Description

Rare interwar No.1 Mk111 which is mint, matching & less than 3,000 made in 1926!

During the interwar years the SAF Lithgow was basically working on a skeleton crew after winding down wartime production which reached its peak of 42,129 in 1918-19 so the No.1 MkIII SMLE rifles made in the 1920’s are very rare. According to Ian Skennerton, between 2,760-3,000 rifles were made that year with few remaining due to attrition & use in WW2.

Offered for sale is this honest example of a mid-20’s interwar Australian made Short Lee Enfield (SHTLE) with the early Lithgow shield which has all visible numbers matching plus it has the heavy barrel as indicated by the H on the wrist & the barrel knox plus retains the original sling.

This rifle has seen service & had several lives but by the look of it, was not frontline service as it almost appears unissued which we know it was because we can see an armoury number 34934.

Adding to this rifles desirability is the fact that only around 3,000 were known to have been manufactured at the Lithgow factory in 1926-1927!

If you are wanting a rare interwar Lithgow No. 1 MkIII, you should consider this rifle which would make an excellent centerpiece of your collection or a good start to one.

The barrel is shiney with plenty of visible rifling & no nastiness.

We are not going to try & rate the condition out of 100 as everyone seems to have a different opinion on what the percentages should be so we’ll let the pictures be the description. You will know if this is for you so view the photos carefully & make your decision based on what you see as they form the main description & override all written information. Ask for more if desired.

We think we have described it accurately & correctly but do not claim to be infallible so if we have got anything wrong, it is unintentional.

Whilst we check these out for serviceability, the warranty has expired & this is sold on an ‘as is’ basis. As with all used guns, we recommend you have this checked by a suitably qualified person prior to shooting.

Call for shipping cost to your dealer.