Lithgow No1Mk3 Questions

[GySgt-6469]

New to the site; been picking up a few Enfields here and there.
2 Lithgow III*s
Rifle 1 - 1942 - with armorers mark of MA R 5/46 on the buttstock.
Not an FTR, but fairly extensive refurbish. Forend, fore and rear upper wood was all replaced with SLAZ46 with recoil plates. Nose cap and leaf sight are not serialized (replaced with OA "Orange Armory" parts), but no "R" stamp on the receiver indicating a barrel replacement. The barrel has a different SN starting with a W and no replacement date. This would indicate that this is a UK and not a Lithgow barrel.... pristine bore.
Question to the guru's is
#1 Was replacement of barrel normally done with barell from another rifle? and is W a replacement SN from OA?
#2 Are the copper recoil pads common or necessary on the SLAZ furniture. I read that this was a corrective mod on the coachwood furniture and SLAZ didn't need them..... Or was it common place for the armorer's to apply the mod regardless of the furniture? Pictures to follow

Rifle 2 - 1941 DD (Nock's form stamp indicates Department of Defense)
Nose cap, bolt, and receiver S/N match. Didn't realize the relevance of JJCO issues until after the purchase was made. But it doesn't look to be all that bad (I hope)
All furniture was replaced with SLAZ42/43 and is in near new condition... (I don't think it has seen a drop of linseed oil yet) So that being said, I have lost any armorer markings that could have shed light on the history of this rifle. The fore-end is also missing the traditional recoil pads, which I read was part of the issue with JJCO frankensteining Lithgow III*'s and advertising as never issued.
Leaf sight and guards look to be brand new OA (surplus). Upon disassembly for inspection (sorry Old Marine, it's a habit to insure everything is where it is suppose to be and there are no welds, cuts or other unforeseen SNAFU's to encounter).
Barrel is S/N matched but has a date of 11/61 on it, looking like it was replaced..... but by whom? It looks to have the star A I and star A II stamps; so the barell looks legit. I am figuring that the buttstock markings would have answered this.
She's a beautiful specimen, but may not be worth what I paid.
Questions on this one:
#1 Barrel is stamped like it's a replacement. Would a refurb not mark a replacement of the barrel and that normally marked during FTR?
There are no markings for FTR, but also no "R" for a barrel replacement. However, the barell is stamped with the S/N, and shows 11/61 above it with additional Australian markings. Pristine bore on this one also.
#2 question from above also applies concerning recoil pads. If they are necessary on SLAZ furniture also, does anyone have a resource on diagrams to make them, or a source to purchase them to install?
Pictures to follow

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
GySgt S.

Information

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[Alan de Enfield]

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Rifle 2

If the serial number has a prefix letter it is virtually guaranteed to be a Lithgow manufactured rfle.
If the serial number has a suffix letter (probably an "A") is it virtually guaranteed to be a JJ 'Frankenstein put-together' with no quality control.

[GySgt-6469]

Rifle 2

If the serial number has a prefix letter it is virtually guaranteed to be a Lithgow manufactured rfle..

SN Prefix C.... I figured those were right from the JJCO articles. My concern was the barrel, but it is a C also, just no rebarrel mark. But it has some other markings I am unfamiliar with. One looks like a '44 mark (first image).

I also noticed some bafoon sanded the buttstock - AGAINST the grain. I figure that I am going to have to work through a slurry mix of linseed oil and light steel wool to rub in and get it to fill those scratches.
I wish people who didn't understand vintage firearms and basic wood working would leave well enough alone.


RIFLE 2 Images
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[Bindi2]

Rifle 1
Q1. The Aussies are pretty miserable good parts were reused. W is not an OA or Lithgow serial number
Q2 Slaz only used coachwood so plates are required.

R depending on the style can also mean rust.
MA R 5/46 means that is when the rifle was returned to stores after FTR/over haul.
7/44 is the barrel manufacture date.