school me on my lee mark 3

B

blista77

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
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Location
NS
i picked up this mark 3 yesterday and wondering some info on it, it looks like someone tried to force match the bolt and receiver, there is no other serial numbers on the parts, and how much do u think it worth? and any other info u can give me would be great, im going to go shoot it tomorrow hopefully, i really like the feel and look of the gun,

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what wrong with my ammo it different sizes
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Well, it has spent a lot of time in Australia, specially in the 4th Military District, but that's about all I can say.

The basic information regarding where and when this critter was made are marked clearly on the Butt Socket. To see them, you need to raise the Bolt Handle.

Only SMLEs NOT fully marked there are the small numbers made by Standard Small Arms and by National Rifle Factory toward the end of the Great War. Their rifles are marked SSA or NRF on the LEFT side of the bolt-way of the Body, just to the left of the Bolt when it is in "closed" position.

Close-ups in good light will help a lot.

"The Value of an object is what it will bring." : legal maxim.

MY Aussie 1918 is not for sale at all, so this does not apply.
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BTW, Commonwealth Armourers did not "force match" parts. This is a stupid expression coined by someone who was never anywhere near the military but who was looking for a way to downgrade someone else's rifle. Armourers might replace a part and mark the Number onto it but this part had been FITTED professionally and was numbered to that rifle in order to confirm that the job had been done RIGHT. Once a part was numbered to a rifle, it became a PROPER PART for THAT rifle. The removed part then would go for scrap, generally.

Also, in Australian practice, rifles assigned to specific Military Districts would have a District Rack Number marked on them. This could change if the rifle were moved to another District or if the rile were reassigned within the District in which it was used. In either case, the number would be for Inventory purposes and is NOT a part of the Rifle Serial. I suspect this is what the deleted markings on your rifle might be.

Hope this helps.
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smellie said:
Only SMLEs NOT fully marked there are the small numbers made by Standard Small Arms and by National Rifle Factory toward the end of the Great War. Their rifles are marked SSA or NRF on the LEFT side of the bolt-way of the Body, just to the left of the Bolt when it is in "closed" position.


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its saids something like this d or C .ss.a 44

o ya smellie its all your fault i bough this rife u got me into the lee enfield and p14 and now i want them all haha
 
The string is the cleaning pull through. You rifle looks to be 1917 Lithgow, Indian service by the ishy screw and the cut ears off the top front hand guard, post 1920s' fore stock, made of beech and no provision for the volley sight.
 
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Leave the pull through in the buttstock as an accessory. We are not in the field and cleaning rods are not expensive. If you don't have one, there should also be a brass oil bottle in that hole under the pullthrough. The little hole above the big hole in the stock is where the brass weight of the pull through goes. I believe that correectly wrapping the pull through is a black art only practiced by professional soldiers;)

One disadvantage of the pull through is called "cord wear" Wear at the muzzle caused by not keeping the cord centered when pulling it out and can affect accuracy.
 
thanks guys for the info, i really like this rife, i was going to sell it but its so nice its staying with me for awhile hopefully.

theres a guy selling a full wood no drilled p17, anyone no how much there worth cause im thinking of buying it
 
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BTW, Commonwealth Armourers did not "force match" parts. This is a stupid expression coined by someone who was never anywhere near the military but who was looking for a way to downgrade someone else's rifle. Armourers might replace a part and mark the Number onto it but this part had been FITTED professionally and was numbered to that rifle in order to confirm that the job had been done RIGHT. Once a part was numbered to a rifle, it became a PROPER PART for THAT rifle. The removed part then would go for scrap, generally.


Thanks Smllie. I've tried to tell people that but to no avail.

" i was going to sell it but its so nice its staying with me for awhile hopefully."
No. Sell it. It's too old to keep.:p
 
Okay, we have some fresh PICS up!

Pic 4: the SCRIPT letter "B" means that part was installed at the Birmingham Repair factory during the Great War, so the rifle most likely saw Service on the Western Front. Birmingham Repair was the old Sparkbrook factory which had been sold to BSA several years previously. The Army grabbed it back when it became obvious that a LOT of wrecked rifles would need to be repaired and they didn't want repairs slowing production of new rifles in the (3 only) plants making them.

Good thing you still have the original Australian BUTT on this critter. The Aussies marked almost the entire history of their rifles on the Butts, which is why you find Aussie rifles with truly gawdawful-lookin' Butts and everything else spiffy. Your rifle is a Lithgow, made in 1917. Likely it will have 8/17 or something x/17 on the butt; that is the month and year it was made. OTHER dates likely also will be marked, as on my own rifle 5/31 and 5/44, which both are REBUILD dates.

OA on the rear-sight spring is Orange Arsenal in Orange, NSW. Lithgow is in New South Wales, too.

I saw what you paid for this one on the other thread. REALLY decent price.... especially for something with a bore THAT tight.

Really nice old rifle.

Nothing wrong with your ammo; the Charger is just loaded CORRECTLY!

Have fun. Take the old girl out to the range for an afternoon. You will BOTH enjoy it.
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smellie said:
Okay, we have some fresh PICS up!

Pic 4: the SCRIPT letter "B" means that part was installed at the Birmingham Repair factory during the Great War, so the rifle most likely saw Service on the Western Front. Birmingham Repair was the old Sparkbrook factory which had been sold to BSA several years previously. The Army grabbed it back when it became obvious that a LOT of wrecked rifles would need to be repaired and they didn't want repairs slowing production of new rifles in the (3 only) plants making them.

Good thing you still have the original Australian BUTT on this critter. The Aussies marked almost the entire history of their rifles on the Butts, which is why you find Aussie rifles with truly gawdawful-lookin' Butts and everything else spiffy. Your rifle is a Lithgow, made in 1917. Likely it will have 8/17 or something x/17 on the butt; that is the month and year it was made. OTHER dates likely also will be marked, as on my own rifle 5/31 and 5/44, which both are REBUILD dates.

OA on the rear-sight spring is Orange Arsenal in Orange, NSW. Lithgow is in New South Wales, too.

I saw what you paid for this one on the other thread. REALLY decent price.... especially for something with a bore THAT tight.

Really nice old rifle.

Nothing wrong with your ammo; the Charger is just loaded CORRECTLY!

Have fun. Take the old girl out to the range for an afternoon. You will BOTH enjoy it.
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thanks for all the info, but i think i might of hit the lee enfield bug cause i want another one, i just got to keep telling myself i need to add a k98 to my collection haha the only way i got this gun was because the guy was going to sell me a all matching k98( bin drill and scope put on :( ) but decided to not sell cause him and his old man hunted with it and couldnt let it go but he just happen to have to 303 and looking to sell one and he told me that he bought it off P an S guns a year ago for $400 but not sure if that true or not
 
took the old girl to the range today, this rife is my new favorite rife really glad i got it, i was shooting little 500 ml water bottle at 75 yards with not problems, it doesn't over heat like my hunting rife and is a blast to shoot, the thing got awesome accuracy.
 
I quite often use the term "forced matched" but use it for rifles that appear to have been renumbered post service, never for rifles that appeared to have been renumbered in service, big difference.
 
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