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Hi, I'm a recruit in the TA at the start of my basic training -

I wanted to ask one simple question: What is the butt number of the rifle?

Is the 'butt number' referring to the 'serial number' that starts with an 'A' located on the magazine housing? Are they referring to the same number? Or are they two seperate ID numbers?

Thanks,
Chris

This is a guess, but sometimes the numbers that are used on the fore-grip of the rifle is also printed on the butt for ease of finding it. It's the number that is used so people know who's rifles who's. That's a guess though, the same as it was in the army cadets.

The butt number is a number that is given(painted on) so that it can be drawn out quickly. The serial number is the registration number of the weapon and can be trace back to the point of origin.
Always make sure when you break down your weapons for cleaning that the registration numbers on parts of the weapon are all the same.
Btw, that was some time ago.

Still the same now days, the butt number Is the number of your rifle and the number you give to the armoury when you want to draw your weapon.

Like got1 has said It is added on with paint or sometimes scratched into the rifle, on like the serial number that Is stamped on when rifle is made.

Butt number will be the double/triple digit number painted / scratched on the rifle somewhere (top of SUSAT if you are inf, change lever side of the rifle, or unsurprisingly, on the butt of the rifle).

Serial number is machined into the rifle on the ejection port side, just above the magazine housing, the one that you mentioned. Not the same thing. For extra confusion, there are also numbers on either side of the base of a SUSAT, those are the serial number for the SUSAT, not the butt number.

So if you eliminate those numbers above that it isn't, whatever is left is probably the butt number

Thanks for the replies. That clears that up. Much appreciated.