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Lee Enfield no1 mk3* lithgow 1941 FTR 1957 full wood.
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The re-numbering of the barrel is not exactly "forced matching", just the way things were done. The old number is still visible so that some idea of its provenance is retained in the Ordnance system. If a rifle got mangled by a truck running over the body, the rest would be savaged and fed back into the "system' as parts, or simply sent for "F.T.R." (Factory Thorough Repair.), a fancy name for "rebuild to current factory standards".
This still happens today to some extent.
The body also appears to have been re-marked on the right side of the breech ring at some stage
There is a "trick" to removing that outer band with the sling swivel attached. The properly installed originals have the thread-end of the screw staked / spread. The end of this screw is even specially machined to enable this. The correct way to remove them is to carefully drill away the 'flared" bit. Failure to do this means you will cheerfully back a wildly oversized thread section through the thread in the band. Bad enough with the "malleable cast iron" version; totally destructive on the brass bands.
Towards the end of the service life of these rifles, there was even an allowance for the use of a "substitute" BA threaded screw. The originals had a "special" Enfield thread. Not only that, EVERY time an armourer had to do ANYTHING that required the removal of the woodwork, the band had to be removed first, accompanied by the destruction of the screw.
These BA substitutes were a little larger in diameter and after a little creative re-tapping of the band thread, did the job nicely.
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It's a nice one mate, shame to sell it.
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Nice rifle have a look at some local gun sites to see the condition of MkIII's they are selling based on yours and go from there. Prices can fluctuate a fair bit Lithgows over here range from $450 ~ $1200+/AU depending on condition the low to mid priced ones move the higher ones tend to stay there.
Based on what I have seen on the market in Usedguns.com.au $600 ~ $700/AU would not be too exorbitant for that rifle based on the pics.
I have to ask this one the milled out rear sight protectors with the Lithgow star aren't they WWI vintage or did they continue to mill them in WWII also stamping them MA, OA, BA without using the A in the star also how often did they stake the sear screw as none of my MKIII's or No.4's have had that done. Also I think on the left hand wrist strap faintly struck is that a P in a circle just near the safety lever at @3:00 o'clock Pic 18 that is for a parralel bore is this correct. Also pic 19 shows on the barrel stamped 1918 with the re-inforce a '19 date! TIA
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Cinders the sight protector is a reused part, as this was a practise that is very evident with Lithgow FTR's from the 50's and demonstrated well with this rifle. Even the action is scrubbed and renumbered. Sight protectors, nosecaps, trigger guards, magazines, butts bolts and barrels are other parts that you'll find as reused parts on a Lithgow FTR.
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I just find it amazing then they kept those parts for so long old school I suppose never throw it out...........!
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But they may have been parts recently removed from rifles that were returned for FTR. Every rifle was stripped and parts gauged for reuse.
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Buster: I suspect Cinder's comments about prices would apply here as well, in Canadian dollars. Maybe a bit higher if the bore is excellent or if you try to sell it online on something like CGN.
Ridolpho
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The hardest part of selling your rifle is to be honest with your appraisal of it some just want the world for an average firearm for instance there is a dealer here in Aust that has MkIII's for sale on the web (usedguns.com.au) nothing really special from $1,200~$1,850/AU which they will not get so just based on your pics without looking at the bore and other bits like H/S I opted for a mid-range sale price you could advertise it for a bit more its up to yourself. Me I never sell once you have them it only costs the license fee to own them and ones in good condition will in years to come appreciate but they do need some occasional maintenance RLO & oiling the metal and bore.
Like Peter L says "They aint making them anymore."
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Homer
It's a nice one mate, shame to sell it.
Yes I know, but I already have a No.1 and a No.4 I don't need more, the price for this rifle was so good that I could not refuse.
