Lithgow SHTLE III* (with pic now)_

PerversPépère

PerversPépère

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I was given a "sporterized" 1921 Lithgow SHTLE III* today.

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Metal is still blued (looks brownish on this one but it is black), no rust under the dust and grime, sights are still sharp and operable, bolt is tight and headspace gauges OK.
**The wood you see is another piece of sportered wood I put on to see where the parts belonged.**
Barrel is good, dated 5/53. I spent some time with rods, brushes, some KG-12 ans J&B Bore paste and now it is shiny inside.
Will try a pass with an Outers Foul-out device tomorrow, just to see if all the copper has been removed.

Now, I have almost everything to restore that one back into decent military rifle condition, even the muzzle piece, but I'll need a complete wood set for that one: front is chopped and rear has been adorned with "naïve" deer and moose carvings, along with a tiger on the other side... ovrec

I still have the rear behind-the-sight handguard and rear sight protecting ears, the unit identification brass roundel and brass screw, brass buttplate and rear sling swivel. I'll need the middle band with interrupted swivel.

Where can I find a correct Australian coachwood gunstock for that SHTLE?
Thanks for looking.
PP. :)
 
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Pepere- You know about those brass recoil pads in the Aussie coachwood forends right? Make sure they're there on any forend you find.

Lots of Aussie rifles were FTR'd with new Slaz marked wood sets.


PerversPépère said:
I was given a "sporterized" 1921 Lithgow SHTLE III* today.

Metal is still blued, no rust under the dust and grime, sights are still sharp and operable, bolt is tight and headspace gauges OK.
Barrel is good, dated 5/56. I spent some time with rods, brushes, some KG-12 ans J&B Bore paste and now it is shiny inside.
Will try a pass with an Outers Foul-out device tomorrow, just to see if all the copper has been removed.

Now, I have almost everything to restore that one back into decent military rifle condition, even the muzzle piece, but I'll need a complete wood set for that one: front is chopped and rear has been adorned with "naïve" deer and moose carvings, along with a tiger on the other side... ovrec

I still have the rear behind-the-sight handguard and rear sight protecting ears, the unit identification brass roundel and brass screw, brass buttplate and rear sling swivel. I'll need the middle band with interrupted swivel.

Where can I find a correct Australian coachwood gunstock for that SHTLE?
Thanks for looking.
PP. :)
Click to expand...
 
cantom said:
Pepere- You know about those brass recoil pads in the Aussie coachwood forends right? Make sure they're there on any forend you find.

Lots of Aussie rifles were FTR'd with new Slaz marked wood sets.
Click to expand...

I know there is a brass tension ring on the barrel with a screw that passed through the remains of the forend but I didn't know anything about those "brass recoil pads". Lithgows are a very uncharted territory for me.
If you can steer me towards any information source, please do so. Smellie just sent me a PM about some Aussie guy on Milsurps.com that could be helpful but it never hurts to get more information.
About those Slazenger stock sets, if the barrel is marked with 5/53, perhaps this one was refurbed and such a stock set can be considered legitimate?

Thanks a lot for your replies!
PP. :)
 
.. My remaining "Lithgow", is a full wood 1922, with the Magazine cut-off. So, if you need photos for comparison, as long as your not in an immediate rush, let me know, and I'll be happy to oblige. .... David K
 
Any pics of that copper recoil plate and brass rods?
My friend didn't give me the remains of the front end because I'm pretty sure he torqued the living daylights out of it trying to unscrew the rear butt.
He's a heavy machinery mechanic and he didn't know you have to remove the front wood first before trying to get the buttstock out... and he believes anything will come loose one way or the other if you apply enough torque to it... :(

But in the bag of parts, there was that steel U-shaped key with a square center and a twisted piece of brass rod that looked like a long screw.
What is it?
PP.
 
If that person has another set, feel free to PM me - I have a 1918 Lithgow rifle with a brand new barrel in desperate need. PP you did notice it's a star-strikeout rifle? it should have a cut off fitted. The U shaped piece of metal should have 2 legs, it ties the 2 sides of the forestock together and the square notch seats the part of the stock bolt that passes through the wrist. I'll take some pics if you like. The copper blocks (can also be brass shims, or hardwood) are fitted into the draws to provide solid bedding for the recoil lugs.
 
There's such a plate at the rear of the new coachwood set I got.
And I also got the little copper plates to fit in it; not a big deal although it has to be done carefully.
Now here are some pics to show; I'll post some more soon. Sorry, I don't have my reflex setup and have to make-do with a small point'n shoot camera this time.

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Funny, never thought they had BRASS fittings there!
PP.
 
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I'm struck by how much darker your wood is than mine:

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Sorry, my sportered forestock is taped up in anticipation of a bedding job, but it's the same light colour. The Aussies used other wood besides coachwood, maybe yours is one of those?
 
Maybe your stock is made from Queensland Maple. That would explain the light color and grain pattern; they used other woods before.
Later, they tried coachwood along other wood species then decided to use it exclusively from 43 on. It was more of a political move because coachwood, while abundant and of good quality, isn't the best wood for military stocks, being a "soft" hardwood.
PP.
 
PerversPépère said:
Maybe your stock is made from Queensland Maple. That would explain the light color and grain pattern; they used other woods before.
Later, they tried coachwood along other wood species then decided to use it exclusively from 43 on. It was more of a political move because coachwood, while abundant and of good quality, isn't the best wood for military stocks, being a "soft" hardwood.
PP.
Click to expand...

Ah, I hadn't thought of that. I just assumed since mine had the Damned Cracks (horizontal and vertical) and recoil blocks, it was coachwood. :redface:
 
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