New Lee-Enfield No 1 Mk 3

[Slater]

This is one of the Jovino parts guns, so it has no collectibility. Hopefully it'll be a decent shooter. This is a Lithgow gun, so I'm told I have to check for the presence of recoil plates. They're probably not going to be installed, so does anyone know of a source for these?

 

[Aren't we all]

Recoil plates? I have a lithgow no1 mk3 and have never noticed anything of the sort.. they do not have pillar bedding as in a mauser.

 

[Slater]

Every source I've read says that these coachwood stocks need to have the plates installed or premature splitting/cracking may occur.

 

[Aren't we all]

Well, I did a little google-fu and could not find anything, this may explain why coachwood and queensland maple are so rare.. and every one i see has a passel of reinforcing brass screws in the fore end...

 

[DougW]

The recoil plates might be available from an Aussie collector, but I don't know of a current source. The plates were necessary in the coachwood and maple stock, as they had a tendency to split easily without the blocks. My Lithgow has the brass screws, and I had to add a few SS pins to reinforce the crumbeling stock. I have not fired this rifle, as I really want to preserve it (all matching 1942).

Slater, it is a pretty rifle though. I think I would shoot it!

 

[alemonkey]

I know nothing about these, any more information? If it's a non collectible parts gun it would still make a really neat shooter.

 

[Jeff F]

Heres a place you can go to
http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/
Ask in the Enfield forum, they will be very help full.

 

[Ignition Override]

Also, "Gunandgame", "Gunboards", "Parallaxbill's..".

 

[microwave]

The furniture on this SMLE is SOOOooo much better than mine. Was it near new when you bought the rifle? If U put it on later, where did you get these stocks?


Paul

 

[jpwilly]

pretty smelly you've got there...where did the wood come from?

 

[DougW]

When Jovino built these rifles (from parts) they put new wood on them. That is not origional Enfield/Lithgow wood, but it does look good.

 

[Slater]

The wood is stamped "1942", so it's either unissued original (probably from depot parts, etc.) or a fake stamping (which is certainly possible, I would imagine). I'm told that Jovino purchased all remaining SMLE parts from the Australian Government to build these parts guns, so I guess it's possible that this is just an unused stock set.

 

[IBEWBULL]

I dumped my HK 91 after shooting one of these.
I see no reason to have a black plastic "modern" $2000 gun when this will do a better job.
Light, fast handling and plenty of power. The price was right too, I paid $100 for my Savage and $75 for the other one in excellent shape. This was 15 years ago though.

 

[nathan]

Those were probably new Aussie replacement stocks . Jovino bought all of them knowing he can make huge profits from Enfield enthusiasts.