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Aha! The old Parker Hale sporting .303 conversion, very common and popular here in the '60's and '70's.
If you dont care to shoot it with a scope with the Monte Carlo style stocks, you can easily replace them - the Parker Hale rifles were given brand new commercial barrels and had good open sights; (although I dont think I have ever seen one with that .30-30 style rear sight with elevator, and a front blade they nearly all over here over flip over williams rear sight, and a bead front sight - maybe for the US market)
The five round magazines are worth a few dollars now too.

Additionally, I have never seen one where they took the charger bridge off, or had them drilled and tapped for a side mount - virtually every one I have seen still had the bridge, and were drilled on top of receiver for a special Parker Hale scope mount, which utilised the charger bridge at the rear. (A mount which takes PH scope rings - they were useless rings that always break, and vitually impossible to find now because of it)

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I picked this up a few months back. As I understand it, Parker Hale described these back in the 60s as their "de Lux" model. Kinda funny when you think about it now. As you suggest, these were pretty ubiquitous here in NZ back in those days as they no doubt were in the other "colonies" (Canada, Australia and South Africa)

It's a 1943 Long Branch. I don't really understand why but I just love the thing. I first laid eyes on these when I was about 12. Tried to interest my Father in one but no dice. At the time I think they cost about $35 NZ. That was about $5 more than a fully wooded Long Branch in unfired condition. How times have changed.

Anyway, I never forgot about that little Parker Hale and now I finally have one.

Although I had no great expectations that it would shoot I've been pleasantly surprised. With 150 grain PPU it shoots very nicely to point of aim and puts them all close enough to do the business at 100-150 m. It's also surprisingly pleasant to shoot. All in all, I'm very happy with it. Haven't had any luck with it on game as yet but that will no doubt come in time.

I note you mention that they were sold with new barrels. Are you sure about that because to me at least, it seems a bit unlikely? They certainly cut-down and re-blued them and there are signs on mine that it was polished somewhat before the re-blue but I don't know how they could possibly have re-barreled them and made a profit given that you could get brand new fully wooded versions at the time for less money.



Edited by lonewulf (08/04/16 10:03 AM)

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