Long Branch Scout Sniper’s Rifle 1943-1944

Left side of a sniper rifle
1943 – 1944 Small Arms Limited, Long Branch, “Scout Sniper’s Rifle” serial number ASC-85-1= Al Fraser-Fred Van Sickle picture shown in WITHOUT WARNING p.60 (edited slightly) This rifle is identical to the way mine would have looked during WWII. 

The Scout Sniper’s Rifle was an experimental sniper rifle and only 10 were made. It was very innovative, but it was not adopted for mass production.

In 1943-1944, Small Arms Limited (S.A.L.) at Long Branch in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Research Enterprises Limited (R.E.L.) in Leaside, Toronto, Ontario were co-operating in the design of new sniper rifles at the request of the British. Twenty such rifles were made. Ten were Scout Sniper’s Rifles (SN ASC …) and ten were Section Sniper’s Rifles (ASE…). The detailed story of these is well told in the book WITHOUT WARNING by the late Clive Law, Service Publications.

Of these 20 experimental sniper rifles made, 2 were destroyed in action and 1 was captured by the Germans. The one captured by the Germans was likely later destroyed. That leaves no more than 18, and likely 17, possible survivors out of the 20. It looks like three or four intact rifles survive in collections and I have acquired one which I acquired in 2017.  I would be delighted to hear about any other surviving examples, and I would especially like to hear from other owners so as to learn more about these rare rifles and scopes so that I can make this restoration as accurate as possible. 

Scout Sniper's Rifle serial number ASC-85-4 as found - Left side. (T.J. Pisani photo)
Scout Sniper’s Rifle serial number ASC-85-4 as found – Left side. (T.J. Pisani photo)

Left side of sniper rifle.

Scout Sniper’s Rifle ASC-85-4 left side during restoration July 2017. R.E.L. experimental 3.5X scope EXP.0144 in slide ASC-85-3, Civilian butt and an old ex-India No. 4 fore-end roughly carved to shape as a practice piece. An Italian made ‘replica’ scope base is fitted, but it is not an accurate copy and only 2 out of 4 screws line up. A rare original Long Branch mount has since been obtained and a correct fore-end has also been acquired.

3rd Snipers course - Camp Borden Jan 12 1945. The second rifle from the right is a Scout Sniper's Rifle.
3rd Snipers course – Camp Borden Jan 12 1945. The second rifle from the right is a Scout Sniper’s Rifle.

 

1945-01-12 Third Snipers’ Course at Camp Borden, Ontario, Canada. The rifle on the left is a “Scout” Sniper’s Experimental Long Branch with C No. 32 MK. 4 (later called a C No. 67 MK. I ) scope and Monte Carlo butt. The one on the right is a No. 4 MK. I* (T) with C No. 32 Mk. 4 (aka C No. 67 MK.I ) scope. At first I thought that this was an 80L8xxx serial numbered rifle. (Detail from a photo via CheesyCigar on Milsurps.com) but having now noticed the extra sniper sling swivel a couple of inches in front of the magazine, I now believe that it was one of the 10 Long Branch experimental “Section Sniper’s Rifles” which had a serial number beginning with ASE.

DETAIL showing two different model Lee-Enfield No. 4 sniper rifles - 1945-01-12 Third Snipers' Course at Camp Borden, Ontario, Canada. Note the variety of No. 4 (T) rifles. (Private collection)
DETAIL – 1945-01-12 Third Snipers’ Course at Camp Borden, Ontario, Canada. Note the variety of No. 4 (T) rifles. “Scout” Sniper Experimental Long Branch with C No. 67 MK. I scope and Monte Carlo butt; and the last one appears to be a No. 4 MK. I* (T) with C No. 67 MK. I scope. (Photo via CheesyCigar on Milsurps.com)

