got a lithgow shtle 111* from the misses looking for info

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viper91180

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ive always wanted an enfield but never really went for one lol long story a buddy of mine had one for sale and i hummed and thaught about it for awhile but just never pulled the trigger so to speak on it, well my loving wife got it from him for me, it lookes to be in decent shape, i did know that it was tapped and scoope mounts put on it but i didnt and dont know what else was done, ive tried researching but there so much info and mis info out there that it seems a bit overwealming, i cant find any that have a short stock like mine, which lead me to believe its been altered, but it does not look as though its been cut, so i dont know heres some pictures and anyone with as much info as possivle plese feel free to respond :)











 
Nice old rifle. A good many old SMLE rifles have graced our gun racks over the years. One of the classic milsurp sporters, for sure!
 
Australian Lithgow manufacture, 1920, High Velocity barrel. Too bad it has been sporterized and drilled and tapped for a scope mount ---1920 was a bit of a scarce date for the Aussie production.
 
Short Magazine Lee Enfield, as opposed to Magazine Lee Enfield (long rifle).
SHT.LE, same thing.
HV refers to the rifle being set up for Mk.VII as opposed to the lower velocity Mk.VI ammunition.
You will see also HV stamped on the right side of the butt on Australian made rifles.
 
I have a 1939 BSA SHT.LE that went to Aus. after the war. Lithgow put an HV barrel in it, and new wood. Beautiful rifle.
 
I might stand to be corrected, but I don't think the barrels were replaced unless for another reason such as wear or rust. I think the sights were just recalibrated for the flatter shooting mk VII ammunition. I believe that would have entailed modifying or replacing the ramp for the rear sight, but that is just a guess.

RJD said:
I have a 1939 BSA SHT.LE that went to Aus. after the war. Lithgow put an HV barrel in it, and new wood. Beautiful rifle.
Click to expand...
 
B-Noser you are correct about the sights being recalibrated, in as much that the bed was factory modified by reducing the height and the curve of of the ramps. The High Velocity round had a flatter trajectory. The original sight leaf was used back, but because the leaf sat lower, some sliders were modified on the underside with a groove to clear the spring retainer screw. There was no difference in the barrel other than being fitted with the new sight set up and being duly marked.

Saying that, there was an evolution with the barrel. Bore finish, depth of rifling, taper etc. changed over time. Not sure if the bore changed specifically for the Mk.VII round.

In tandem with the HV marking, you often find a barrel marking 'SC' right close by denoting 'Short Cone'. I am not too familiar with the exact detail of a short cone so I shouldn't talk about it, other than to say it was to do with the lead in at the chamber to rifling optimised for the pointy Mk.VII round. A barrel would be manufactured with a short cone, not converted. Hence some upgraded guns will have HV but not SC.
 
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From the LoC
Oct 1918, LoC 21209

Rifles, short, MLE
Rifles, Magazine .303-inch
pattern 1914 fitted with the
model 1918 telescopic sight

Modification of small cone of cartridge chamber barrel.

It has been approved for future manufacture that the diameter of the small cone of the cartridge chamber of the barrels of the above mentioned rifles will be increased by .002-inch.
For the purpose of identification, these barrels will be marked "S.C." in the position stated here under-
Rifles, short, MLE. -On the barrel, behind the backsight.
Rifles, magazine, .303-inch pattern 1914, &c. - On that part of the barrel exposed in the nosecap opening.
 
B_noser said:
I might stand to be corrected, but I don't think the barrels were replaced unless for another reason such as wear or rust. I think the sights were just recalibrated for the flatter shooting mk VII ammunition. I believe that would have entailed modifying or replacing the ramp for the rear sight, but that is just a guess.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.
 
englishman_ca said:
B-Noser you are correct about the sights being recalibrated, in as much that the bed was factory modified by reducing the height and the curve of of the ramps. The High Velocity round had a flatter trajectory. The original sight leaf was used back, but because the leaf sat lower, some sliders were modified on the underside with a groove to clear the spring retainer screw. There was no difference in the barrel other than being fitted with the new sight set up and being duly marked.

Saying that, there was an evolution with the barrel. Bore finish, depth of rifling, taper etc. changed over time. Not sure if the bore changed specifically for the Mk.VII round.

In tandem with the HV marking, you often find a barrel marking 'SC' right close by denoting 'Short Cone'. I am not too familiar with the exact detail of a short cone so I shouldn't talk about it, other than to say it was to do with the lead in at the chamber to rifling optimised for the pointy Mk.VII round. A barrel would be manufactured with a short cone, not converted. Hence some upgraded guns will have HV but not SC.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this info. Mine does have the SC marking below the HV. I need to take it to someone who can decipher all the stampings, and tell me zactly what it is.
This is what the seller told me when I bought it.....
"The history behind this one is fairly clear. It was produced by BSA England in 1939 at the beginning of the second world war. It was very soon after that the No4mk1 became the standard issue. Now, it is likely this rifle was used during the entirety of the second world war in Europe. After the war, it was sent to Australia, the reason being that the Aussies never adopted the no4mk1 design and were given a bunch of no1mk3s like this one, to refurbish. So they replaced the barrel with a better heavy Aussie HV class barrel, better calibrated high velocity ammo sights, and new wood. It probably went into storage until recently when it was imported into Canada and into my collection until now. Thats a best guess, but most likely what occured given the various stamps on it."


I don't have the peep sight in the photo. Real pretty rifle.
 
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