1920 Lithgow FTR

[sakorick]

These are getting hard to come by. I just picked up today from a dealer....at $325 I couldn't take my hands off it.:D Regards, Rick.

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2012/01/lith1-1.jpg

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2012/01/lith3-1.jpg

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2012/01/lith2-1.jpg

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2012/01/lith4-1.jpg

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2012/01/lith5-1.jpg

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2012/01/lith6-1.jpg

[Pablo]

Nice find. She's a beauty.
What timber is the furniture? None of my lithgows look like that!

[sakorick]

Nice find. She's a beauty.
What timber is the furniture? None of my lithgows look like that!

Hello Pablo. Coachwood. Regards, Rick.

[Pablo]

Mine are all coachwood but nowhere near that colour.
They're all a really dark (guess its 70 years of oil and crud) so I didn't realise coachwood started life that colour.
Yours looks like it came out of the factory yesterday.
Wish i could get atleast one of mines timber to that colour!

[Frank LE]

Mine is a very similar colour 1908 BSA MkIII, Lithgow FTR. Its parkerized and was restocked in coachwood.

302843028530286

[sakorick]

I think when the went thtough FTR, the stocks were sanded and refinished which explains it's lighter color.....The 40 years of crud grease and grime wold have been removed. Here it is along side my 1920 in Queensland Maple and personally, I like it better as it is all original. The FTR is what it is. Regards, Rick.

http://www.milsurps.com/images/imported/2012/01/pair-1.jpg

[Homer]

Rick I don't think sanding and refinishing was a practice used in the lithgow factory, however, during the FTR program in the 50's, butts were reused and any previous stamps were removed. It would most probably have had new forend and handguards at that time.

[sakorick]

Rick I don't think sanding and refinishing was a practice used in the lithgow factory, however, during the FTR program in the 50's, butts were reused and any previous stamps were removed. It would most probably have had new forend and handguards at that time.

That's the way I understand it. 1957 is a pretty late FTR too. The forestock has had most of the cartouches removed also. Note it has a 1924 barrel date which seems unusual for a 57 FTR......they were probably using left over serviceable parts. There is a N.A. Co on the right side rear of action which I assume is a import mark and looks to have been un-issued after rebuild. Regards, Rick.

[Homer]

Rick Lithgow was FTR'ing SMLE's up until 1959 and recycling of parts was common practice including barrels.

Nice guns.

[docbob]

Very nice rifle. I'm fairly new to the SMLE rifles. Did all the Austrailian rifles have their serial number stamped on the rear of the bolt handle like the English rifles? I would assume so.

Best Wishes,
DocBob

[Peter Laidler]

Yes. It's to ensure that the correctly fitted bolt that's correct for the CHS on the rifle always goes back on the same rifle. Same as numbered nosecap, fore-end and backsight. These ensure that the accuracy is maintained when the rifle is re-assembled in the Armourers shop

[docbob]

Thanks Peter,
You are a gold mine of information for folks who don't know much about these rifles!

Best Wishes,
DocBob

[Peter Laidler]

Thanks for those kind words docbob. I just want to make what I've learned over the years available to everyone before I make it to the big Armourers shop in the sky - and have a brew (Armourers term for a cup of tea that every Armourers shop all over the world always has on the go.....) and a chat with the likes of KimW late of NZ. But I don't plan on going JUST yet!

[D-BOMB]

What does the "HV SC" Stamping stand for? I'd assume "HV" is high velocity but I'm unsure on the SC.

[Peter Laidler]

small cone in the chamber