Earliest Lithgow Rifles

[muffett.2008]

We have discussed this before, not reaching any conclusion due to lack of information, but while trawling through a few files I came across a snippet of enlightenment.

As we have recently been following the Pratt and Whitney rifle sold from the Farris Collection, it reminded me of the followup rifles produced as out of run production before the 1913 rifles were made.

I have previously put up information on these rifles, the first 10 being in a test run, followed by two presentation rifles, these being presented to Parliament and the Minister of Defence, before the SAF began it's normal production.

That meant that there were twelve rifles not counted in production figures, manufactured in 1912.
The question was were they dated 1912?..........it looks like a no.

Both the presentation rifles were not marked in anyway, clean skins, so we can assume that the preceding 10 rifles(9 given to assembly staff, the other was on display in the managers office, taken by Radcliffe when he resigned) were also cleanskins.

So for us serious Collectors, the jobs not finished yet.
Attachment 83255

Also note the early use of Coachwood.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Homer]

Fascinating. The part about quality surprises me a tad.

[CINDERS]

I gather you may have these two volumes as well Muffett pretty good info in there.
Would be nice to view one of them, be worth a pretty penny today though.

[Lithy]

From what I can gather, the one in the case at front and centre of the Lithgow Museum was Clarkson's and it was handed in for destruction by his descendants during the purge of the late 90's.

Luckily, someone knew, or was told what it was and it found it's way home, and more importantly was saved.

Sadly, I think the other examples would have been less likely to have had the same opportunity.

Son or Bindi may wish to chime in here, but I think there were some skeletons of the trials rifles shown to us when we got the back room tour years ago.

[BushyFromOz]

From what I can gather, the one in the case at front and centre of the Lithgow Museum was Clarkson's and it was handed in for destruction by his descendants during the purge of the late 90's.

Is it true that ADI handed in the whole colleciton and the Museum had to petition the government not to destroy it???

[mrclark303]

From what I can gather, the one in the case at front and centre of the Lithgow Museum was Clarkson's and it was handed in for destruction by his descendants during the purge of the late 90's.

Luckily, someone knew, or was told what it was and it found it's way home, and more importantly was saved.

Sadly, I think the other examples would have been less likely to have had the same opportunity.

Son or Bindi may wish to chime in here, but I think there were some skeletons of the trials rifles shown to us when we got the back room tour years ago.

Thank god someone was Eagle eyed and clearly had an interest in Enfields and Australian history.

It's an important survivor that's for sure. It could have so easily have gone into the mangle...

I would hope it's secured for the nation in the Lithgow collection.

[Homer]

There was definitely one barrelled action out back. I have pictures of it at home but I'm not there.

[ufo8mydog]

Very interesting article.

[Jollygreenslugg]

Yeah, at least one barreled action out back during the tour. Mind you, my fave was the ex-Gallipoli 14 Lithgow.

[ufo8mydog]

Yeah, at least one barreled action out back during the tour. Mind you, my fave was the ex-Gallipoli 14 Lithgow.

Was that the one on its own in a cabinet? If so it wasn't on display when I was there a few weeks ago.