SAF Lithgow Mk.III*

[Brian Dick]

A question for my Australian brothers. I acquired a decent but well used '42 Mk.III* that's matching throughout and in spec. including the forend. It strikes me as a rifle that's seen service in the tropics as the metal is coated with the olive colored preservative paint. The stock, which is it's original coachwood from what I can see appears to be painted a medium brown color. I thought at first it might be just the original creosote/RLO finish slathered on and hardened in the long distant past but it looks like paint. This rifle hasn't been disassembled in a very long time and just feels unmessed with and like it's been there and done that if you get my drift. It's wartime through and through. The forend was never upgraded with the brass plates so it's very original. What are your thoughts on the painted woodwork? In my younger days I'd have stripped it of the paint without a thought but I won't remove it, just carefully preserve it if it's something that was done in service. Any thoughts are much appreciated.

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[smerdon42]

Brian it was probably painted as it came from African service to tropical New Guinea I have some that are early lithgows with painted barrels but not on the stock , I have a heavy barrel brand new with green paint on it as well never fitted to a rifle . My dad was a Vietnam vet and they used to use a thick oil based product on the L1a1 wood to help preserve it in tropical conditions .

[Alan de Enfield]

It strikes me as a rifle that's seen service in the tropics as the metal is coated with the olive colored preservative paint.

Any rifles in British service were painted as a protection and replaced the petroleum jelly previously use.
It was not just 'tropics issued rifles' but all rifles, at home or abroad, and were to be painted at the time of next inspection, or sooner, if they came in for a repair.

Did other nations follow the British instructions ?

Instruction to Armourers :

[muffett.2008]

Brian, not aware of any woodwork painting.
All timberwork was dyed but not painted.

[Homer]

Nope, never seen a painted stock. Not aware of it ever happening.

Is it an E serial number Brian?

[browningautorifle]

Did other nations follow the British instructions

Canada did not paint Long Branch rifles metal.

[Brian Dick]

Thanks for the comments. I'd like to know what the thick oil based product smerdon42 refers to is and was it used for tropical service on wood during WWII. My interpretation is probably not but I certainly could be wrong. The wood is very dry and needs a good drink of RLO to preserve it so that's probably the route I'm going to take which entails stripping the paint first gently using chemicals. That's what would happen in a real Armourer's workshop anyhow if it was in for service. The paint on the underlying metal is excellent and intact. It just needs a light cleaning and a coat of XG279 before reassembly.

Homer, The serial number is U58513. There are no US pre-1968 export or post 1986 import marks present. There are no British proofs, commercial or otherwise. AdE, I know the painting instructions are in the Instructions for Armourers and yes, every commonwealth country should/would be using those standards.

[Lithy]

My wife's grandfather told me it was common practice before big parades/inspections for diggers to apply their tan boot polish to the woodwork of their rifles to even out the colour and hide the dings and scrapes that service arms acquire from their intended use. What you are looking at as paint could well be boot polish.

The U prefix serial number isn't Lithgow.

[Homer]

Yes Brian, a U prefix is unusual

[Brian Dick]

My bad, it's a "D" stamped with a broken or badly worn stamp that matched both body and barrel. The stamps on the back of the bolt handle, rear sight and nose cap are nearly as bad but readable. There must have been a war on! I had to change it in my record book. The crap on the wood was definitely brown paint. It's removed now and the markings on the butt are visible. It's original with a 1943 date and no rebuild/FTR stamps. The wood is out in the sun today. It's going to be 100f in the shade which will make for fast work soaking up some RLO. It has a QL maple front handguard and the rest is coachwood, all good and sound. The bolt head looks to have been fitted later in service as the blue on it is too nice but it's also MA marked and although a bit on the loose side, the bolt assembly is in spec.. It's nice to service such an honest rifle every now and again.