No1 MkIII* HT Sniper Rifle - History and Images

Images courtesy of Mick Toal

Though the British experimented with various types of accurized SMLE’s during World War One, they never proved to be very successful and ultimately the P14 rifle was pursued as a more adequate platform until the No4 rifle came along. It was Australia, which only ever produced SMLE’s and No1 rifles developed late in World War Two a moderately successful No1 pattern sniper rifle.

The No1 MkIII* HT was developed by Lithgow Small Arms by using the World War One era Pattern 1918 telescope and fitting the basic No1 receiver with a heavy barrel and finishing it with carefully bedded furniture. As there were only about 1500 of these sniper rifles produced it is difficult to say how successful they were on the battlefield, but certainly they would be a prize in anyone collection.

Featured here below are some images of Mick Toals refurbished high mount No1 MkIII*HT.

The rifle at the start of restoration.

Pre-restoration scope and action.

In progress the stripped action.

In progress the barreled receiver and fore-end.

The barrel and fore-end, note the H on the knox form indicating the Heavy barrel.

The completed rifle, a 1916 Lithgow SMLE originally converted to a No1MkIII*HT December 1944.

The receiver and scope.

Rear sight and furniture.

The nosecap.

The Pattern 1918 scope. Fig 1.

The Pattern 1918 scope. Fig 2.