1945 smle info please?
- Thread starter Gordlat
- Start date
Yea I figured it was, it doesn’t look like a refurb though unless I’m wrong
Bolt has a post war No.4 BSA British cocking piece, and an Ishapore SMLE bolt head. I can’t tell what the body is.
The barrel is a 1945 lithgow, not serialized to the receiver. That is an anomaly. The forestock also looks like there might be fitment issues at the draws. The stock is not tight against the receiver socket, and you may have a hairline crack forming in the bolt handle side of the stock near the brass cross pin.
I would recommend you disassemble it to check there are copper plates installed at the draws with two small wood screws.
If they are absent or poorly fitted, then your lithgow may be assembled post war.
When the Australians abandoned the SMLE, a surplus dealer in the states (Jon Jovino Company of New York) bought up a lot of spare parts and receivers and assembled complete lithgow rifles (poorly) for sale.
The barrel is a 1945 lithgow, not serialized to the receiver. That is an anomaly. The forestock also looks like there might be fitment issues at the draws. The stock is not tight against the receiver socket, and you may have a hairline crack forming in the bolt handle side of the stock near the brass cross pin.
I would recommend you disassemble it to check there are copper plates installed at the draws with two small wood screws.
If they are absent or poorly fitted, then your lithgow may be assembled post war.
When the Australians abandoned the SMLE, a surplus dealer in the states (Jon Jovino Company of New York) bought up a lot of spare parts and receivers and assembled complete lithgow rifles (poorly) for sale.
I think this is someone’s rebuild. Forestock came off another rifle. Definitely not fit properly. I’d take it apart and see how the draws are fit. The bolt someone put that together from spare parts. Nothing matches.
No. 4 cocking piece on a SMLE,would need some modifications to work. Sear engagement notches are in slightly different places. Threads on cocking pieces and firing pins are different between No. 4 and SMLE, so a No. 4 firing pin could have been used. Does it work properly. Does the sear properly engage the cocking piece. Does the safety properly engage
No. 4 cocking piece on a SMLE,would need some modifications to work. Sear engagement notches are in slightly different places. Threads on cocking pieces and firing pins are different between No. 4 and SMLE, so a No. 4 firing pin could have been used. Does it work properly. Does the sear properly engage the cocking piece. Does the safety properly engage
It does seem to have some hairline cracks
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Yea seems to work perfect, and yea I assume it was a rebuild at some point in its life
Butt was taken off before the forestock was removed. Square on end of bolt turned spreading the tie piece apart and the stock with it cracking the stock. Any metal shims or modifications in the stock interior? If no shims how bad are the draws compressed? So far what I see is fixable. Crack can be glued.
No shims on the inside at all, and and looks what I would say factory. But this is the first one I’ve owned
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What’s the best way to fix them
I’ve used gorilla glue and slight clamping pressure. Trick is to get some glue up into the crack. Glue can be worked into the crack by gently push and pulling the crack apart with the glue pushed in as far as you can get it.
Alright I’ll buy some glue tomorrow and fill it and then clamp it
Personally, if this were mine I wouldn't worry about that crack at the rear. A great many have them and it may cause no problem at all. The rear end is held together by the keeper plate as well as the threaded brass rod running across it. It is far more important to ascertain how well the forend is fitted to the body. It should be firmly and evenly clamped on both sides by the draws. How firmly clamped was it when you removed the forend? If this is a replacement forend fit by a tinkerer it may not fit at all. The good news is that with the metal plates as used by Lithgow, you have some ability to fine-tune fit at the draws by adding thin metal shims behind the plates. Remember—with a really good fitting forend you may not be able to remove the forend without drifting it down from above at the rear (using a soft wood tool).
milsurpo
milsurpo
It fits snug, not loose but not tight enough that I need to use a tool to remove the forend
