Quote Originally Posted by Homer View Post
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 Lithgowicon 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.