No1 MK3 * 1921 LITHGOW FTR

[bros]

Hi fellows

I'm looking at a 1921 Lithgow that has been thru an FTR.....it is stamped on the receiver ring "FTR" as well as on the left side of the butt socket under the safety "MA 50".

The finish and stampings on the metal are very nice on this rifle, the bolt and rear sight are matching numbers, the barrel I'm not sure about as the rifle is not in my possession so I did not ask to have the rear upper handguard lifted to check.....the nose cap is un-numbered.

The furniture on this rifle is in excellent condition and appears "as" unissued but it seems a bit of a puzzle, at least in my limited knowledge when it comes to Lithgow rifles and especially ones that have been thru an FTR process.

The butt is certainly Australian as on the underside just behind the butt socket there is stamped in the wood "SLAZ 53" along with an inspectors stamp. There are no additional stampings in the butt other than a large "S" at the top rear.
This butt is obviously an replacement, could it be possible this butt was the one used at the time of the FTR process? Seems unlikely given the FTR was dated 1950 and the butt is dated 1953? Your thoughts please......

The other question is about the fore-end, the only stamp on it (I was told) is one just forward of the mid band and it is stamped M-47 C with a broad arrow which denotes a British, BSA Shirley manufactured for-end, is it possible the Australians used British fore-ends during an FTR? The upper rear hand-guard appears to be beech and the fore coachwood.

In your estimation has this rifle had a hodge podge of furniture fitted to a de-sporterized rifle or is it possible it left the FTR process this way?

Thanks

[Alan de Enfield]

The other question is about the fore-end, the only stamp on it (I was told) is one just forward of the mid band and it is stamped M-47 C with a broad arrow which denotes a British, BSA Shirley manufactured for-end

As far as I am aware the M47 C code was only used on the No4 rifles - I have never seen a No1 MkIII BSA manufactured with the M47 C. marking.

M47 was the BSA 'parent' factory with each individual plant having a suffix, so, M47A, M47B and M47C etc.

The M47C plant was the assembly factory for the No4 rifles.

The woodwork that I have seen that is M47 marked has normally been M47A (Small Heath factory)

It'd be interesting to see a No1 MkIII dressed with an M47C

Never say Never with Enfields !

[bros]

As far as I am aware the M47 C code was only used on the No4 rifles - I have never seen a No1 MkIII BSA manufactured with the M47 C. marking.

M47 was the BSA 'parent' factory with each individual plant having a suffix, so, M47A, M47B and M47C etc.

The M47C plant was the assembly factory for the No4 rifles.

The woodwork that I have seen that is M47 marked has normally been M47A (Small Heath factory)

It'd be interesting to see a No1 MkIII dressed with an M47C

Never say Never with Enfields !

Hi Alan........I'm requesting a few more pictures first with permission to share them and then I will see about posting them......I'm hoping to get to the bottom of this!

Thanks for your reply......just give me some time and I hope to respond.

[Lance]

BSA did make new furniture for their 1953-54 Rifle No. 1 and No. 2 FTR program. Why one ended up on your rifle is a mystery that suggests that your rifle might be a post-service restoration.

[Alan de Enfield]

BSA did make new furniture for their 1953-54 Rifle No. 1 and No. 2 FTR program. Why one ended up on your rifle is a mystery that suggests that your rifle might be a post-service restoration.

Now that is interesting - I wonder why BSA continued to use ther 'secret war time code' some 9 years after the war ended ? and didn't revert to BSA ?

There is "nowt as strange as Lee Enfields"

[mattyboy82]

I would love to see some photos.

You described the wood as 'unissued' and with a1953 date.

This is already painting a picture in my head as a possible John Jovino import into the USA/Canada from the 1980s.

The dating of the practically new wood AFTER an FTR is a big indicator that this could be the case.

If the rifle was FTR'd then a lot of the time new wood was placed on rifles. This isn't the case for every rifle but I have never seen WW2 BSA wood on an Australian FTR'd rifle.

[browningautorifle]

Here's pics for the OP post...

[bros]

I would love to see some photos.

You described the wood as 'unissued' and with a1953 date.

This is already painting a picture in my head as a possible John Jovino import into the USA/Canada from the 1980s.

The dating of the practically new wood AFTER an FTR is a big indicator that this could be the case.

If the rifle was FTR'd then a lot of the time new wood was placed on rifles. This isn't the case for every rifle but I have never seen WW2 BSA wood on an Australian FTR'd rifle.

Well.....first a big thanks to browningautorifle for stepping in and posting the photos, Jim contributes to the success of this site in a large way!!

Just to set the record straight, the butt is the only piece of furniture that is dated, it is stamped "SLAZ 53" on the underside just behind the butt socket, at least it's correct in the sense that it is Australian.

The fore-end is not dated at least from what the pictures tell me, I have asked the owner to send me photos of any stamping in the wood, I think Lance is onto something and that's the way my feeling's are leaning that post service the fore-end and other pieces were added, it would be nice if someone could prove otherwise though.
I usually stay away from Enfield's that were de-sporterized but this one is a real "looker" so I'm still mulling it over. Interestingly the photos taken of the entire length of the firearm of the left/right side: the fore-end grain and color seem to match up rather nicely with the rest of the pieces other than the upper rear handguard, it's appears very different though when looking at the fore-end from the underside!

Can the wood experts identify the various types!

Mattyboy82 can you expand upon your theory regarding John Jovino when it comes to this particular firearm.....his name and significance escapes me when it comes to the firearm's world.

Thanks all.

[browningautorifle]

a big thanks

A pleasure...

Can the wood experts identify the various types!

One side looks like Birch and then I see a couple of feathers that suggest beech. I think it's Birch though.

[Sapper740]

[/QUOTE]Mattyboy82 can you expand upon your theory regarding John Jovino when it comes to this particular firearm.....his name and significance escapes me when it comes to the firearm's world.[/QUOTE]

The John Jovino Gun Shop in no other place than lower Manhattan in New York City was America's oldest gun shop until it closed in 2020 after the COVID 19 Plandemic. They imported all sorts of milsurps from around the world and were famous for supplying New York movie sets with firearms and Police departments.