I bought a Lithgow No.1 MkIII rifle last night from a co-worker, and have a question. On the chamber is the marking "FTR" above the serial number. The rifle is in good condition, and is dated 1916. I paid $200.00 for this.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Here is the FTR mark. -
Finally, the Lithgow Arsenal stamp.Comment
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Roy, FTR = Factory Thorough Repair. Meaning that it was arsenal rebuilt. Not at all uncommon, and means that the rifle most probably has years of life left for the occasional user. FPComment
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Smle
Hello,
FrogPrince is correct but there is a little bit more to it.
As you can see, the finish is a Green Park. This is what the Aussies used after WW2. In Britian it was Black Gun Paint and in other places like canada, there was a mixture of Blueing and gun paint.
When the rifle was FTR'd, it normally recieved a new barrel and a replacement for any other damaged parts. It looks like the stock is nice and old so it is probably original to the rifle. Also some of the parts would have been force matched.
The Aussies only used the SMLE No1 Mk3 and never adopted the No4 Mk1. They built them right through the 1950's. So this rifle probably saw action in both WW1 and WW2, being FTR'd some time shortly after the war. I have a 1911 LSA that was FTR'd down under and it looks pretty much the same.
As for the price, your local area is the deciding factor. $200 for a rifle that will shoot great and has an interesting history is worth it in my book.
Hope this has helped,
CamComment
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Thank you for your help guys!
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