Jan 29, 20199 min read

Lee Enfield "T" Rifle Scope Brackets - Real (In Service) and Reproduction

Updated: Jan 17

History of the bracket.

Unconventional Rose Brothers example

Serial numbers

Identifying Original Bracket Forms

Rose Bros bracket - 3D Video Tour

Rose Bros bracket - 3 rifle serial numbers

Service in Other Countries

Israeli Made (Brass) Scope Bracket

Indonesian Bracket Reproductions

Sante-Fe Delux Sporter Brackets (Made in Japan)

Roger Payne Reproductions

Product Links

Related Blog Subjects

History of the bracket.

With WW2 well underway there was a need to create a "modern" sniper rifle to replace the few and failing SMLEs and No3Ts (re-designated scoped P14s) that were created and held over from WW1 (and its technology). A very good scope was already available - all be it intended for the BREN LMG - this was a nicety now as there was a war on. The No4 rifle had just been accepted for use and deployment with contracts being given to dispersed factories in the UK and to Savage and Long Branch in the Americas. What the new rifle needed was a modern and robust interface with the No32 scope from the BREN project. It came together rather quickly with its simple features, cast of "black heart iron", basic and minimally machined and finished. During the war two British manufacturers (Rose Brothers and Dalgleish) were contracted to do the best they could for around 30,000 total units to be delivered to Holland and Holland (taking the majority after trials and other runs) who were to do the rifle conversion. It is possible to recognize these original brackets and even distinguish the makers from their marks and even the casting and machining shapes, textures and techniques used. At the machining stage of the brackets the caps were machined to be a perfectly round and concentric one inch bores defining an axis that would be taken up by the No32 scope which was to be tightly held by the bracket. To ensure the caps were oriented and dedicated as a pair to the correct bracket the end caps were stamped with a serial that matched between bracket body and cap in each position. No two cap serials were reproduced during each of the manufacturing contracts.

Shown above is an original Rose Brothers manufactured bracket (as identified by its casting form), with unusual (probably out of service) gloss black finish. The cap serialization is also unusual in the use of letters (J and JJ), also no rifle serial (armourer applied after 1950).

Serial numbers

The scope bracket was dedicated to both the scope and the rifle by their respective serial numbers and were intended to never be separated until rebuilt if required by appointed armorers . In British service after 1950 these would typically be cross referenced with serial numbers throughout the chest, scope tin, tags and components. Wartime production and through to 1950 scope brackets did not bear the rifle serial number - some were lost or discharged from service before this was added. The rifle serial number was stamped on the face of the bracket on its flat side above the rear thumb screw. It is possible to find a bracket that has been on more than one rifle in British service and one or more old rifle serial numbers are crossed out (barred out) and the new / current / last one added.

Here are an early Rose Brothers bracket with a later Dalgleish for comparison - note the N92 manufacturer code for Dalgleish (partially struck "N") and the original sniper rifle Serial number.

Identifying Original Bracket forms (cast and machined features):

The first clue to original brackets are the codes for the two casting and machining manufacturers. Dalgleish used "N92" in a 3/8" stamp font - typically at the mid point of the front tower. Rose Brothers would stamp a small 1/8" "JG" in the middle upper region of the beam (typically upside down as installed).

Rose brothers used much larger cast radiuses and fillets with a thicker casting - apparent on the rear leg and the bulk of the rings. These radiuses caused "lozenges" to form on the cap sides and the top surface of the rings to be machined and hand finished into a flat spot. The Dalgleish castings have much smaller cast radiuses and fillets - barely needing machine clean up - the new lines from which would blend very cleanly into the cast surfaces after blasting and Parkerizing - which is typical of post-war rebuilds.

The Rose Brothers casting has more material in the rear leg form - an increased taper angle in its form when viewed from the rear - the face of the leg was a vent point for the casting and would result in a "sprue" that was roughly removed and finished by hand - this area can look quite rough. This thick leg was typically fully machined to thickness on the inside surface and a distinct machine line and step can be formed before the blend of the bottom of the beam. Dalgleish castings used less material and have a subtle radius point in the leg transition. This needed less overall machining and the inside of the leg may be lightly machine skimmed only - leaving a feint machine line that blends into the bottom of the beam.

Other clues are found on the cross sections of the beams, the casting form for the leg to meet the rear ring body and the front face (Rose Brothers has a continuous arc made by the radiuses through the cap and down the tower to the base of the body - typically the front thumb screw boss is also machined to a taper - where the Dalglish has cast radiuses.

Rose Bros Bracket - 3D Movie Tour

Rose Bros Bracket - mated to 3 service rifles

This bracket came into the US market (probably surplus from India - not the typical black service paint) and has been made into a mismatch rifle, bracket and scope set, It exhibits armourer updated serial number for the rifles that it was paired with in its extended service - with no real faults it is still going strong!

