Force matched - me no understand

[Homer]

As far as Lee Enfields go the phrase Force matched is a rubbish saying and means exactly nothing in most cases. To many shared parts between factories and assembly lines from the same manufacturer. People who swap parts are destroying the rifles history. A 1913 No1 Mk3 Lithgow in mint condition does not exist in real life. In real life it is now a Mk3* looking very very tired to low average condition even with newer furniture. It will have been through at least two FTRs. A 1945 Lithgow could be as close as you will get to new, like a 1953 could be. XPs range from beaters to new.
No4 Mk2s can be NEW.
If the date is pre WW1 or during 1914/18 and it did not belong to a police force you can bet large sums of money it wont look new without a FTR with new parts.

Geez mate, we are probably wandering way off topic now, but I'll respond briefly. I wouldn't describe any as mint or even anywhere near it, but I've had examples of nearly every year of Lithgow that certainly had not been through any FTR's. Many where very much original to my untrained eyes, including a 1914 and 1915. I'd still like to think that somewhere out there there's a nice original 1913 as well.

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[Bindi2]

Geez mate, we are probably wandering way off topic now, but I'll respond briefly. I wouldn't describe any as mint or even anywhere near it, but I've had examples of nearly every year of Lithgow that certainly had not been through any FTR's. Many where very much original to my untrained eyes, including a 1914 and 1915. I'd still like to think that somewhere out there there's a nice original 1913 as well.

I have one but it is very very tired, it is an old lady with all its history still in place. I got it because it looked old dirty and worn and every one just walked past it without looking to see what it was. As far as I am concerned it is priceless never to be sold except from my cold lifeless hands. The other has been FTRd which is fine because it is a 1913 and that's what they did to rifles that are worn . Depending when the FTR was done at Lithgow the parts used would have been the same as the original so it would look like as new never used but what about WW2, Korea etc. WW1 was very hard on rifles just look at the crap that was returned to Aussie in replacement for the new rifles sent to the mother country at the beginning.

[ufo8mydog]

I have one but it is very very tired, it is an old lady with all its history still in place. I got it because it looked old dirty and worn and every one just walked past it without looking to see what it was. .

Any chance of seeing photos of it??