Link to the above photo and the discussion that ensured on Milsurps.com

SURVIVING SCOUT SNIPER’S RIFLES

  1. ASC-43-3 – Shown in great detail on Milsurps.com 
  2. ASC-43-7 (?) – Dan Fabok Collection as shown in “The Lee-Enfield” by Ian Skennerton, 2007 pages 317-318
  3. ASC-84-2 – Ex-Gorton Collection, New Zealand. Stock badly cracked or broken at pistol grip and repaired, but not perfectly. Scope is allegedly 5X R.E.L. serial number 0143, but auction photos show what appears to be a German made scope with a rectangular pad on the underside of the tuber where it flares out in the rear bell.
  4. ASC-85-1 – Recorded as serial number ASC285 in “Without Warning” by the late Clive Law, pages 57 and 60 but the owner has informed me that it is ASC-85-1 with scope EXP0443  in Canada and is all-matching numbers.
  5. ASC-85-4 with slide from ASC-85-3 and experimental R.E.L. 3.5X Gimbal scope EXP.0144 – Colin MacGregor Stevens. Under restoration. Now fitted with a standard No. 4 Mk. I* (T) butt stock. 
  6. Unknown SN – Fitted with a R.E.L. experimental 5X scope. “Without Warning” by the late Clive Law, page 63). Fitted with Monte Carlo butt stock from an 80L8xxx series rifle. Tjis rifle and scope were sold by Collector’s Source to a U.S. collector. 

My rifle is serial number ASC-85-4. This was either the second rifle from the right in the sniper class photo above, or identical. It is one of the 10 Scout Sniper’s Rifle and of those, only three, including this one, were made without a bayonet fitting. Thus the chances are 1 in 3 that my rifle is the one in the photo.

When found, ASC-85-4 had a “sniper” sling swivel just in front of the magazine, though it is not known when that was fitted. These became standard on No. 4 (T) sniper rifles in 1945 and many rifles were retrofitted. This is the only evidence that I have seen so far of such a swivel on a Scout Sniper’s Rifle. It may have been a very early 1944 test example before standardization in early 1945 or the rifle might have remained in service post-WWII and might have had it added at some point or possibly a civilian owner added. it.   My rifle had been sporterized for hunting after being sold surplus, but fortunately it is restorable. Nine notches were found on the underside of the sporterized fore-end, suggesting that the hunter had nine deer, moose or bear kills. I have acquired an experimental R.E.L. 3.5X Gimbal scope, a pilot model for the C No. 32 MK. 4 / C No. 67 Mk. I scope, serial number EXP.0144, in slide (upper mount) # 9 which is numbered to Scout Sniper Rifle ASC-85-3, the rifle immediately preceding mine. It is not a matching serial numbers set, but it is not bad considering that only 10 Scout Sniper’s Rifles were made three quarters of a century ago!  I have a standard No. 4 Mk. I* (T) butt with cheek rest as well as a civilian butt with the built-in “Monte Carlo” cheek rest and rubber butt pad. I am carving a fore-end out of a No. 4 fore end. I first carved up one that was in poor condition to learn the skills before carving a new fore-end. Fortunately I have now acquired a correct fore-end from a fellow collector. This one was shown on page 44 of WITHOUT WARNING.

WANT LIST 

PHOTODESCRIPTION
Windmill sight for a Scout Sniper's Rifle. This is on serial number ASC285 (which I believe is ASC-85-2) - Al Fraser - Frad Van Sickle picure shown in WITHOUT WARNING p 60 (slightly edited)
Windmill sight for a Scout Sniper's Rifle. This is on serial number ASC285 (which I believe is ASC-85-2) - Al Fraser - Frad Van Sickle picure shown in WITHOUT WARNING p 60 (slightly edited)
Windmill backsight. it rotates and has ranges 2, 3, 4 and 6 hundred yards.

COMPARISON BETWEEN SCOUT SNIPER RIFLE AND E.A.L. MILITARY SURVIVAL RIFLE

There are many similarities between the 1943-1944 Scout Sniper’s Rifle and the one model of the 1950s Essential Agencies Limited (E.A.L.) Military (R.C.A.F. and Canadian Rangers) Survival and civilian rifle. Both the EAL with open rear sight on the barrel and the Scout Sniper Rifle have similar extensive removal of metal on the body, and sporter style furniture.  The two rifles are very similar in appearance, but picking them up shows that the Scout Sniper’s Rifle is much heavier, in spite of the lightening cuts on the left side of the body which are present on ASC-85-4, but not on all of the Scout Sniper’s Rifles.

WARNING: Collectors should be aware that someone may try to fake a Scout Sniper’s Rifle someday using an E.A.L. military or a No. 4 Mk. I* rifle body, so do look at details carefully.