Lee-Enfield Lithgow No. 1 Sniper

[Giove]

In recent times I have seen the photos of two Lithgow No. 1 Sniper with ABL scope dated, the scope, 1951.

The rifles are in as new condition and the sets are quite beautifull.

I think they are two put together.

Your opinion is very welcome.

Thanks.

The first rifle:

Information

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[Giove]

The second one:

[smle addict]

I agree with you; both appear put together. The import mark on the right side of the receiver, IA CO SAC CA, stands for InterAmerican Company, Sacramento, California which also was known as InterAmerican Import Export Company. They were a very large milsurp arms dealer in California. The second rifle's serial number does not fall within the know lists in Skennertons books. The first rifle's serial number is difficult to see, but even using a combination of probable serial numbers still does not put in the know HT sniper numbers. None of the HT or SAF markings on the butt or the receiver look correct.

As a side note; I saw a "genuine" HT for sale back in 1994 in the Los Angeles area at a now defunct gunshop. It was a 1941 Lithgow Mk III*. It had very poorly applied "H" stamps. It was not a heavy barrel, and the scope was a Periscope Prism, perhaps from a P14 sniper. The odd thing is the mounts looked to be legitimate, but were not installed professionally. I saw one more of these "HT" rifles a few years later at a gun show. My guess is someone got hold of real mounts, slapped them on a standard MkIII*, and threw a PPCo scope on it. These rifles were also marked IA CO, SAC CA.

ABL-are those Belgian scopes?

[Giove]

Thank you smle addict. Yes, the ABL are Belgian scopes.

[Sunray]

The second one was sold through England at some time. That's what all the 'BNP' stamps are about. Proof testing was(I think it still is) required on any milsurp sold through England. I think that one at least has been refinished too. The stamps are not clear.
Have a look here. The snipers have heavy barrels and the 'H' indicates no scope was mounted.
Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum
This is worth a read too. Lithgow SMLE No1 Mk3 HT Lee Enfield Rifle Association of Australia Inc. (LERAA)
These guys say the 'HT' variant was used for sniper training into the 1970's.
SMLE No1 Mk III* H HT

[Giove]

Very interesting. Thank you Sunray.

[Bindi2]

Neither of those rifles are genuine H Ts

[CINDERS]

Skennertons The Lee Enfield would have a high probability of having these rifles listed in the Australian section which I feel Bindi2 has checked by their serials hopefully no one brought them as they do command a premium the woods just look to new and I have not seen in all my years on this site the stampings like that on the butts with the dates being within a month of each other.

[Giove]

Thank you all.

The strange thing is also the ABL scope; I think that this scope has never been mounted on a Lee-Enfield.

[Bindi2]

The second one was sold through England at some time. That's what all the 'BNP' stamps are about. Proof testing was(I think it still is) required on any milsurp sold through England. I think that one at least has been refinished too. The stamps are not clear.
Have a look here. The snipers have heavy barrels and the 'H' indicates no scope was mounted.
Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum
This is worth a read too. Lithgow SMLE No1 Mk3 HT Lee Enfield Rifle Association of Australia Inc. (LERAA)
These guys say the 'HT' variant was used for sniper training into the 1970's.
SMLE No1 Mk III* H HT

The stamp H does not indicate a scope was not fitted. The H stamp is for the heavy barrel nothing else. The rifles with these barrels were used as marks mans rifles, range rifles and sniper rifles.