1945 Lithgow
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Enfield Rifles
Forum Description: Anything that has to do with the great Enfield rifles!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12107
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 3:39pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: 1945 Lithgow
Posted By: Enfield trader
Subject: 1945 Lithgow
Date Posted: June 26 2022 at 7:19pm
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How collectible is a 1945 Australian Lithgow that is all matching ? I assume less we’re made in 1945 ….
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Replies:
Posted By: Marco1010
Date Posted: June 26 2022 at 8:39pm
| I think more collectible means in this case, made at the end of the war, maybe not issued or thrown round the hills in a war-time environment. so more likely to have been nicely greased and placed in some sort of storage so that it arrives in the current owners hands in as near new / unused condition as possible. best case still in the mummy wrap......... |
Posted By: Homer
Date Posted: June 27 2022 at 5:06am
| Did lithgows ever come as a mummy wrap? |
Posted By: Enfield trader
Date Posted: June 27 2022 at 5:14am
| Its not new in the grease and I have not seen one as such. This one isn’t beat around but was used but can’t say if during the war. |
Posted By: shiloh
Date Posted: June 27 2022 at 5:49am
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Here in Canada, I`ve noticed that Lithgow`s seem to fetch a premium in original form regardless of era, maybe because they`re from an exotic romantic part of the world. Myself I consider LB`s and Savages more desirable, I guess it depends on where you are and what the market trends are.
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Posted By: Honkytonk
Date Posted: June 27 2022 at 6:14am
| I own a early Lithgow, I think 1918? Not knowing a lot about No1's, I have a question, and please correct me if I'm wrong. Australia never produced the No4. Had the Lithgow of '45 seen any modifications from the design of '18? Or was it identical in design (materiels, etc) Thanks! |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: June 27 2022 at 12:39pm
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Correct, Lithgow continued making SMLE's till they switched to L1A1, Ess Ell Arr production. Yes here were changes, but mostly minor things.The center sling swivel was originally a cast, threaded bushing, but became a "wire" loop. & so on. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Enfield trader
Date Posted: June 27 2022 at 8:19pm
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Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: June 27 2022 at 11:58pm
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That looks excellent. Would love to have that in my collection. By the look of the recoil plates; doesn't look like it's done much work. ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: Homer
Date Posted: June 28 2022 at 12:07am
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It’s an orange Lithgow
And a JJCO
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Posted By: smerdon42
Date Posted: June 28 2022 at 3:32am
| Looks like a nice rifle it has a mix of BA /OA parts (Bathurst and Orange Factories ) if the numbers all match which by the pics they do you have a great looking rifle . |
Posted By: Enfield trader
Date Posted: June 28 2022 at 4:24am
Has matching numbers on the receiver, bolt, forestock and nose cap. The bolt and receiver have matching “assembly” numbers. The rear sight does not have a serial number. Yes a mixture of BA and OA parts - should they all be BA or OA marked? Not versed in Lithgow rifles.
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smerdon42 wrote:Posted By: smerdon42
Date Posted: June 28 2022 at 4:46am
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I have several rifles FTR in 52/53 all are matching numbers . Some of the trigger guards / sights / sight ears and bases are marked up with different mfg marks ie FA BA OA MA And star marked parts . I did see that if the rifle Is earlier in production ie pre 1924 they tried to stick with period correct parts.also have seen some replacement barrel are not serialized to the rifle as well with no numbers at all.
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Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: June 28 2022 at 12:42pm
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Very sweet! Is that "Band, inner" brass? or is it trick of the light? ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Honkytonk
Date Posted: June 28 2022 at 12:53pm
| Also, was the barrel band black and you removed the finish to show the brass? I ask because my Lithgow came with a shiny brass one also! |
Posted By: Enfield trader
Date Posted: June 28 2022 at 1:31pm
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Yes the inner band is brass - first time I saw a brass one. The rear stock band was just like it is in the pics - I did not remove the black paint.
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Posted By: BJ72
Date Posted: June 28 2022 at 3:52pm
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Nice rifle. Serial numbers were omitted from the barrel and rear sight in Lithgow production by the time your rifle was made so that’s totally normal. It’s also totally normal for these rifles to have component parts from the various feeder factories and marked as such. BA, FA, OA, WA etc. it would appear you have a nice original Lithgow. It’s actually a good example of a JJCO marked rifle that’s an original Lithgow built rifle and not something assembled out of parts by JJCO. We still call them Lithgows but to be more specific, your rifle was built at a town called Orange. Rifle production was moved there in the later part of WW2. After the war, production moved back to the main plant at Lithgow again. That rear band would have been blackened when it left the factory though. As for collectibility, I think any SMLE that’s original and matching is collectable. As time goes by, they’re getting harder to find.
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Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 2:46am
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I'm not seeing the JJCo stamp on this one. I have a JJCo No2mkIV* that has the stamp JJCo on the right hand side of the receiver, close to the bolt handle area. Where is it stamped on this rifle? ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: Homer
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 3:47am
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Posted By: Enfield trader
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 10:02am
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Posted By: Honkytonk
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 10:44am
| That's a good eye! |
Posted By: MJ11
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 2:59pm
 1944     Pira Vida ------------- The Spartans do not ask how many the enemies are but where they are |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 3:53pm
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To any and all that can answer this question: I would like to know why there are two small dowels on the right side of the stock on a No1 forend? Was it for reinforcement? I am not referring to the brass plates.
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Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 3:57pm
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Usually they were inserted to beef up a known weak spot. They're actually threaded "Repair Wires". They can be seen scattered about on SMLE stocks in various places. You cut a piece to length, drilled a hole of the right size, snipped of to the required length & chucked in a hand drill to "screw in", then snipped off the end & file it flush. If you look carefully you can see the "wings" of the thread form.  ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 4:01pm
| Thank you for that quick reply... |
Posted By: Honkytonk
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 5:53pm
| I've done a few cracked tang repairs on Savage 99's. I wonder if that stuff would work? I just use a small brass fine thread bolt with the end cut off and smear with accu-glass before tapping in the drilled hole, then file flush. |
Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: June 29 2022 at 6:13pm
| Looks like they would prevent the wood from splitting along the grain. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: June 30 2022 at 11:12am
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It's getting hard to find. The only offer I've seen recently was for a BIG bundle of it. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: AussieShooter
Date Posted: July 07 2022 at 7:56pm
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This is close to mine - about 375 apart. Mine is also a JJCO, but like yours all matching, and appears all complete. It is also in very good condition, and I shoot it several times a year (although I am a lousy shot). I just checked and brass was used from April 1942 through 1945, when they switched back to steel. Someone else correctly identified the brass would have been painted black.  ------------- "Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" - Tacitus The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates |