A recent acquisition, have a look at pictures and would like some feedback on history, original or not, scope information etc...
Bolt does not match. Bought from an estate sale and the missing parts are not available. If you need a picture of a certain part let me know. The front scope base screws are loose and can easily be taken off, the solder has been heated up at some point and not secure.
If someone could send me some pictures of the rear base and correct scope, that would be appreciated, I can resend pictures to the seller to have a look for missing parts at estate sale.
Information
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The rear base and scope etc. are probably long gone, but I would be going through everything that comes out of that estate just to make sure.
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
Yes I'd get on my bike and help go through the rifle components if there are any there! You never know they may be in a box somewhere.
I know I've squirrelled stuff in boxes and forgotten where the item is!
As mentioned, it is an Australian property marked original P.14 sniper rifle. A few more things to mention:
- the stock has been swapped. It currently features an Eddystone made stock
- the rear sight has been replaced. Originally it should carry a F-sight (fine adjustable)
- quite obviously, the rear base has been removed - and while I did see front bases sometimes turn up, it seems original rear bases are all gone
- just to have it mentioned, yours is a WWI pattern sniper rifle, not one of those from the inter-war Irish contract; those originally featured the square type front base and had BSA made scopes, versus PPCo made scopes on the original WWI rifles
- IMHO it looks as if the rifle is still original finish from WWI and has not been refinished
To end with a comment from my side: quite a good purchase, congratulations to buying it! Despite the fact that it was sportered (seems the Aussies really loved doing this since I've seen quite a few P.14 snipers they heavily modified) you have a rare rifle which can be restored if you are lucky, patient and willing to invest money to it. There are reproduction sets of the mount available from Accumounts, but first I am not sure whether those are working with an original front base, secondly they look really ugly and your rifle surely is worth making an individual rear base.
There was someone on this forum who once did a run of reproduction scope rings for the P.14 rifle (and not even too long ago), but I absolutely fail to find it. Does someone remember?
Skennerton's book - The British Sniper has some line drawings of the scope and mounts but it is quite difficult to read the sizes shown. I'll see if I can dig something out of my files. In the meantime this is the page from Instructions for Armourers 1931. I believe that your rear sight has been changed but if you look at the rear of the sight in it's upright position there will be a serial number across the rear of the uppermost horizontal - see if it matches your rifle. These can be very accurate rifles and this one is certainly worth saving. Getting hold of a British made Model 1918 scope will be your next problem.
I had a look at the rear sight and it does not match rifle serial number. Was wondering if an AOC (Australian Optical Co.) Pattern 1918 (Aust.) scope be a good fit for this rifle or does it have to be a British Model 1918 scope to make it original. If you can find some drawings with easy to read sizes that would be great, thank you Nigel
Thank you so much for posting this video. You have inadvertently resolved an issue I have had with one of the items in my collection for years! Being the anal collector I am, when I purchased a Patt. '14/ No.3 Mk. 1* (T) rifle in 2005 I wasn't happy knowing that the bolt didn't match, but correspondence with Ian revealed that when these rifles went to dispersal, the rifles were in one pile, the scopes in another, and some had had their bolts removed. Ian's info mollified me a little, but discovering a sprinkling of parts made by manufacturers other than Winchester, had me convinced that this rifle had received some post-service attention. Thanks to Ian's video on the subject, now I see receiver markings on these Lithgow rifles are exactly the same as those on my example - "2/DD/l\ 247 .191511".
It is very welcome news to learn that Rifle # 247 is not a molested example of one of 2001 sniper rifles made FOR Australia after all, but rather a mostly original, (hopefully), example of one of approximately 300 sniper rifles made BY Australia! I feel much better now.
Thanks again for this revelation, Skwan, and best of luck with your restoration.
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