Help with Identification
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=8036
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 3:31pm
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Topic: Help with Identification
Posted By: Sgtphil1111
Subject: Help with Identification
Date Posted: May 05 2016 at 11:25pm
Has very few marking oa 45 on the rear site. ba on the bottom of the trigger guard. U on the bolt. the long marking in the picture and OA next to it. FA on the base of the rear site. III on the safety. 23 under the bold but look like there could have been more. any help would be appreciated.   
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Replies:
Posted By: Pukka Bundook
Date Posted: May 06 2016 at 5:57am
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It's a chopped Lithgow as far as I can tell, Sgt Phil. Need to see the markings on the butt socket to be sure, and the proofs. Has had the charger bridge removed, as you can tell, and Lithgow inspection marks. If you can supply extra photos that would help a lot, but it really Has to be a Lithgow! :-) Do the bolt and action serial #'s match? Richard. |
Posted By: Sgtphil1111
Date Posted: May 06 2016 at 8:56am
| Thanks for your help. I can't find and serial numbers or proof marks on the rifle. What other pictures would help? Any idea on old it might be? |
Posted By: Sgtphil1111
Date Posted: May 06 2016 at 9:13am
I think this is where you are talking about, but there are no marks I posted pics of the spots where there are usually marking for most rifles but nothing on mine |
Posted By: Sgtphil1111
Date Posted: May 06 2016 at 9:14am
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Posted By: Sgtphil1111
Date Posted: May 06 2016 at 9:15am
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Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: May 06 2016 at 8:37pm
| yup - what we see tells little , what we need is under the bolt and on the reciever/barrel , where you did not photo , sorry , |
Posted By: Sgtphil1111
Date Posted: May 06 2016 at 9:15pm
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There are no markings any where on the barrel. The bolt only has was very small mark i cant even really get a picture of. Hard to even see what it is with a eye piece. but looks like a crown over the H3 the only thing on the receiver is what the first picture is in the thread. |
Posted By: Bear43
Date Posted: May 06 2016 at 10:28pm
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If there is nothing on the wrist, on the right side, then it may have been polished at one point. The year of manufacture would be on the wrist on the right side as you hold it. The inspection marks indicate Lithgow but if other marks and numbers are not present it can't be narrowed down any closer than that. Judging by the butt stock socket, it was sanded within an inch of it's life so it has been heavily sporterized. |
Posted By: Pukka Bundook
Date Posted: May 07 2016 at 7:14am
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Bear, I'm wondering if they sanded the butt socket as well as the wood! I meant to say in my last post, that the other markings are also Australian, for Bathurst and Orange factories. (BA & OA) Nearly 100 % positive it's a Lithgow, but Could just be British rifle that lived in Oz all it's life, as without proofs we are not sure where it started out. But cautious about the no proofs...could Possibly be a Khyber build on a Lithgow action. I still think it most likely a Lithgow that some clown has sanded clean of marks though.
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Posted By: Sgtphil1111
Date Posted: May 07 2016 at 1:53pm
| I appreciate all your information. Kinda of second guessing the purchase now, but i only paid $150 for it. Any suggestions on what to do with it? Should I keep it as is or try and restore some of the original parts or even turn it back into a sporter for a good shooter. I am not a great gunsmith so i am going to have to barrel looked at to see if it has some life left in it. I assume it probaly does it was a sporter. Would I be right in saying that this is an early Enfield probably before the 30's? Would it be a No.1 mkIII? |
Posted By: Pukka Bundook
Date Posted: May 07 2016 at 8:46pm
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Yes, it's a No 1 Mk 111, Sgt Phil. It might work very well as a sporter, with maybe a buttstock with a bit less sanding done to it! Let us know how you go with it. Go to a gunsmith who knows Enfields, as some don't know much about them. Good luck with it, and the price was Very reasonable. Richard.
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Posted By: Bear43
Date Posted: May 07 2016 at 9:01pm
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Get the headspace checked by a knowledgeable gunsmith and use it. When I say that I mean the gunsmith knows not to use the SAAMI gauges, but the proper military spec gauges as they do measure differently. Sporters can be spendy to restore but they are still decent rifles. The price you paid is about right for a decent sporterized No 1 Mk III*, which is probably what you have. |