WWII Lithgow Rifle and Bayonet Markings

Drachenblut

Drachenblut

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Hello All,

I have recently bought a Lee Enfield No.I Mk.III* Lithgow 1942 manufacture from a fellow CGN'er and am interested in decoding some of the markings. I've done a bit of research and have nabbed most of them but a few elude me. I ask that you experts take a crack at these markings! Most odd is the cyrillic-looking E on the bayonet. It's curved very gothic style and doesn't seem right in the Latin alphabet.
There are three things I have noticed. The rear part of the bayonet blade is an odd yellow/brown colour, sort of like dried egg yolk, and it's very thin but seems well on the blade, there are also long, dark brown/black stripes as if liquid splashed on the blade and flowed to the tip, and just stopped and settled in.
As well, all of the metal (reciever, chamber, barrel) have a very slight greenish hue to them, almost mixed with the bluing/metal.
Lastly, some of the swivels are made out of a golden/brassy coloured material that's been painted blue.

Cheers and good luck!

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Yours,
Drachenblut
 
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The greenish tinged parkerizing is pretty normal for later Lithgows. The blue painted bits are some sort of brass / bronze alloy, also consistent for later Australian SMLEs.

Can't help you with the "E".
 
The A inside a star is a Lithgow stamp, if that's what you were intending to show in the second picture. The D in the serial number is correct for a 1942 Lithgow, but I have no clue about the second V serial number, or why it was re-serialized with that. Is the D serial number also on the receiver?
 
Vimy Ridge said:
The A inside a star is a Lithgow stamp, if that's what you were intending to show in the second picture. The D in the serial number is correct for a 1942 Lithgow, but I have no clue about the second V serial number, or why it was re-serialized with that. Is the D serial number also on the receiver?
Click to expand...
Yes it is. Its on the barrel & nose cap as well.
 
Very cool! So I might have a "double entry" rifle. As I mentioned, it's all matching, just those numbers were inserted. Any idea what rifle it was meant to replace, or if there are any specific marks I should go looking for? BTW thanks for the rifle pal. Much pleased with it.
 
copied this from another site.
S.M.L.E. rifles may be noted with a small size engineers stamps, two, three or four digit number marked on the underside of the bolt handle and on the action body at the top rear, in a position covered by the closed bolt handle. When the bolt handle is closed down, these numbers effectively face each other and are therefore not normally apparent.
These are the Proofed Action Assembly or P.A.A. numbers, a key to determine the originality of an action, although they were not necessarily marked on all S.M.L.E. (Rifle No.1) action bodies and bolts. This practice is more commonly noted on Australian production.
During production, after an action body, barrel, and bolt with bolthead were second proofed (first or initial proof is the barrel only), an intimate relationship was formed between these components and needed to be kept together during ongoing assembly, prior to the eventual serial number being stamped on the action body ring, barrel, bolt handle, &c.
Where an action has such a number on the body, but no similar number on the underside of the bolt handle, it has been a later replacement, although this may have occurred in service refits.
This factory assembly number was stamped when the body and bolt were mated, before the barrel was screwed in and a serial number applied to the receiver ring and barrel.
 
What desporterizer said.... Yah. Sorry I didn't notice them on the first glance at the pictures. At Lithgow, the receiver and bolt were "batched" (the v number), then a barrel was mated and headspaced, THEN a serial number was applied to all parts (the d number).

One of the great moments of my life has been seeing the factory museum at Lithgow. T'was truly amusing to hold an SMLE, then pick up that frankenstein's abortion of an AuSteyr... Bullpups, forsooth!
 
desporterizer said:
copied this from another site.
S.M.L.E. rifles may be noted with a small size engineers stamps, two, three or four digit number marked on the underside of the bolt handle and on the action body at the top rear, in a position covered by the closed bolt handle. When the bolt handle is closed down, these numbers effectively face each other and are therefore not normally apparent.
These are the Proofed Action Assembly or P.A.A. numbers, a key to determine the originality of an action, although they were not necessarily marked on all S.M.L.E. (Rifle No.1) action bodies and bolts. This practice is more commonly noted on Australian production.
During production, after an action body, barrel, and bolt with bolthead were second proofed (first or initial proof is the barrel only), an intimate relationship was formed between these components and needed to be kept together during ongoing assembly, prior to the eventual serial number being stamped on the action body ring, barrel, bolt handle, &c.
Where an action has such a number on the body, but no similar number on the underside of the bolt handle, it has been a later replacement, although this may have occurred in service refits.
This factory assembly number was stamped when the body and bolt were mated, before the barrel was screwed in and a serial number applied to the receiver ring and barrel.
Click to expand...

Neat, first I've heard of that. First rifle I've seen marked like that too, Lithgows included. Learn something around here every day. :cool: Thanks!
 
Just a guess - not based on firm knowledge...

Could it be "P" for "passed" a headspace check?

And of course the BA is for the Bathurst sub-contractor to Lithgow.
 
.. Well, I'd doubt it stands for "pooched" , so the most likely explanation would seem to be "passed" .... Possibly done by a Unit Armorer, along the way. Perhaps following a 'spring or 'claw replacement ? .... David K
 
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