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Thread: Lithgow Lee Enfield Rifle I suspect is a John Jovino?

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    Question Lithgow Lee Enfield Rifle I suspect is a John Jovino?

    I need your help in identifying positively if my rifle is a John Jovino Lithgowicon Lee Engfield or not. My hope is it is not a John Jovino but I suspect it is.
    Under the bolt it says Lithgow SHT.LEE III 1915.
    Cerial # matches on the nose cap and on the metal up near the bolt action where there is a 5MD, an old 7 pointed star with an A in it and a shield below with ACP in it as well as a second cerial number that matches the cerial number in the wood in the butt stock.
    Also on the butt stock is 1915, 5MD, CMF, 18, HV, III and a shield with a kangaroo inside it with the letter A on the left of the kangaroo and C on the right.
    On the wood on the underside behind the trigger guard is a 7 pointed star and AUSTRAILIA stamped over it.
    On the underneath on the other side of the trigger and the magazine stamped in the wood is Z. You can make out a faint old V two inches further up the wood on the underneath side.
    The bolt does not have a matching cereal number. It has the seven pointed star with an A in it as well as MA'41.
    The rear site does not have a windgauge screw although the wood shows there was one once. The cereal numbers on the rear site don't match the metal near the bolt or the nose cap or in the wood of the butt stock.
    Volley sites are mounted on the gun but the way they are mounted does not look right. For example the forward volley site that looks like a sundial is mounted by a screw instead of being "pinned" in.
    The rifle does have brass recoil pads.
    The front site has N and an arrow next to it.
    The barrell is in very good condition. Here is what is marked on it when I removed the wood. SA with an arrow between them maybe, JJ (one J is higher than the first J), a crown marking that looks to be of India, maybe a I L over 76 over C, maybe a D over a 2 over a C, maybe SA over 2 ?, a square with an O in the center and I L over S A over O maybe.
    There are no markings on the Lower Band.
    There is an old seven pointed star on the metal behind the front site and the nose guard.
    The wood all apears to be original and the same.
    I suspect this is a gun by John Jovino. I will try and post some photos if I can figure out how to do it. Great looking Lee Enfield but not sure it is what I hope it to be, a true Lithgow. If anyone has any feedback, please let me know. I hope to hear feedback soon.
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    JJ co also imported complete rfles aswell as made up spares into rifles. If it had recoil pads you're fine as that is the issue with jjco made up rifles.

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    Hey Bear,Even tho it has a mismatched bolt and possibly a replacement barrel you still have a very desirable rifle ,even if it has the john jovino import stamps.Like Newcastle said they imported lots of complete rifles.Not to many 1915 Lithgows around with original timber

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    Yup, agree, 1915 Lithgowicon with volley sights are not common, and highly collectible.

    Front volleys are held with a screw with two tiny holes on it surface, not pinned, unless I misunderstand your descrioption

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    Thank you all for your responses. Concerning the volley sites, I'd love to post two photos but not sure how to. I have taken photos from my iphone, emailed them to myself and when I click on the icon above it asks me for a url?
    My front volley site has one large screw instead of two smaller screws. If it is not correct, who might I speak with about restoring it? I really need to post a photo of the rear volley site as I can't quite explain it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by bear2003 View Post
    ... I'd love to post two photos but not sure how to. I have taken photos from my iphone, emailed them to myself and when I click on the icon above it asks me for a url?
    .
    To learn more about about how to handle pics, please read this thread in the Q&A - Help Forums, which also appears as a "sticky" thread at the top of every forum on the site.

    How do I upload pictures to my posts for storage on milsurps.com? (click here)

    In the case of pics stored in our member's Photo Gallery, all you have to do is click on the pic in the album and you'll see an area at the bottom where the cu-n-paste code is created for you, so you can simply use it within any post.

    If you still have problems, email them to me at badger@milsurps.com and I'll re-size them for you, then post them in the thread under your name

    Note: You're also cross-posting virtually the identical thread in the The Restorer's Forum. Please try to keep your requests focused in one area, so members may better help you out without wasting a lot of their time answering twice. Thanks.

    Regards,
    Doug
    Last edited by Badger; 05-19-2012 at 06:36 AM.

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    The bolt sounds like a 1941 replacement. 5MD is a WESTERN Australianicon rifle my home State, CMF is citizen military forces, 18 could be the return to store date after WW1, If there is two numbers on the receiver one is the rifle serial number the other is the 5MD issue number, HV means the rear sight has been reset for mk7 ammo hence the number change also when the windage adjustment would have been removed. The volley sights should not be on the rifle but a cut off could be though the 41 on the bolt could mean it was removed when the boly was installed. photos would help more.

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    I own one of the JJ parts guns. Also has no recoil plates (I'm trying to locate a set). This one has Jovino-applied serial numbers:



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    If I was you Slater, I wouldn't even bother with the recoil plates. In fact, they were nothing of the sort but a decreasing cam that between them and the butt socket, would draw (hence the word 'draws' - after their purpose in life) the rear end of the fore-end into contact with the butt socket. I'd just replace the draws as per an article some time ago about replacing them in a worn out fore-end.

    The notion that you could hold them in place with 7mm or so long screws, going into the end grain of the wood was a fairy story

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    Attachment 33913Attachment 33914Attachment 33915Attachment 33916Attachment 33917Attachment 33918Attachment 33919Attachment 33920Attachment 33921Attachment 33913Attachment 33914Attachment 33915Attachment 33916Attachment 33917Attachment 33918Attachment 33919Attachment 33920Attachment 33921
    Thank you badger for the help with the photos and I appologize for the cross posting. Below are the photos. Bindi2 I am excited to learn the rifle was in your home state. Please see the photo of the front and rear volley sites. I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on how they are mounted. What might it mean? Also, the front volley site photo I would love to know what the marking is on the arm, the piece that actually moves, as well as the plate below it. The plate below the arm with the yardage on it is partially covered in the photo. The mark is LES III with the symbol in the middle. Any idea what the "Z" marking is on the wood? The photo does not show it but a little further up is a V. I keep finding markings in the wood that are old and hard to see until a photo is taken or a light is shown on it.
    Let me know what you see from the photos. Love learning as much as I can about this rifle.

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