MKIII Rifle All Matching vs Non-Matching Good OR Bad??

[traindriver]

My question is when it comes to Enfield Rifles, if a rifle has some non matching parts is that such a bad thing? I have seen guys on other forums that say mis-matched gun = no deal! I know non-matching hurts collector value, but what about the rarity of the gun. Does that come into play with you fellows who have been collectiing for a long time. I'm new at this. An example would be a 1927 Lithgow MKIII. The upper wood does not match, the bore has good lands and grooves but is dark and dirty(needs a lot of TLC), The biggie is the bolt dosen't match. Now, is that a deal buster if you can get it at $200.00 or less? interwar gun, and I'm told by others guys that only 3000 were made. I would like some feedback from some of you who haved been collecting the Emfield for more than 4 months like I have.

Information

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[Beerhunter]

The problem with a miss-matched bolt is headspace. It is extremely important on a Lee-Enfield and so if a rifle has a miss-matched bolt the headspace needs to be checked before the rifle is fired.

[Son]

Welcome to the forums.
Before you get too bent out of shape over the "all matching originality" of a rifle, there's a few guidelines you can set for yourself. As you said, missmatched bits = less collector value. As Beerhunter said, missmatched bolt = need to have the rifle checked before firing it.
Are you a collector or a shooter, or are you like most, a practical collector who likes to shoot? At the other end, there are people who would pull a matching but worn barrel out of a rifle and fit a new one because they refuse to own any guns they can't shoot. They may as well cut the foreend off and weld on a scope bracket while they are at it.

Any "projects" you take on probably should be governed by parts availability and cost in your area. You may decide to only buy complete rifles- which can mostly by cheaper than chasing the parts for a restoration. Some rifles will just "talk" to you- you'll have to have them no matter what!
A 1927 Lithgow would be a good piece in almost any condition. A complete rifle for the price you mention- even with a missmatched bolt would be a good score.
Bottom line- it isn't going to decrease in value from there, so if you find a better one, you can sell this one to subsidise it. (if you really have to... I've never been able to sell one...)

Keep an eye on the market and get a feel for the prices different rifles are getting. Having a fair knowledge of markings can help prevent getting ripped off by the bad guys that are out there. All the info you may need is here in the Milsurp Knowledge Library entries. If you can't find something, ask away and someone will either answer or direct you to where to go.

BTW, we like pics!
Here's a 1923 Lithgow (no FTR) I picked up as a chopped up sporter for milk money. I still need one more bit to complete it, but it's rarity made it a worthwhile project- it's all matching except the foreend and nosecap, but the barrel is too far gone to ever shoot it.

[Aragorn243]

I'm not a formal collector, just someone that likes old military rifles that function so matching numbers isn't that important to me. If I had two sitting side by side in the same condition for the same price and one matched the other didn't I'd go with the one that matched but I'm not willing to pay a huge premium for it.

[Alan de Enfield]

From Skennertons Identification series

Interwar Lithgow Production (Fiscal year)

1919-20 = 25,570
1921-22 = 14,440
1922-23 = 2,700
1923-24 = 3,320
1924-25 = 3,140
1925-26 = 2,760
1926-27 = 3,000
1927-28 = 3,200
1928-29 = 3,200
1929-30 = 340
1934-35 = 500
1935-36 = 1,141
1936-37 = 900
1937-38 = 421
1938-39 = 860

[finloq]

I would also add, that if the bolt is Australian, it may have been changed out in service...in other words, it is the right bolt.

[tbonesmith]

Hey Son, have you spliced the forend on that SMLE at the rear band? or replaced the forend entirely?

[krinko]

"I would also add, that if the bolt is Australian, it may have been changed out in service...in other words, it is the right bolt."

No.
A replacement bolt fitted inside the D^D system would be, at the very least, lined out and renumbered to match the receiver. More likely, it would simply have a matching number but lack the assembly number that indicates an original bolt.
As an example: I found an "A" series Lithgow bolt and stuck it in my mismatched 1920, but as much as I would like to kid myself, it's not the right bolt.

As for what this '27 might be worth in the US---I just paid $400US for a nearly perfect Brazilian Contract M1908 Mauser----would I trade it for two mismatched 1927 Lithgows with bad bores?
The answer is not merely "NO" but "Fill-in-the-blank NO".
-----krinko

[finloq]

"I would also add, that if the bolt is Australian, it may have been changed out in service...in other words, it is the right bolt."

No.
A replacement bolt fitted inside the D^D system would be, at the very least, lined out and renumbered to match the receiver. More likely, it would simply have a matching number but lack the assembly number that indicates an original bolt.
As an example: I found an "A" series Lithgow bolt and stuck it in my mismatched 1920, but as much as I would like to kid myself, it's not the right bolt.

As for what this '27 might be worth in the US---I just paid $400US for a nearly perfect Brazilian Contract M1908 Mauser----would I trade it for two mismatched 1927 Lithgows with bad bores?
The answer is not merely "NO" but "Fill-in-the-blank NO".
-----krinko

Ahh well. In that case, at best you have a mixmaster built on a rarer platform. The question comes down to the quality of the bore, it still might make a nice shooter.

[jmoore]

Aside from headspace issues, I think the rather more important question is whether both bolt locking lugs bear evenly w/ the receiver. There's been several good threads regarding the issue.