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Anyone know of a current source of volley plates? I know there are a few sources around for new and repro pointers and rear apertures, but sadly the plate on the rifle (1913 BSA) I want dress up to look the WW1 part had its dial lug ground off in Australia post-WW1.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...Pqtajpeg-1.jpg
I’ve been watching Ebay lately as my Sparkbrook Patt ’14 no1 that came from Australia as well is missing the plate all together. I missed a set on there recently.
Sale ends in 5 days not sure if is what you require ?
long range volley sights and muzzle gaurd for long tom/long lee no.1 303 | eBay
Saw that but it’s the wrong dial plate. I could use an les2 or les III plate. A pure II plate is for a long lee.
It would fit but not be correct. The pointer, screw and washer would work though.
You can have this sportered forearm if you cover the postage.Lmk.
Pm sent
Amazing community assist - thanks gang! Husk came through with not only the plate I needed, but it's matching pointer, screw and spring. Steve H. in N.Y. then came through with the bead dimensions so I could machine and oil blacken a bead to repair the damaged pointer Husk sent me.
This will have a place of pride on the 1913 SMLE MkIII I'm fixing up. It went through a 1920's Australian FTR and all the MkIII bits were removed at that time - I'm putting them back because the furniture is set up for them and I much prefer the WW1 as-issued trim.
Pics to follow when the project is done. I attached a pic of the repaired volley sight in the rifle's forestock.
So you will have a rifle with Aussie stamps saying the rifle went through a FTR which brought it up to Mk111* spec and you have returned it to Mk 111. You have destroyed the history of the rifle and to some degree the value to a collector of Australian history. As an Aussie as my Head stamp shows a collector of our firearm history using a forum that pertains to be based on that history to see it destroyed in the manner of returning the rifle as issued is fraudulent. Sorry Claven2 i respect your position but not your action.
We're going to have to respectfully disagree Bindi. The rifle was abused before I got it and was rough, it had to be restored anyhow and I get to decide how I want to do that, using all correct parts for how it originally left the factory. It's also not FTR marked, just 2MD marked. I only know it was overhauled because it has a Lithgow 1929 barrel installed.
If you don't like my work, so be it.
Also, respectfully, I did not purchase it for any Australian connection.
Ultimately I posted here to show my volley sight repair. I suppose that's sacrilege too, I should have left it broken and shabby.
Claven 2
in post #7 you said the rifle went through an Australian FTR. The Aussies didn't stamp FTR on the rifles at that period in time i presumed you read the stamps that tell us this, what happened and when.
I have many Mk 111s that have been upgraded to Mk111* just like yours others have Mk111* furniture fitted when done again at a later date. The stamps on the Butt tell the story even if the Butt is replaced the story continues from that time just losing what happened before.
I have 1913 Mk111 as it left Lithgow old tired and beaten. another that had an upgrade like yours to Mk111*, and another that looks almost new from the last trip through the Factory. Guess which one is No1 from the three and which one is last in my favourite list. They are as they left service correct not molested or prettied up just service correct.
You are correct the rifle is yours to do with as you please. You are the guardian of a piece of Australian history as it left service. What would your reaction be if it was me doing a similar job on a piece of rare American rifle history.
I would have no reaction to you changing parts to other period parts on any American rifle unless it was sgt york’s personal m1917.
I’m Canadian, and same answer if it was a Canadian rifle.
I have not done anything irreversible, I have the two removed parts stored safely with this rifle. A ground volley disk and a non-milled sight protector. I’m changing a few other parts of no import, like screws with buggered up slots and a bent up unmarked sling swivel.
As for the rifle’s markings, the butt is original, unsanded. Marked 1/1916 (an issue date, I think), the original bsa serial number in a ww1 font, HV and 2MD. Nothing after that except the 1913 era bsa inspection stamps.
I think all it got was a new barrel in 1929 and the volley disc ground.
So to each his own, but this is a British commonwealth rifle in decent shape with no permanent changes. Definitely not worth your brusque criticism in my view.
With all that happened inter war years who is to say the '29 barrel was not fitted by a civilian gunsmith.
My 1916 5MD No.1 MkIII sports a '37 "H" replacement brl with the appropriate "H" stamp on the top of the wrist apparently there were allot of these rebarreled actions done in 1937 but there is no indication on the furniture to say that the rifle has had an FTR or FR only HV for MKVII ammo & CMF but I'll take it from what I have learned here the army replaced the brl.
It has sold >S< sold out of service.
Like you Claven2 my rifle was a sadly neglected affair, no mag, no safety, no sling dirty as a dogs bowl left outside, the only thing going for it was the price $100 and it being a 5MD 1916 WWI rifle.
Many years scouring period correct bit's and its together sadly through my omission the barrel is frosty now due to me not boiling it after shooting 1967 POF ammo, I know it's a bitsa but it is still part of this states heritage being also used by the CMF.
My 1921 Lithgow No.1 MkIII still has it's original brl but brand new in the white fore woods top & bottom with the date of 5/44 on the butt which no doubt means it was FR'ed May 1944 I guess it is practically unused still having remnants of cosmoline in the action I've had it for @15 years and never fired it.
I got it from Terry True (Dec) a gunsmith in Collie with a Lithgow 1921 '07 bayonet serialized to the rifle & 1921 Lithgow double stitched scabbard all 3 for $600 I made him a promise not to shoot it I want to but my inner voice says No reneging on your word!
Pic of my 1921
This post is a FYI to the Forum not a dig at Claven2 but info about his rifle.
After WW1 the Brits returned the same number of rifles to Australia that had been sent to them at the beginning of the conflict as they were in desperate need of rifles.
The returned rifles were certainly not in the best kept condition.
The decision to keep a work force employed was made and the repair work commenced at minimum cost and to upgrade to Mk111* spec.
If the furniture was serviceable it was retained the pointer ground off, the lobbing sight cut off and the rear adjustable sight shaft bent to lock the rear sight. The cutoff plate removed the barrel replaced or converted to SC and the front sight protector wings may also have been hollowed out. The relevant ownership stamps applied along with a return to stores date. Any MD stamps or inventory # were applied by the receiving MD. Some MDs replaced the cutoff plates. A rifle so done went to WW2, Korea, Borneo and many other dustups and came home to be sold off looking just like Claven2s rifle as well as some in my collection. Lithgows as well no favourites in Aussie service just well used serviceable effective tools