5MD 1916 Lithgow

[CINDERS]

It ventured out for a shoot but I was a tad tired after I fired a fair few rounds (90) out of the shooters I own and my 308 my mate then decided I needed to shoot his 300 Weatherby Mag as well so that topped it all off..........

She is nothing special (the rifle guys) nor ground breaking had a re barrel in 4'37 non original bolt and that's about it.
I have sourced a few bits all WWI Lithgow with the star A but it has a few quirky things;
1. Under the small top wood it has a W, just behind the rear sight block the usual H but under that out of view is SC
2.Under the safety catch it has a W in a circle.
3.The original Serial on the reinforce is not hatched out but retains the original serial with the replacement bolts serial underneath it, original serial on the butt.
4.In between the latter two one can see a question mark in a circle anyone guess that one P L ?
5.Of note on the butt is the 5MD CMF stamp, with the usual stuff.
6.The 07' bayonet is 5MD Lithgow 1916, scabbard is 5MD 1916 which I sourced separate to the weapon they alone cost 5 times the rifles initial price as they were both separate items in the condition I wanted them to be for the period. The sling is a Wright & Co 1916 it has the transitional mag which is Lithgow as well and the mag follower as well is WWI Lithgow.(See how often they come up for sale being Lithgow.)
7.The H must have been added when it was re-barrelled and this was inter war years so it may have been done for a gun club and then re acquired when WWII busted out though I do feel looking at the fore woods and butt that they are the original stocks the butt has 3 17 on it as well.......but.
8.I obtained a Lithgow Butt disc but not the original screw one day to obtain............ (Geez that sounds a bit suss!)

When I got it the previous owner had decided to VARNISH satin finish the stock as you do, lots of painstaking hours getting the stock back without losing the marks anymore than is already.
Previous owner but cannot really say had done a Bubba and sanded it also prior to finishing it completely as above.
I brought it for $100.ooAU bubba said it was all there yep right on it had no mag, no safety, no sling I have tried to keep it as close as the day it was produced.
And it has been a labour I have gone as far as I can it is 98% with period replacement gear and I have spent hours trolling sites.
It shoots okay on the range but I have shooters so I do not use it probably fired it 3 years ago but it comes out for a drink of the good gear on the stock.
And just to add insult to injury my wife has claimed it as hers........but has not fired this one as I make excuses not to get it out of the safe she uses my other 303's.

Thanks guys I have been saying I would drag the Lithy '16 out for a look but it is a pain in the butt to get to its safe with the other safe queens.
Sorry about the quality of the pics but I-phones are not that good or I am shaking thinking about Gentleman Jacks visiting tonight!

Information

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[Bindi2]

Looks very good being a 5MD lad myself.

[CINDERS]

Good for you Bindi2 I have all of Neville Browning books a W.A writer and he covers the 10th ALH very well.

[Brian Dick]

I have it's mate. sn. 36741/5025. All original except a replaced barrel done in October 1927 and bolt head most likely changed at the same time. It's got all of it's Queensland maple in good sound shape and I feel lucky to have it since they are scarce on the ground in these parts!

[Homer]

Cinders good on you for posting it.

The number on the butt is the inventory number for the 5th Military District. 58000 is the serial number.

[Homer]

Cinders, Ive got to ask. Did you realize this rifle was an H model?

[CINDERS]

I thought the Heavy barrels were fitted later and not WWI but I also heard/learnt that there were Mk III's the ones that were better shooters after testing and these were designated with the H and given to the Marksmen without telescopes it does have the windage back sight on it I could be way off beam there.
It is a non matching bolt as it has linish marks on it and a new serial but why was the old serial left on the reinforce and that bloody question mark frustrates me.

I have heard some armourers came over from England and this could be one of their personal stamps but heck I think that is a tall order but stranger things have happened, I love it because it is 5MD I'm a West Aussie by birth and somewhere on my mums side I had a relative in the 10th ALH and the 25th Light Horse as per pics.
You wont see many of the 25th badges as this colour/type I am told was for officers so I have been told, the 10th ones I had to buy the opposing collars a 20 year wait and a hefty price tag but there they are enjoy.

[CINDERS]

The number on the butt is the inventory number for the 5th Military District. 58000 is the serial number.

Hi Homer could you elaborate is the 4721 is that a rack/inventory No. and the 58234 the Ser for the rifle even though it has a replacement bolt, for me its tangible links are what is very important like all the other MD's are in Australia.
But the H designation is also one I need to fully understand as stated I thought the heavy barrels were an after thought of WWI any info would be gladly received.
Also Brian would like to see pics of your 5MD Mk III we could start a milsurps 5MD fan club!
Oh and just because its me here is my latest addition to my modest library on WWI it is heavier than the Lost Diggers book, righto I am off to read this or start to anyway TIA.

[Homer]

Yes the 58000 number is the serial number, 4721 is the inventory/stores number applied when it was issued to the 5th Military District. Really I don't have much knowledge about MD numbers so hopefully others might make a comment, but I would suggest a numbering system other than the serial number would have been much easier for managing rifles. Serial numbers would have been too disjointed. Is the bolt 4721? Someones renumbered a replacement bolt with the inventory number.

All I know about the H model conversions is what I've read in The Lee Enfield Story, that I no longer have, and from my own rifles. During the 30's, Lithgow converted a number of early production Lithgow rifles as well as some English actions to heavy barreled rifles. They were called H model conversions and yours appears to be one. Most examples I've seen, had very little altered but the barrel and an H was stamped into the top side of the butt. Apparently these formed the platform for the HT sniper rifle conversions. Is the barrel matching the action?

Here's another for comparison.

[CINDERS]

Sadly the barrel was replaced '4 1937 the bolt is 58234 and is a replacement but if that's the go then it is a good find or rather jag as a Perth shooter put a penned note on our clubs notice board and I happened to be looking for a Mk III and so the rest is so to speak history.
Nice stampings sadly mine suffered a tad but at least you can see some of it on there the 3 17 on the butt is interesting but still I have yet to have the ? solved or is it a P.....
Thanks for the info Homer nice rifle 1MD I think is QLD