• Lithgow SAF Museum Tour

    Lithgow SAF Museum Tour
    by Advisory Panel Member "Son"

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    Lithgow SAF Museum Tour
    by Advisory Panel Member "Son"

    The Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum is a stand alone operation totally reliant on the volunteers for their time and expertise. Many of these gentlemen are retired former employees of the factory, and as such hold a great wealth of knowledge that they are willing to share with visitors. The setting up of a research area with access to displays and documents held at the Museum is on the agenda. There is a comprehensive range of reference books for sale, including what looks to be all the available works by Ian Skennerton, Ron Hayes’ Handgun Omnibus, as well as other detailed publications on the factory and the production of Lee Enfield rifles in general. They also sell a range of souvenirs too.

    Funding for the upkeep of the Museum comes from their low admission fees, sales generated at the shop and any public donations they happily receive. As I understand, they receive no government assistance at all, and only occupy the land and building at the old factory front gate at the grace of the owners and current operators of the Lithgow Small Arms factory, Thales Pty Ltd.

    Inside the foyer there is a display of Lee Enfield components in various stages of manufacture. Turn right down the corridor to enter the main exhibition hall.

    This walking tour through the lower floor exhibits in the Lithgow SAF Museum begins inside the door to the left, where the display of production and prototype bayonets is on the wall. We proceed along the left side, to the back and then the right until we get back to the door. From there we go to the start again, but look around the machinegun displays on floor level on the left side and the rear walls. Continuing with a lap around the display pieces in the centre of the hall, finishing with the glass case inside the entry which houses the first production Pratt & Whitney machinery trials SMLE. Below that is serial number 0001 Lithgow L1A1, serial number 0001 F1, and serial number 8800001 Austeyr .

    These pictures are to give you an idea of what you can find there. Come to Lithgow and walk amongst the history lining the walls, talk to the keepers about their experiences and take home fond memories of the occasion.

    In 2012 they will be celebrating a hundred years of production at the factory.

    Lithgow SAF Museum Tour
    by Advisory Panel Member "Son"

    (57 picture virtual tour)

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    Collector's Comments and Feedback:


    1. Here's an additional 150 picture photo montage of my tour of the Lithgow Museum in March 2010. ....... (Feedback by Bill "Bojangles" Robinson)

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    Lithgow SAF Museum Tour
    by Milsurps.Com Member "Bojangles"

    (150 picture virtual tour)

    2. The secret to creating and maintaining quality research data in the Milsurps Knowledge Library is you! This is your site and these MKL entries on various old milsurps are yours to add to, or change. The volunteers on the Advisory Panel (click here) can only do so much to vet and validate the information posted here, so please contribute as much as possible to help us present the most accurate and reliable data we can gather on these old milsurps. If you own a particular specimen of any MKL entry, then please send us pics of it, even though they may be duplicate views of pieces you already see here. In that way, we can build up multiple sets of pics for several milsurps of the same model, which will help in indentifying markings and authenticity. ALL pics and information received will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and respect of your privacy. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far, which is helping to make the Milsurps Collectors Forums a prominent site for serious collectors of all genres of old milsurp collectibles. ....... (Feedback by "Badger")
    Comments 3 Comments
    1. NavyShooter's Avatar
      A lovely set of photos!

      I like the way they use the old 2" mortars for barriers!

      NS
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    1. trooper554877's Avatar
      Many thanks Son,
      i like the webbing strap used on the barriers!! they must have rolss and rolls of the stuff niot used for slings!
      Cheers
      NED
    1. Black Prince's Avatar
      Yep your post made me hope on my motorcycle last week and ride up to Lithgow to visit the museum.
      Bloody worth the trip, am going again next week for another ride and look.
      I take all the back roads,sealed and unsealed covered over 500 Ks there and back.
      Cheers
The SMLE 1903-1989