although this is not a sniper rifle I have a No1 Mk1 made in October of 1948 what would be the correct but plate for this is it a brass one or is zink?
My FTR'd No4Mk1 (dated 1945) has a brass/"gunmetal" one. So does my sporterized No4Mk1 (1943). Since the FTR was done post-war, and the sporterizing too, I'm guessing the brass/gunmetal would be the appropriate one for a rifle from 1948?
thanks this was sporterized I think I have a correct stock from 1949 for it which came with the brass buttplate I was just checking to see if that was correct or not not that it's going to make a big deal but just wanted to make it as close as I could.
It might depend on who made, it though. I dunno about my 1943 one, but by '45 one was made in Canada but I think the Brits held onto it after the war and so they likely changed it to fit the other British-made ones. A '48 one from Canada, if such a rifle exists, might have had a different buttplate.
The Zamak alloy buttplates were a wartime relaxation of standards thing to free up brass for more critical production.
Also I want to say they were only manufactured a by Savage but I could be wrong there.
According to a British army REME armorer freind they weren't very durable and post war when a rifle went through base workshops for repairs/rebuild they usually got replaced with brass or steel.
And to answer the OP's question, a No.4 made in 1948 could have either brass or steel buttplate.
Brit manufacturers of No.4 rifles:
(F) or ROF (F) = Royal Ordnance Factory Fazakerly.
Stylized M= Maltby
B or M 47 C = Birmingham Small Arms (BSA)
Intertwined EFD = Royal Small Arms Factory,
Enfield Locke (Enfield)