a lithgow .303 rifle joined my collection, it took a while to find a good one.

[leslie hetrick]

i bought this fine lithgow 1943 .303 rifle at public auction for 300.00 usd, it,s in very good condition outside and ex condition inside. it took a while to find one this nice. all numbers matching and not rearsenaled. i don,t think it left austr durning ww-2, i,m a happy camper.

 

[Ravensview]

Congratulation, beutifull find and a great price

 

[ZG47]

A very nice No. 1 Mk III*. Enjoy. You should get yourself a copy of The Enfield Inch so that you can present yourself as an expert on Lithgow Small Arms history!

 

[Hunter4752001]

A list of Lithgow markings from the Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum you might find interesting

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjNj5KYxtiBAxWrSmwGHejdC3gQFnoECBMQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lithgowsafmuseum.org.au%2Ffactsheets%2Ffs001_smle_markings.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2EOP1l1sv9_Xi2EvW6UU18&opi=89978449

 

[Michael70]

Excellent find and pick-up!!

Unmolested 303's are getting harder to find and impossible at this price, even in Australia.

One of the best battle rifles ever, well done Sir.

 

[Luvthunt]

Great find and good luck with it.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Excellent find and pick-up!!

Unmolested 303's are getting harder to find and impossible at this price, even in Australia.

One of the best battle rifles ever, well done Sir.

@Michael70
Not one of the best battle rifles ever made .
It was the BEST BATTLE rifle ever made.
Smooth accurate and extremely fast to operate. Just look at a video on the mad minute.
During the war a group of German thought they were under fire from a machine gun and retreated. They weren't. It was a group of soldiers armed with SMLE rifles. The rate of fire was that intense.
In a speed versus accuracy the SMLE against the M1 Garand, 10 aimed shots.
The SMLE won in BOTH speed and accuracy
During a battle in Korea my fathers platoon was under fire. Their old No3s got that hot the woodwork was smoking. They took turns throwing their rifles in a creek behind them to cool them off. Then kept firing.
Try that with another rifle.
I rest my case your honour.
Just incase you didn't realise I DO LIKE the old SMLE.
Bob

 

[7x57Joe]

Congratulations leslie, that's a crispy one!

 

[Luvthunt]

Yes it is an ok battle rifle ie gets the job done but the old Garand is tough to beat. Was in that same theatre in 1950/51.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

What a nice rifle. I picked one up here in Zim for anti poaching, nothing like yours. I had to pay $300.00. If campfire used those instead of CZ’s I would not have to replace or at the very least repair the stock.

Lon

 

[Tim Blackwell]

Very nice pick up!

I was lucky enough to inherit my Dads '42 Lithgow. All matching, but he did refinish the stock many years back, leaving it a bit too glossy. But it still shoots great with mild handloads with 160gn Atomic 29 bullets.

 

[Josh P]

$300 might be the deal of the week. Like Bob, I greatly enjoy the Enfield. 303 is a fun round. Enjoy!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Yes it is an ok battle rifle ie gets the job done but the old Garand is tough to beat. Was in that same theatre in 1950/51.

@Luvthunt
Yes the garand was there from 51 to 53 BUT it was the No3 and No4s that saved the day a Kapyong and stopped the Chinese forces from advancing.
The Garand was retired not long after Korea but the old SMLE kept on soldiering on for another30 or more years. Even the RCMP used the No4 SMLE in the north west territory until family recent because it would still go bang in the freezing temperatures when others failed.
The old SMLE is the simplest battle rifle to field strip as well. Pull bolt back, flip up bolt head, remove bolt and clean.
Try that with your Garand.
Bob

 

[leslie hetrick]

as much as i love my enfields, i would still take the m-1 garand over it in a fire fight. i base that on my experience in vietnam with the m-14(i know it used a 20 round mag), with eight rapid shots from the garand with out moving would trump the extra 3 shots in the enfields. now if compared to other ww-1-ww-2 bolt actions i agree.

 

[Luvthunt]

Minor correction the Garand was there from the beginning ie 1950. And as Gen. Patton say was the greatest battle rifle Ever invented.
If you want to quote battles the Garand was at Changin, Hwacheon and theAurerebasin in 50/51.Worked well at 35/50 below zero F.
May seem like I am downing the merits of the e fields and I am not it was a good weapon.
I like (having used one in 1951) the Garand. Too each his own!

 

[7x57Joe]

I've heard it said about WWI battle rifles: The Germans made the best sporting rifle and the Americans made the best target rifle but, the British made the best fighting rifle.
No doubt about it, they were all fine rifles put to the most severe tests.

 

[leslie hetrick]

i thought i would post pictures of my 7.62x51 2A1 RFI in 1965 #E2269, the rifle is in very good condition outside and ex inside. all numbers match with a ex bore. i load it down a bit as i think the pressure of the 7.62x51 may be a little high for the action, a 165 gr bullet at 2300 fps shoots very good with undue pressure on the action with cases lasting for 6-7 fireing.

 

[CBH Australia]

Nice,
A .303 is something I don't own but should. Good ones are becoming more expensive in Australia now as they are quite sought after.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I would never feel poorly armed with a SMLE.

 

[Luvthunt]

I've heard it said about WWI battle rifles: The Germans made the best sporting rifle and the Americans made the best target rifle but, the British made the best fighting rifle.
No doubt about it, they were all fine rifles put to the most severe tests.

That comparison was with the 03 Springfield the US military rifle before the Garand. And it was a valid comparison IMO dating back to the early 1900s