Century Arms Import SMLE

[Bindi2]

Bindi , I agree with you ,it is like hens teeth to find a original rifle . I like to restore the sporterized rifle s I have back to original spec.i have a 1913 Lithgow that was sporterized and I have worked on finding all the parts from Lithgow to make it a restoration as close to it left the factory. Mine unfortunately had to be restocked with volley sights original plate but I don’t have a lithgow small star nose cap and will continue to look for one to match , everything else like the sight ,bolt magazine and even the bolt head are original to the rifle . But I don’t reperesent it as original .i have 3x 1914 lithgows one is sporterized and went into the Austrian police force after ww2 , one went to India and was restocked and has Indian parts on it but numbered to the original rifle serial and the last one is one that was put into the British army during ww1 and remained there during ww2 and some how ended back up in Aussie hands during ww2 if this one could talk it would be a interesting yarn .i leave my unsporterized ones as is as it is good to keep the history .intact .if someone else has messed with it I enjoy the challenge of collecting and restoring them.

All the early Lithgows have been through at least three FTRs so will have a a mixture of parts fitted as required. Rebuilding sporters is just a FTR the only thing missing will be the stamps on the butt and left socket. Lithgows have the rifles history stamped into the butt mostly which can be read like a book any thing that breaks the story stands out in flashing lights . Even the wrong furniture is correct if the stamps say so but if you have a rifle with original furniture volley sights, windage sights and cut off in place with the FTR stamps and star in place you know Bubba has been at work. If the star is barred out and the cut off in place its correct. Sanded butts are a NO NO so is any thing other than linseed oil that is any thing
Look after my history put the old girls skirts back on and enjoy them.