This is still very desirable as all changes were made by the military while the rifle was in service.

Matching in-service– This means that a scope fitted by the military later in service and replaced the original scope.

The ideal is to have the rifle, bolt, scope, bracket, butt, forearm, scope case and chest matching.

Matching as converted– This means the first scope assigned to that rifle remains with the rifle.

Thus there are two types of matching serial numbers: As a result, some rifles had up to 3 or 4 scopes assigned to them during their years of service, as some served right into the 1970s. Scopes were fragile and newer models came out during the war. The scopes were always numbered to the rifle, by stamping the scope SN into the wrist of the butt, just below or aft of the cocking piece.

Some brackets were serial numbered at the conversion factory, and others were numbered later in military service. 4 rifles were converted to sniper equipment, each on had a scope and bracket assigned to it. A mismatched bolt drops the value considerably, and the headspace should be checked for safety reasons. 4 rifles always had the bolt matching in service. 4 rifles were converted.ĭOES THE SNIPING EQUIPMENT HAVE MATCHING SERIAL NUMBERS? TP stood for “Trade Pattern” as these were basically commercial scopes, albeit slightly modified. Due to a shortage of scopes, Canada ordered 350 Lyman Alaskan specially modified and serial numbered scopes in 1944. 32 and were interchangeable with the British made scopes. Most of the scopes were made by Research Enterprises Limited (R.E.L. REL) in Canada. LONG BRANCH CONVERSIONS 1942? – 1946 – The Canadians converted sniper equipment as well.I*) and apparently a very few Maltby made rifles. They converted over 21,700. I rifles made by BSA Shirley (the vast majority), a few Stevens-Savage (made in the USA, both No. HOLLAND AND HOLLAND CONVERSIONS 1942 – 1946– In the Fall of 1942 British sniper conversion function was handed off to Holland and Holland, the famous gun makers in London, England.An unknown small number of these 1,403 conversions were rifles of wartime manufacture. RSAF ENFIELD CONVERSIONS 1941 – 1942– The first batch of conversions.There were three main batches of conversions. During World War II, the British standardized their sniper equipment as the Lee-Enfield Number 4 Mark I (T).

Lee enfield rifle serial number lookup