*SOLD* Lithgow SMLE MKIII* .303 Park 25 1/4" *COLLECTIBLE WWII BRITISH RIFLE*

Bryant Ridge's Analysis:

The best-known Lee–Enfield rifle, the SMLE Mk III, was introduced on 26 January 1907, along with a Pattern 1907 bayonet, and featured a simplified rear sight arrangement and a fixed, rather than a bolt-head-mounted sliding, charger guide. The design of the handguards and the magazine were also improved, and the chamber was adapted to fire the new Mk VII high-velocity spitzer .303 ammunition. Many early models, Magazine Lee–Enfields (MLEs), Magazine Lee–Metfords (MLMs), and SMLEs, were rebuilt to the Mk III standard. These are called "Mk IV Cond.", with various asterisks denoting subtypes. During the First World War, the SMLE Mk III was found to be too complicated to manufacture and demand outstripped supply; in late 1915 the Mk III* was introduced incorporating several changes, the most prominent of which were the deletion of the magazine cut-off mechanism, which when engaged permits the feeding and extraction of single cartridges only while keeping the cartridges in the magazine in reserve, and the long-range volley sights. The windage adjustment of the rear sight was also dispensed with, and the cocking piece was changed from a round knob to a serrated slab. Rifles with some or all of these features present are found, as the changes were implemented at different times in different factories and as stocks of parts were depleted. The magazine cut-off was reinstated after the First World War ended, and not entirely dispensed with in manufacturing until 1933; some rifles with cut-offs remained into the 1960s. 
 
The inability of the principal manufacturers (RSAF Enfield, the Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited and London Small Arms Co. Ltd) to meet military production demands led to the development of the "peddled scheme", which contracted out the production of whole rifles and rifle components to several shell companies. The SMLE Mk III* (renamed Rifle No.1 Mk III* in 1926) saw extensive service throughout the Second World War, especially in the North African, Italian, Pacific, and Burmese theatres in the hands of British and Commonwealth forces. Australia and India retained and manufactured the SMLE Mk III* as their standard rifle during the conflict, and the rifle remained in Australian military service through the Korean War until it was replaced by the L1A1 SLR in the late 1950s. 
 
Specifications:
  • Manufacturer: Lithgow Small Arms Factory
  • Model: Short Magazine Lee-Enfield MKIII*
  • Serial: N3027
  • Caliber: .303 British
  • Finish: Black 
  • Barrel Length: 25 1/4"
  • Optics/Sights: Winged Protected Blade Front with Adjustable Rear
  • Stock/Grips: Smooth Walnut 
  • Action: Bolt-Action 
  • Markings: Standard / The plate above the trigger on the right side is stamped with a crown over the words “G.R/ENFIELD/S.M.L.E/III*”. The plate is also stamped with the date of manufacture, but it is too faint to read the last number (First three numbers “191”). The right side buttstock is stamped with different cartouches.
Feb 26th 2025 Bryant Ridge

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