and the follow-on Post War Mossberg 46 M (b)

Information on the Model 44 US (d) will soon follow

Just two years into the 1939-45 War, Britain was suffering a serious shortage of suitable training rifles. With all local manufacturers committed to the far higher priority of Service arms production, there were simply not enough small calibre rifles to go round. Local Defence Volunteer units (latterly the Home Guard) were utilising almost anything on which they could lay their hands, and such small-bore rifles as were in stock with gunsmiths or manufacturers were taken over by the War Office for distribution anywhere they might be of value for economical training purposes.

The U.S.A. were already supplying much miltary matériel, and a request was made for a consignment of .22 rimfire rifles suitable for the purpose. The Mossberg Model 42 rifle was a sporting/target based design which offered an excellent basis on which minor modifications could comparatively easily be made to current production lines; the substitution of the three-quarter length stock with a full-length military style stock being the most significant and obvious.

The initial contract, in June 1941, was for 10,000 rifles. Previous to this date, Mossberg had used only a letter code on their production rather than serial numbers. Arranging to add the serial numbers required by the British Government took time, and the first 2,500 rifles left the factory not so marked. Thus the latter three-quarters of that contract ran from serial number 2501 to 10,000, and no earlier numbering should be seen. There was, not surprisingly, a delay in the despatch of this early batch due to the numbering requirement.

A: There may not be any. Between 1930 and 1968, Mossberg did not put serial numbers on their long guns, preferring to pass along that cost savings to the consumer. Early Model K, L, M and S rifles did have a serial number, as did the.22 training rifles made for the military (44US). Mossberg Firearms models and years manufactured. Field Model 12, 20 or 419 bore. 410 with 24 inch barrel. 12 and 20 with 20, 22, 24,26, 28 30 inch barrels with assorted chokes, receiver safety.

There were further contracts for rifles over the next eighteen months; a batch of 8,000 later in 1941, another 20,000 in March 1942, spares in June, and two more batches of rifles, totalling 8,000, early in 1943. Precise numbers allotted between U.S. and British destinations are not known at this point, but most production came to the United Kingdom.

Incidentally, the 'M' in the rifle's nomenclature is reputed to be for 'Mannlicher', being the style of stocking used, with the pistol-grip wrist.

The Parker-Hale post-war advertisement quotes the 42M rifle as having a barrel length of 23 inches, and a weight of 6 lbs. 12 ozs.

The magazine had a 7-round capacity, and a spare magazine was sometimes to be found in a compartment in the butt, accessed via a butt-trap.

The magazine's latch release is at the rear of the base plate, and a knurled knob,

an unusual fitment for the adjustment of the follower's spring pressure, is at the front.

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The fore-sights on the British contract rifles were also tunnelled, but that tunnel was slightly shorter and on a shorter ramp.

Sai flexistarter 10. The tunnelled sight itself was not dissimilar in outward appearance to that fitted on the Ross Cadet nearly thirty years earlier, although the addition of a pressed steel ramp shroud modernised the look.

The small pull/push ring at the right-hand-side of the pressed steel ramp permits lateral adjustment of the integral blade element.

These rifles were originally only fitted with a barrel mounted tangent rear-sight, shown below.

........

However, the British early contract rifles had the Mossberg S102 receiver mounted aperture sight added to emulate the rear-sight of the Lee-Enfield No.4 Rifle.

It has to be said that the Mossberg was a very light-weight representation of the No.4 rifle, and far less realistic than other training rifles of its era -

- the best of which were simply small-bore versions of the parent service rifle, such as the SMLE No.2 MkIV* and the later No.7 Rifle -

- but, at that time, it was a case of 'needs must when the Devil drives'.

The rear sights shown in the Parker-Hale advertisement above are those S 102 models fitted to the rifles for the U.S. home market, as illustrated below.

The safety-catch lever below the bolt-way is in the firing position, indicated by its location above the red 'F' lettered stud.

The safe position would be with the catch lever slid to the right, above the green stud lettered 'S'.

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The rear aperture sight used by Mossberg was acknowledged to be rather fragile, it not having been designed for service-style use.

Many were damaged, and Parker-Hale modified one of their 'Sportarget' rear-sights with a bracket to fit the left-hand side of the Mossberg receiver.

These sights were fitted, post-war, to many of those rifles which escaped return to the U.S.A. under the Lend-Lease contract terms.

Such rifles are easily identified by the stampings 'UNITED STATES PROPERTY ' on both the barrel and the receiver.

Mossberg Serial Number Search

A particularly unusual aspect of the 42M-B rear-sight arrangement was a Royal Small Arms Factory (Enfield)

adapter that could be used for training on 'Harmonised' targetry.

The Archives of the National Firearms Collection (originally part of the Enfield Pattern Room),

hold an Enfield drawing (Ref. No. D.D. (E). 3582) of the adaptation, that allowed the rear sight aperture to be raised

to a height that moved the Point of Impact up by approximately 27 inches for shooting on Landscape targets.

Aim was taken at the point on the landscape picture that was indicated by the Fire Direction of the Range Officer,

but the strike was on a 'Skyscreen' above, to retain the integrity of the expensive printed landscape.

A pendulum scoring device was used to assess the scores of the shooting party.

See: LANDSCAPE TARGETRY

The design was 'sealed' on 16th. February 1944.

The rifle had been given the nomenclature 'U.S.A. Mossberg .22-in Rifle, Mark I'

We have never seen one of these adapted sights,

and would be grateful to hear if any reader may have more information.

Parker-Hale's 1946 post-war catalogue offered alternative fore and rear sights.

The page read as follows:

The No. 42 M.B. Mossberg rifles imported from U.S.A. in large numbers

during the war for preliminary training are notoriously weak in their sighting equipment,

so to meet the demand for more serviceable sights, we offer :—

MOSSBERG RAMP FORESIGHT with hood and screw
for .22' calibre Mossberg rifle model 42 M.B.

List Number FS.23 Price 9/–
Postage 3d.
Spare parts : foresight block - 7/6
Steel protector fixing screw - 2/6d.

The PARKER-HALE SPORTARGET APERTURE BACKSIGHT - PH 16 D

for .22' calibre Mossberg rifle model 42 M.B.