No1mk3 Heavy barreled sporter

Picked this up off a relative and would like to know all I can about it.

From what I can tell, 1916 Lithgow mk3 with cutoff slot, converted to Heavy barrel in June 1935??

Unfortunately sporterized but fortunately the barrel was not cut and is in excellent condition with shiny sharp rifling.

A T01 mount was neatly installed along with an optic I can find no information on.

Any info, comments, questions are welcome.

I fired some mk8 ammo and from a sitting position shot a 3" 3 shot group at 100y.

I will have it out again soon and will try a more stable position and follow up with a range report.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/52fgba-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/se1tdw-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/icoltl-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2q3cby1-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/sgu1jp-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../34pnuvo-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/kd7fur-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../20tnxc2-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../315yb21-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../1zlviio-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/w9xrv4-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/1rvjmf-1.jpg

Definitely one of the nice sporters out there. Wood is nice, and the barrel matched to the action is cool too, but the years on the barrel indicate its manufacture and not always when it was installed on the rifle. The barrel was likely put in during a refurb if I am not mistaken. See if you can spot any FTR markings because that would be the most likely time the barrel was chucked on. I forget what the two broad arrows towards the 'S' means.

Funnily enough my father just came to have a look on the computer and he reckons he recognizes the brand of your scope and reckons they are pretty old and not too common, so there you go. One of those rare sporters I would actually own and use.

The small marking on the scope/scope mount reads SUWA. It is a Japanese scope name from the 1970s. Argentine used SUWA scopes on their M1909/73 sniper rifle, just to give you an idea on the period.

>S< = sale mark serviceable when sold.
With the S on its side between the arrows this means "Sold out of service".
>< = sold out of service
/|\ various components accepted for Govt service after inspection
G R & crossed pennants with a P on barrel knox form or action body, George V cypher, between 1910 - 1936

Various inspection stamps the other stuff you know be interesting to see if it has the star under the sight ladder has the windage sight like mine though the mag cut off is gone think they were discontinued about mid '16 mine has the cut off.
Mine was produced 8,494 after yours.

Keep it and enjoy it how it is as its not worth trying to get all the parts for it as I can attest it was a 10 year oddessy with mine to get it back to original it was a complete MKIII wood but had no mag & no sling, no safety so I chased for a long time period correct parts including a 1916 Lithgow 5MD bayonet & 1916 Lithgow 5MD scabbard to match it in the end the last 2 items cost 6 times the cost what I originally paid for the rifle a $100/Au not counting the other costs with missing bits.

Magazine from a later model; either a No 4 or No 5.

Nijalninja; I will keep it as is for now, the wood is quite nice and someone put a lot of work into forming the butt into a pistol gripped Monte Carlo styling. Its actually quite confortable!

PROMO; thank you for decifering my scope! Im glad its actually a decent one and not a canadian tire special!

Maxwell; you are correct, its a longbranch mag.

CINDERS; thank you for the info!
I would love to put it back to original soneday but like you said, I'll pay and pay and pay... I already have a No4T restoration that has cost a pretty penny thats still in pieces under my bench... There is a fella making new cnc stocks in Canada so maybe Ill snap a set and fit this for a decent repro.

is this what you meant under rhe sight? What does it tell us?

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/vxyu1l-1.jpg

Not quite, the underside of the one with the range graduations on it.
HV = High Velocity
SC= Short Cone

Pic of my '16 Lithgow completed.

what a dolt.... wrong link...

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/a9vcdl-1.jpg

Well done on your restoration! any range reports?
Mine being drilled already, I may consider an HT build someday.

Gave it a light tear down and cleaning and am pretty impressed with this sporter job.
Whoever did it understood the enfield.
Tight, rebuilt draws, barrel contact at the knox (or is the chamber section of the barrel the reinforce?), free floated then contact at the end of the forend.
Parts are like new inside, no wear at all on the sear and the barrel is excellent.

Going to remount this scope as it was canted and try it out again this weekend.

Maybe i just dont what to look for but I dont see any FTR markings??

MA VT on barrel is the american impprter??

Heres some more pictures.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/wt7p7s-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/o6xjma-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../2dhuu4x-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/sc97av-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../344az2w-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../28gv091-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/a9vcdl-1.jpghttps://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...6/vxyu1l-1.jpg

Heavy barrel conversion from the 30’s, referred to as H model marksmen conversion. Only done in the lithgow factory.

BA = Rifle Factory No.2 Bathurst NSW Australia

MA= LSAF (Lithgow Small Arms Factory Australia) post 1926 (on both rifles & bayonets)

'MA' on the barrel just means the barrel was made at lithgow, and the 'BA' on the trigger guard I think means it was made at the Orange factory. Bunch of different factories came around later and built components and assembled rifles. If I am not mistaken however the Orange factory was not around in 1916 when your rifle was first built, which makes me think the trigger guard has been replaced. History of factories is not my thing so check with someone else first.

Sorry Nijal different factory OA= Rifle Factory No.3 Orange not the Bathurst factory;

Factory Marks

BA Rifle Factory No.2 Bathurst
CA Cowra Annexe
DA Dubbo Annexe
FA Forbes Annexe Lithgow LSAF up to 1926 (on both rifles & bayonets)
MA LSAF post 1926 (on both rifles & bayonets)
MAO Rifle Factory No.3 Orange (butt marking)
OA Rifle Factory No.3 Orange
PA Parkes Annexe
PA Portland Annexe SLAZ Slazenger Annexe (supplied wood furniture from 1941)
WA Wellington Annexe

Unreal thanks guys!

CINDERS, what does the star on the sight leaf and sear tell us?

Lithgow used the 7 pointed star with the internal "A" up until 1926 on the MKIII & MkIII* whilst post 1926 they just went with MA as per 5th statement above

Ah I knew I would screw it up. Thanks for the correction Cinders.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Homer

Heavy barrel conversion from the 30’s, referred to as H model marksmen conversion. Only done in the lithgow factory.

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H model for me too. Factory conversion, hence the barrel serialed to match. Is the sight base numbered?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aussie Long Tom

H model for me too. Factory conversion, hence the barrel serialed to match. Is the sight base numbered?

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It is numbered, but not matched.

Do we agree its a factory converted piece with no replaced parts (post conversion) with just the wood knocked down and butt replaced??

So the big question, what now??

Is this a good enough candidate to put back to military config or does the drilled receiver take too much away to make it worth my while and money?

I just noticed John172 what appears to be a blob of brass brazing under the rear adjustable sight holding it from moving is this so then tats a bit of a bugger.
Drilling & taping of the receiver & charger bridge will always affect the value they can be filled and made almost invisible but the thing is you cannot disguise the fact I would leave it and enjoy it as it is and look for another full wood.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CINDERS

I just noticed John172 what appears to be a blob of brass brazing under the rear adjustable sight holding it from moving is this so then tats a bit of a bugger.
Drilling & taping of the receiver & charger bridge will always affect the value they can be filled and made almost invisible but the thing is you cannot disguise the fact I would leave it and enjoy it as it is and look for another full wood.

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Sound advice thank you CINDERS!
And yes that rear sight doesnt move, why would that blob have been put there??

Are brass blobs easy to remove?