Tulipwood stocked SMLE MkIs

[AD-4NA]

Reviving this from the dead to say that if we could nail down the correct species I would almost be inclined to try it out on a sporterized
Mk I needing furniture or a forend someday.

Thanks for bringing it up buy the way, one of those arcane little things that is fascinating,

[mattyboy82]

By 30 June 1914, Australia had 5741 Mk.1 SMLEs and all of 1904 year manufacture. I have never read anywhere that some were of tulipwood. I've certainly never seen any examples of them on Mk.1s myself. The majority of the Mk.1s were used in training the recruits of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as rifles were in very short supply as the AIF took with them approx 90,000 - 95,000 Mk.IIIs from late 1914 until Oct 1915 when Britain took control of issuing rifles to the AIF. A lot of the Mk.1s were held onto as late as the 1930s where they were sold out of service and were once again called up in 1941 for use in the garrison posted troops/Volunteer Defence Corps for the defence of Australia.

A constant thing brought up is that Australia gave all its rifles (except for 10,000) to Britain. So how would Australia fight with rifles if it had given all its rifles up? The answer is Australia took its own rifles to the Middle East between late-1914 until Oct 1915 and Post-Gallipoli, those rifles were given to the Brits in Egypt and a small amount in France and were a one-for-one swap with rifles sighted for Mk.VII. Those former Aussie rifles were then handed out to those that needed them in France. That is why we see Lithgow made rifles with Brit, Canadian or South African markings on them.

At the end of hostilities, those rifles Australia had used in the trenches of France and the Middle East that were Mk.VII sighted, were once again were handed to the Brits who, under the imperial ordnance program, sent out 101,000 Mk.IIIs in 1919-1920 as replacements for the rifles the AIF had taken overseas initially and handed to the Brits. The extra rifles were part of a deal that saw Australia able to rearm five full divisions of dismounted infantry and five brigades of mounted infantry,

Anyway, I'm getting of topic here but just clarifying some info about the whole giving of rifles to Britain misunderstanding.

[smerdon42]

Marty boy you ar correct they all got spread out , i have 3 1914 lithgows one serial number 3780 was set to India and refurbed in 1932 . They kept the aussie serial number on all thier replacement Parts , then i have X5669 which needed up in British hands and has undergone around 8 different up grades with stamps all over the left side of the action just behind the safety and then i have 12065 which eventually ended up in the Austrian gendrmiere after ww2 still has volleys and wind age sights.

By 30 June 1914, Australia had 5741 Mk.1 SMLEs and all of 1904 year manufacture. I have never read anywhere that some were of tulipwood. I've certainly never seen any examples of them on Mk.1s myself. The majority of the Mk.1s were used in training the recruits of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) as rifles were in very short supply as the AIF took with them approx 90,000 - 95,000 Mk.IIIs from late 1914 until Oct 1915 when Britain took control of issuing rifles to the AIF. A lot of the Mk.1s were held onto as late as the 1930s where they were sold out of service and were once again called up in 1941 for use in the garrison posted troops/Volunteer Defence Corps for the defence of Australia.

A constant thing brought up is that Australia gave all its rifles (except for 10,000) to Britain. So how would Australia fight with rifles if it had given all its rifles up? The answer is Australia took its own rifles to the Middle East between late-1914 until Oct 1915 and Post-Gallipoli, those rifles were given to the Brits in Egypt and a small amount in France and were a one-for-one swap with rifles sighted for Mk.VII. Those former Aussie rifles were then handed out to those that needed them in France. That is why we see Lithgow made rifles with Brit, Canadian or South African markings on them.

At the end of hostilities, those rifles Australia had used in the trenches of France and the Middle East that were Mk.VII sighted, were once again were handed to the Brits who, under the imperial ordnance program, sent out 101,000 Mk.IIIs in 1919-1920 as replacements for the rifles the AIF had taken overseas initially and handed to the Brits. The extra rifles were part of a deal that saw Australia able to rearm five full divisions of dismounted infantry and five brigades of mounted infantry,

Anyway, I'm getting of topic here but just clarifying some info about the whole giving of rifles to Britain misunderstanding.