Welcome guest, is this your first visit? Create Account now to join.
  • Login:

Welcome to the NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.

Terminator Delta


User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 28
Like Tree19Likes

Thread: Need help with SMLE

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Otago
    Posts
    190

    Need help with SMLE

    Hi
    I recently aquired a 1941 Lithgow Mk III* that was very crudely mangled into a 'sporter'. I'd like to give her back her dignity and put her in military fashion.

    Can someone tell me how the inner band should be attached to the barrel and where exactly it goes in relation to the rear sight base? Currently the inner band is missing and since it currently has a hacked #4 lower stock 'fitted' with duct tape to the barrel, I don't have a point of reference.

    Also, where is the best place to get all the stock and fittings?

    Much appreciate some help.

    Cheers

  2. #2
    Bah, humbug ! Frogfeatures's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Auckland, until I can escape south....to Southland.
    Posts
    1,639
    PM Tertle and Private Joker on here
    Both are SMLE gurus.

    Ps, try Dogmatix as well
    nowool likes this.
    He nui to ngaromanga, he iti to putanga.

    You depart with mighty boasts, but you come back having done little.
    Sounds like a typical hunting trip !

  3. #3
    Member Kimber 7mm-08's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    Arrowtown
    Posts
    660
    The barrel band goes forward of the rear sight base. Remove the foresight and slide the barrel band on. The smle stock has the location of the band identified via an inlet in the stock to the rear of the middle band.
    Cordite and nowool like this.

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Jafa land
    Posts
    5,317
    Post up photos of bubba's 303.

    It might not be worth the money and effort to restore.

    Is the barrel full length, good condition and not drilled and tapped? What about sight's?
    nowool likes this.

  5. #5
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Otago
    Posts
    190
    Wow. i learned more from members posts than scouring the internet! thanks!
    I'll admit its not the best candidate for refurbishment, but i can gain experience and knowledge by doing the work on this one. Eventually I'll find a better example and I can swap the furniture and turn this one back into a better version of a sporter. I have a soft spot for historical arms and if i can put them back in condition I always try.

    at least its numbers matching with no rust and the inside of the barrel has good rifleing with only a few small pits. the sights are complete. I haven't decided what to do with the Parker Hale scope
    mount.
    my first step is cleaning the parts and barrel and then reblue while i'm waiting to find all the stock pieces.

    here are some pics
    Attached Images Attached Images     

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Otago
    Posts
    190

    Test Fired DP Lithgow barrel

    after i removed the parker hale scope mount base i found the dreaded "DP" stamped on the barrel underneath. i dug around trying to find a set of 303 chamber gauges to buy but all i found were out of stock. so i went to option 2:

    drove down to the local 'test paddock', loaded a round; tied the trusty string; moved back 20 meters and pulled! gun fired and brass looks ok. did that 3 more times. all brass within specs except for neck expansion (out not up). no pushed out primers or shiny rings. I put on my safety glasses and covid face shield and fired first from the hip and then 2 more times from the shoulder. gun shot to point of aim at 30 meters and no excess gas. I did notice that the extracting the brass is quite 'draggy' feeling. i tried it with unfired rounds and it feels the same. don't know if this is normal or something to fix.

    so why is the barrel marked DP? the serial numbers aren't crossed out (like the DP norm). only DP marks are on the top of the barrel and a very lightly pen engraved dp on the bolt.

    After shooting i cleaned out the barrel with BoreTech Eliminator (great stuff) and the bore is shiny and about 7-8 out of ten with very minor pitting.

    My two questions now are; since the charger base and chamber were drilled for the scope mount base, does removing it weaken the action? Second is why if it shoots good is the Lithgow barrel marked DP?

    Any insights appreciated.
    Last edited by nowool; 22-07-2021 at 12:13 AM.

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Otago
    Posts
    190
    Quote Originally Posted by Kimber 7mm-08 View Post
    The barrel band goes forward of the rear sight base. Remove the foresight and slide the barrel band on. The smle stock has the location of the band identified via an inlet in the stock to the rear of the middle band.
    thanks for the tips. i acquired a barrel band and i've ordered two sight bases with pins just in case i mess this up!

