De-sporterizing your SMLE No.1 Mk.3

[freedomintheskies]

Just putting this question out there for all you knowledgeable folks.

I recently purchased a No1 Mk3 (1941 Lithgow) and wish to de-sporterize it. It appears to be a great candidate, since the bore is minty everything matches and it still has a lot of cosmo on it.- Sort of bizarre since it's a sporter. I wonder if they gave them a dip after converting them to sporters?

In my quest for the ever dwindling parts to do this, I stumbled upon a front hand guard that should be fine but the forestock posed more of a problem. I was able to find a POF (.308) version though. Apparently he big difference is an extra support cross bolt ahead of the mag well cutout for added strength. Does anyone know if this will fit the Australian version in .303?

As the project continues, i'll take some pix and post them up for sh1tz & grinz.

 

[Sir Plus]

It's not unheard of to find a sporter in cosmoline. I recently purchased a MINT polish M44, mint except that it was sporterized. But it was still full of cosmoline and had never been fired. So someone bought it unissued, sporterized it, then either died or changed his mind and his gun went on the market. A gem of a find. The old fudds were also quite fond of firing their milsurps without ever cleaning off the cosmoline. I've bought many guns from old folks like this.

 

[gaudzy]

there's a FB group called Canadian Lee Enfield Collectors, lots of great ppl and great source of knowledge and parts

 

[TheTooner]

Just putting this question out there for all you knowledgeable folks.

I recently purchased a No1 Mk3 (1941 Lithgow) and wish to de-sporterize it. It appears to be a great candidate, since the bore is minty everything matches and it still has a lot of cosmo on it.- Sort of bizarre since it's a sporter. I wonder if they gave them a dip after converting them to sporters?

In my quest for the ever dwindling parts to do this, I stumbled upon a front hand guard that should be fine but the forestock posed more of a problem. I was able to find a POF (.308) version though. Apparently he big difference is an extra support cross bolt ahead of the mag well cutout for added strength. Does anyone know if this will fit the Australian version in .303?

As the project continues, i'll take some pix and post them up for sh1tz & grinz.

RFI (Rifle Factory Ishapore) made the No.1 Mk III and then later reworked the design to build it in 7.62NATO as the 2A and 2A1. I hope the .308 from which you found a forestock is one of those. I don't think POF (Pakistan Ordnance Factory) ever made the No.1 Mk III, they did buy the tooling from ROF Faz for the No.4 Mk 2 and they made those, but I think only in .303Br.