My most interesting rifle.

[Peter Laidler]

I've probably missed something but is there a chance that someone has 'acquired' a later un-numbered Lithgow no-cut off body and made it up, say, after the war using an old worn out BSA as a donor for the parts.

I say this because the lower legs of the '939' in the 1939 date look like they are more modern 'unhooked' format and the lettering looks a bit uneven as opposed to a roll-stamp or made up impact-stamp although we can't see it very clearly.

I know this is hardly a forensic analysis but re-bodying is one thing for your damaged £15,000 VW Golf but re-bodying at a Field or Base workshops or even at a factory for a £13 rifle (the Ordnance VAOS list price of a part worn No1 Mk3 in 1965, when a brand new No4 was list priced at £22-10 shillings) isn't the kind of economics that would keep you in business for long. It's like putting new uppers on your old shoes

Or am I missing something

[5thBatt]

Heres a better pic of the markings.
PAA no A2810

[Peter Laidler]

Yep, they look pretty original to me............. But there's still this niggling question about re-bodying a rifle

[5thBatt]

Had it for years now & its niggled at me for the entire time
To me so much is wrong for it to be right yet so much is right for it to be wrong
The strongest argument for it being a 'stolen' receiver i feel is the lone NZ marking on the receiver, i can not recall ever seeing a NZ marked rifle (in this style, with its original barrel) not being marked the same on the barrel, maybe you can answer this one Peter, was this the way NZ marked it rifles in WW2 or later?

[Brit plumber]

Theres somthing strange about the markings on this action. The star afetr III has a A in it. I've had a look at some other MkIII* Lithgow actions and they are normal like these with solid lines through the centre. I think this action started life as a MkIII unfinished action and then it was given a star with a similar stamp.

[5thBatt]

Theres somthing strange about the markings on this action. The star afetr III has a A in it. I've had a look at some other MkIII* Lithgow actions and they are normal like these with solid lines through the centre. I think this action started life as a MkIII unfinished action and then it was given a star with a similar stamp.

Well spotted but not uncommon, would appear the early 1941 MkIII*s were marked the same way, i have 2, heres some pics of 1.