Lithgow SMLE No.1 Mk III* .303 British Bolt-Action Rifle, 1942 WWII Australian Production, 25.2 in Barrel
This Australian Lithgow SMLE No.1 Mk III* was manufactured in 1942 and retains the key wartime features collectors look for, including Mk III* pattern simplifications and HV-sighted ladder rear sighting. It presents in excellent overall and bore condition, with clear Lithgow factory markings and inspector stamps. Notable details include a charger-bridge receiver, cock-on-close bolt, and a two-piece hardwood stock with brass buttplate.
Condition
Overall Condition: Excellent condition, showing only faint signs of any prior use or handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Excellent - Clean, mirror finish, no signs of wear.
Bore Rifling: Excellent Rifling - Sharp lands and grooves.
Specific Condition Notes: This rifle is in great shape for a military surplus example. The stock appears to be a replacement.
What’s Included
- Lithgow SMLE No.1 Mk III* rifle chambered in .303 British
Produced at the Lithgow Small Arms Factory (MA) in Australia, this rifle carries the butt-socket marking "MA LITHGOW S.M.L.E III* 1942" and a buttstock cartouche "M.A LITHGOW SHT.LE III* HV 1943," along with inspector and acceptance letters M, B, BA, and D. These markings document wartime manufacture and subsequent acceptance, tying the piece to its WWII-era Australian origin.
Configured to the simplified No.1 Mk III* pattern, this example omits the magazine cut-off and retains the SMLE’s cock-on-close bolt and charger bridge for stripper-clip loading. The barrel-mounted ladder rear sight is graduated to 2000 yards, paired with a protected front blade within the nose-cap ears. The "HV" marking indicates sighting for Mk VII high-velocity .303 ammunition.
The rifle features a two-piece hardwood stock—separate buttstock and fore-end—with two upper handguards, a brass buttplate with trap, and sling swivels. The SMLE nose-cap includes the Pattern 1907 bayonet boss; no stacking/piling swivel is fitted (plain screw/base present). Length of pull measures 13.25 inches, and the barrel length is 25.2 inches.
Numbering details note that the barrel and nose-cap numbers match, while the bolt and receiver are non-matching. The safety is the standard SMLE flag type. The platform remains true to the SMLE’s proven layout with a nominal 10-round detachable box magazine capacity.