Navy Arms Enfield #4 Mk 1* .303 World War II French Resistance 1944 Dated "BT" marked non-matching SN bolt PP 1124

Navy Arms has imported a small group of original World War II dated Enfield #4 Mark 1 rifles in .303 British that were provided to French resistance fighters and commandos and helped liberate Europe from Nazi occupation. These guns were dropped by parachute by the thousands into France by the Allies in large metal pods. These guns were purchased directly from the French Government who had them stored in deep underground caves in Southern France since 1946. . Each rifle comes with the original World War II issued sling still on the rifles! (This is how they were stored, having never taken them off). Has the #4 Mk II style stamped rear sight as shown, bores are excellent with little to no wear and no pitting, bright and shiny! Wood is original walnut, no cracks, with original finish and inspection marks/cartouches intact. Bolt is not serial numbered to the gun. This model is marked M 1944 "BT". All of this model are 1944 dated as well. There is a storage number with a "PP" Prefix on the receivers, which was put on by the French Government at the end of the war as a unique reference number for each gun. This gun is marked #4 Mk 1*, with the star being an extremely unusual marking for a gun not made by Long Branch or Savage. On page 25 of "The Lee-Enfield" by Ian Skennerton it states: Some dozen or so 1944 Maltby rifles have even been noted stamped 'NO. 4 MK 1*', by the correct one-piece roller die, during the receiver body production. Yet these have the usual Mk I rifle features with bolthead release catch behind the charger guide" This gun is an exceptionally rare marking. The French government had stored these guns without the magazines over 75 years ago deep inside underground caves, and in that time has misplaced them, so each rifle comes with a Navy Arms Parker-Hale reproduction magazine made in the identical style as the originals. These are truly exceptional examples of World War II Enfield #4 Mk 1 rifles. There is an extremely small quantity of guns with this marking, do not miss out on adding this unique example to your collection.