by No1Mk3 » 19 Nov 2019, 4:55 pm
G'day T_Murph,
Restoring that rifle is going to be a very involved and expensive proposition which will result in a rifle quite different to what you have been handed down. Firstly, it has an Australian Lithgow barrel fitted up to a Long Lee Enfield action by BSA, so you will search hard for a matching era barrel worth having. Then the woodwork, original LE Mk1 or 2 fore-end, $500+ if you can find one, I had one custom made for a Metford Mk2** which cost that. As for the one you have, the Indian Police used 410 converted 303's for decades, still do in many parts of India, they are available here as well as being converted here when military calibers were forbidden in some States after the war. The marks are, from the top, Lithgow Proof mark on the barrel and British Victorian era proof on the action under the face to face arrows mark for "Sold out of Service", showing the action was made and viewed whilst Victoria was still alive or just recentlr deceased, 2nd pic shows the same marks, 3rd pic shows the Lithgow View marks on the barrel, 4th pic shows the Cypher of King Edward VII, the maker, the date of assembly and acceptance, the model LE and mark I* which had no provision for a cleaning rod, Cheers