  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    kaiapoi
    Posts
    6,697
    Those drilled holes unless stupidly large on the chamber end have no effect on the safety.
    Main lug on the bolt and side of the action the important bit

  9. #9
    Member Kimber 7mm-08's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    Arrowtown
    Posts
    660
    @nowool Drill Purpose could be for any number of factors. It could be as simple as the storeman needed the another rifle for non-firing rifle drills (marching, etc), right the way through to an identified critical fault somewhere in the rifle. Personally I wouldn't not fire a DP marked rifle, as I treat 'DP' to mean condemned. Others may have a different view of course.

  10. #10
    Member Micky Duck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Geraldine
    Posts
    22,365
    so ASSUMABLY the dreaded DP (learnt something new today)was on rifle BEFORE it had scope mount fitted...MAYBE it couldve had crap headspace and a longer bolt head was found by the gunny who fitted bases and thus restored it to OK to use....
    good on you for restoring an old girl.

  11. #11
    Member Micky Duck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Geraldine
    Posts
    22,365
    pretty sure there was 303 guages on trademe last week.

  12. #12
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Bay of plenty
    Posts
    691
    Quote Originally Posted by Micky Duck View Post
    pretty sure there was 303 guages on trademe last week.
    yes there were

  13. #13
    Member Cordite's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    NZ Mainland (Dunedin)
    Posts
    5,478
    Quote Originally Posted by Kimber 7mm-08 View Post
    The barrel band goes forward of the rear sight base. Remove the foresight and slide the barrel band on. The smle stock has the location of the band identified via an inlet in the stock to the rear of the middle band.
    And remember, the barrel band is conical so put it on the right way. Really annoying to notice you got it wrong after you've replaced the front sight base... but I don't know anyone who'd admit they ever did that... )o:<
    An itch ... is ... a desire to scratch

  14. #14
    Member dogmatix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Northern Gaul (Pukekohe)
    Posts
    5,774
    Only just saw this thread.

    Geez, I just sold a SMLE replacement walnut stock set (top woods and lower stock) and the missing front metal parts on the yellow site on Tuesday.

    Personally I would only restore it if it hadn't been drilled for the scope mount. But that's just me.

    Also, like others, I wouldn't bother with a DP marked example.
    Look for another one instead to shoot/restore.
    Welcome to Sako club.

  15. #15
    Member Tertle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Christchurch NZ
    Posts
    1,126
    Quote Originally Posted by Mauser308 View Post
    There have been instances of rifles being pulled from the grease and marked DP without pushing the grease out of the barrels. It's the military, 'need 20 more DP rifles'. Armourer: 'check'.
    @Mauser308 thank you for posting that, i always cringe when i read blanket statements condemning DP’d 303’s, yes i can appreciate the sentiment, but you risk missing gems

    would i buy a DP, Hell yes, by far the best rifle barrel i have is on a NZDF cadet rifle auctioned 303 that i purchased a while back at the Wellington cadet auction, i recall another well know member from this site who also attended looking at the barrel of my new purchase and commenting he didn’t even think the barrel had been fired given its pristine condition, it had a old blanco’d sling a couple of DP stamps, some slight wear but that barrel, so would i buy a DP rifle, yes esp if i wanted something that had possibly little or no barrel use, BUT you need to know what your looking at, so please dont give up on DP markings!

    i also still have an early addition to my now much smaller collection of 303’s its the consummate NZ marked DP rifle and for a amateur collector like myself who enjoyed the history of REAL examples of NZ LE history its barrel is challenged but it so looks the part, did i pay too much for it when i bought it, yes, will i make money on it no, should have i bought it probably not, have i kept it and sold off other rifles hell yes!
    Micky Duck likes this.

 

 

Similar Threads

  1. SMLE 303
    By Jusepy in forum Firearms, Optics and Accessories
    Replies: 137
    Last Post: 26-08-2021, 11:10 AM
  2. New SMLE TAC
    By FRST in forum Firearms, Optics and Accessories
    Replies: 12
    Last Post: 25-01-2018, 07:41 AM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Welcome to NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums! We see you're new here, or arn't logged in. Create an account, and Login for full access including our FREE BUY and SELL section Register NOW!!