even the elusive P13.  This is one of fifty very unique prototypes of which the rest seem to have disappeared.  One of millions finally produced by the end of the war that is essentially different. Where are the rest?

Rifles like this usually reside in places like the pattern room and are not available to the collecting community.  Thus, it commands a premium.  It is believed that only 50 experimental rifle were produced, the question has to be; Where are the rest ?  Did any others survive?

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