bullet
Handloader
- Dec 26, 2007
- 4,973
- 8
I had a very close friend who die one year ago who left me a rifle and his family brought it to me last night. It is a Australian Armory 303 Lee Enfield No1 Mk3 manufactured at the Lithgow factory in Australia in 1919.
It was never issued for service to any unit and the only use was it being tested at the factory at Lithgow and then stored. It is not a fake or later build of parts bought from the Australian Amory. We know this because the serial numbers are the SAME in the FOUR places (Nose Cap, underneath and at the bottom of the Back Sight, the front right hand side of the Receiver Ring and the back of the Bolt Handle) where they are suppose to be and the Butt Plate is brass as manufactured by the Aussie's. Here are some pictures.
You will note the stock condition as unused in the field. Note the bluing on the bolt and inside the receiver as well as the bluing still on the back and front sight due to not being used. Also note the rifling is new and unused in the field. When I used foam bore cleaner and let it set for 45 minutes in the bore it was almost white just a tad of blue tent due to testing at the factory. Of course it will be shot by me for sure.
:grin:
It was never issued for service to any unit and the only use was it being tested at the factory at Lithgow and then stored. It is not a fake or later build of parts bought from the Australian Amory. We know this because the serial numbers are the SAME in the FOUR places (Nose Cap, underneath and at the bottom of the Back Sight, the front right hand side of the Receiver Ring and the back of the Bolt Handle) where they are suppose to be and the Butt Plate is brass as manufactured by the Aussie's. Here are some pictures.
You will note the stock condition as unused in the field. Note the bluing on the bolt and inside the receiver as well as the bluing still on the back and front sight due to not being used. Also note the rifling is new and unused in the field. When I used foam bore cleaner and let it set for 45 minutes in the bore it was almost white just a tad of blue tent due to testing at the factory. Of course it will be shot by me for sure.