Anyone know of a current source of volley plates? I know there are a few sources around for new and repro pointers and rear apertures, but sadly the plate on the rifle (1913 BSA) I want dress up to look the WW1 part had its dial lug ground off in Australia post-WW1.
Союз нерушимый республик свободных Сплотила навеки Великая Русь. Да здравствует созданный волей народов Единый, могучий Советский Союз!
I’ve been watching Ebay lately as my Sparkbrook Patt ’14 no1 that came from Australia as well is missing the plate all together. I missed a set on there recently.
Amazing community assist - thanks gang! Husk came through with not only the plate I needed, but it's matching pointer, screw and spring. Steve H. in N.Y. then came through with the bead dimensions so I could machine and oil blacken a bead to repair the damaged pointer Husk sent me.
This will have a place of pride on the 1913 SMLE MkIII I'm fixing up. It went through a 1920's Australian FTR and all the MkIII bits were removed at that time - I'm putting them back because the furniture is set up for them and I much prefer the WW1 as-issued trim.
Pics to follow when the project is done. I attached a pic of the repaired volley sight in the rifle's forestock.
Last edited by Claven2; 02-03-2025 at 09:16 PM.
Союз нерушимый республик свободных Сплотила навеки Великая Русь. Да здравствует созданный волей народов Единый, могучий Советский Союз!
So you will have a rifle with Aussie stamps saying the rifle went through a FTR which brought it up to Mk111* spec and you have returned it to Mk 111. You have destroyed the history of the rifle and to some degree the value to a collector of Australian history. As an Aussie as my Head stamp shows a collector of our firearm history using a forum that pertains to be based on that history to see it destroyed in the manner of returning the rifle as issued is fraudulent. Sorry Claven2 i respect your position but not your action.
We're going to have to respectfully disagree Bindi. The rifle was abused before I got it and was rough, it had to be restored anyhow and I get to decide how I want to do that, using all correct parts for how it originally left the factory. It's also not FTR marked, just 2MD marked. I only know it was overhauled because it has a Lithgow 1929 barrel installed.
If you don't like my work, so be it.
Also, respectfully, I did not purchase it for any Australian connection.
Ultimately I posted here to show my volley sight repair. I suppose that's sacrilege too, I should have left it broken and shabby.
Союз нерушимый республик свободных Сплотила навеки Великая Русь. Да здравствует созданный волей народов Единый, могучий Советский Союз!
Claven 2
in post #7 you said the rifle went through an Australian FTR. The Aussies didn't stamp FTR on the rifles at that period in time i presumed you read the stamps that tell us this, what happened and when.
I have many Mk 111s that have been upgraded to Mk111* just like yours others have Mk111* furniture fitted when done again at a later date. The stamps on the Butt tell the story even if the Butt is replaced the story continues from that time just losing what happened before.
I have 1913 Mk111 as it left Lithgow old tired and beaten. another that had an upgrade like yours to Mk111*, and another that looks almost new from the last trip through the Factory. Guess which one is No1 from the three and which one is last in my favourite list. They are as they left service correct not molested or prettied up just service correct.
You are correct the rifle is yours to do with as you please. You are the guardian of a piece of Australian history as it left service. What would your reaction be if it was me doing a similar job on a piece of rare American rifle history.
post-WW1.
PM
