I've just purchased a 1904 No.1 Mk1 at auction on the basis of one photo and a brief description (rookie mistake) that has been had its woodwork significantly altered, with the view to restock it and bring it back to something that resembles what it would have looked like when it was issued. Now I have the rifle in my hands and can see what I have, and see that although the bolt and receiver match and the magazine is correct, the barrel however is not as issued. Its a non-serialled Lithgow H heavy contour SMLE barrel with a date of 12 '37 which I assume is December 1937. The receiver is stamped SA (for South Australiaicon as far as my reference books tell me anyway?) and there are sold from service marks on the barrel and receiver. What I would like to know is is there any way of telling that the H barrel was done by an military armourer rather than at any point in the last 80+ years by a private individual. What has me thinking it may be an armourers work is that the receiver is stamped 38 (perhaps when the new barrel went on?) and there are two // marks on the barrel which I read in the Skennertonicon's 'The Broad Arrow' pg 9, that such marks may be the mark of an armourer (they don't look like the typical marks left by bubba when he uses a vice and pipe wrench to swap barrels in any event). On the other hand, the lack of serial number on the barrel is a worry as I would have expected there to be a serial number that matches the receiver. If anyone could shed some light on what I have and when the barrel was put on, I'd really appreicate it. If my reasoning is way off the mark please be gently with your comments on my 'clutching at straws 'reasoning.

If it turns out that the barrel replacement is an armourers work, then what would be the correct forewood to use in any refurbishment work - a No.1 Mk1 or a No.1 MkIII with the charger bridge inlet filled in (sorry if that sounds a little newbyish, but am unsure if the heavy contour barrel would make fitting in a no.1mk1 stock a real pain in the proverbial, let alone what issues I may have fitting no.1 mk1 handguards.
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