Service in other countries:

Of course there were other services that used the No4Mk1T on loan or sale from the UK, especially commonwealth or allies. These countries or services would then control and number the rifles, brackets and scopes to their conventions and finishes, and possibly have to make their own replacement or upgraded brackets. This equipment has been sold out of service around the world since the late 1940's, typically the rifle and the scope are controlled separately when heading to disposals, so matched sets become separated in the potential changes of brokerage. Or if successfully imported and readied for sale en-masse, there have been instances of selling the best looking rifle, with the best looking scope and bracket with no heed to matching and cross referenced serial numbers. A couple of factors then combine in the modern hobby, trade and interest of pursuing No4T rifle sets and their relatively useful and accurate brackets. Around 2000 "scope-less" ' No4T;s were completed by Holland and Holland in late 1945 as their contract ended (they were paid by the rifle). Scopes and brackets were not provisioned for these rifles and they were kept in store until needed for replacement programs. Some of these scope-less rifles were sold as surplus and the new private owners have sought brackets to add scopes. The L42 program converted No4T rifles and scopes with their brackets and rebuilt them to 1970's specifications for the NATO 7.62 x 51mm round. The extension program for the L42 recognized a shortage of brackets and sought external private help to secure new manufactured brackets, which were still in private production until around 2020. Canada experienced a shortage of scopes during WW2 and so created rifles using various approved US commercial derivatives and their required custom brackets.

Canadian brackets have been sampled to the Pacific rim manufacturers to reproduce for private collectors and commercial sales as the price of originals has soared (a function of supply and demand).

Israeli Made (Brass) Scope Bracket

Scoped rifles sold to allies such as Israel, India and perhaps Pakistan have experienced the need to produce their own brackets for the No32 scope and sometimes for more modern equivalents / upgrades. These rifles, scope and brackets have filtered back into the military surplus sales and re-ales markets and represent another set of history and collection interests and their own marks, finishes and conventions. Israel was in need of critical defense material in the 1950's and with various restrictions and embargoes, could not import arms and munitions. What resulted was a reuse of commercial material and a cottage industry that would form the foundation of the local made and designed war material. One example is the import of thousands of lipstick styles and colors - more than would expect to be used by a populace under political seige... they were brass cased at that time and a process was devices to take the empty lipstick case and anneal and form it into 45ACP cartridge shells. Here we see an Israeli made No32 scope bracket for their No4T fleet. They also made their own brass No32 scopes and converted more No4 Rifles to this designation to keep the outward pressure on. It is painted with a thick dark grey crackle / "hammered" finish paint - to reduce glint and glare. Peeking out of chips in the paint we see a bright yellow brass - used in its casting. I would imagine this could be the remelted offcuts and remnants from the 45ACP shell process. The bracket has been cast a little oversize, from a rough form in sand. It may have been scaled up from a Rose Brothers original bracket - with material then further added (to an intermediate form) or by hand editing the sand form cavity - observe the rough form of the back rib and the extra thick rear leg - a consequence of changing the material for strength and attenuation. The scope rings are rough and are hastily machined. There are markings in Hebrew - tough to discern against the heavy grey paint. The cap screws may be original in this example and show simple steel countersunk slotted machine screws.

Indonesian Bracket Reproductions

It is not known how many of these Pacific rim manufacturers and patterns there are now - they seem to derived a metric thread for the locking taper screws (beware if you lose one) but produced the correct thread on the bracket thumb nuts. I have found that these Indonesian mount and perform the same as other real and reproduction examples - it is wise to have a couple to select from to mate to the rifle so that when the tubes are collimated the reticle is just a little to the left of center - as this represent material to be taken off the pad / bracket interface. The Indonesian backets have two stand out characteristics - the geometrically square taper in the rear leg and the beam is a lot thinner / wide between the legs and caps.

Sante-Fe - Delux Sporter Bracket - Made in Japan.

In the early days of military surplus deals, companies like Sante-Fe in California took military rifles and created formula to rebuild and refinish them into attractive, sleek hunting and sporting rifles

The top of the range rifle at Sante-Fe in 1958/59 was based on a No4mkT and featured a custom designed and manufactured Japanese bracket to hold contemporary hunting scopes.

Roger Payne Reproduction (first series castings)

It has been written that during the L42 life continuity program in the late 1980's the MOD needed some "new" brackets in stock to replace those damaged or otherwise compromised. Things had changed drastically for British industry and qualified / registered suppliers since the Second World War and the most renown WW1 era sniper rig brackets in their various forms were being produced in small numbers by an enthusiast and expert with a small supply chain (he was also a Doctor). So it came to be that new Blackheart Iron casting were made with the required machining and finishing steps through various vendors in small lots as organized by the newly authorized supplier (similar to the series 1 castings above). These were to original drawings and specifications and fitted in nicely with the original brackets for inspection, form fit and function. These brackets have been produced in small runs since (up to 700 pieces extant) and can still be attained in the market place - there is a price to pay for this "authenticity", but it is well worth the effort for a trouble free fit-up. They come in a Suncorite painted finish (hard enough to come by these days) and even feature the serial numbering of each cradle cap to indicate fit and orientation as peer the originals. The series one castings feature a few casting voids and were a little thin on material around the serpentine cradles an caps (the cap screws often undercut through the material), the second series casting form remedied these issues. The author and their contacts have thus far not seen any of these brackets emerging on surplused rifle systems (as would be fitted by an armourer in service) and the current MOD supply authority have no record of such an order being placed.

Roger Payne Reproduction (second series castings)