I’ll post more pics in the Snider thread. Would love to know a lot more history about it.
That said, I take the age as the oldest part, so nah nah nah lol
I’ll post more pics in the Snider thread. Would love to know a lot more history about it.
That said, I take the age as the oldest part, so nah nah nah lol
Not in the race for having the oldest. But to the thread topic Whats the oldest firearm you own mine is a 1916 Lithgow 303 all matching numbers. Not sure which 303 is which I have another Lithgow made one that is 1942 again all matching numbers even the butt. Not sure which one it is but one has two sets of all matching numbers it may be the older one it is not marked with a FTR peerhaps if used by another service other than the army it may have had a referb or a check up and issues a second set of serial numbers. @no1mk3 can you shed any light on why a second set of complete numbers would be present?
G’day mate,
Your Nepalese uses a lockplate from a British rifle, having the correct Royal Cypher and the Lock Viewers mark. Would suggest either a use of older parts in it’s construction or a transferred rifle. What is it that determines it is Nepalese? Does it have Sanskrit numbers on the rear sight? The date is a bit funny, seems to be some overstamping and an 1849 looking date on a Pattern 1853 lockplate is a bit strange, but not that uncommon for that part of the world.
G’day sungazer,
You have more or less answered your own question, it was a common practice to re-number rifles that were FTR’d and such a stamp may not have been applied to earlier rifles such as your 1916. Also many rifles were re-numbered if they went into service with another country and the previous numbers were not always ground off, I have a No4 Long Branch with 2 complete sets of numbers as well as a Sparkbrook rifle No1 which was re-numbered after being sent to Ireland. Another source, particularly with your 1916, is the change of “Master Number” from the barrel number to the action number from January 1925, so if a rifle was repaired after that date using a later body the whole thing would be re-numbered, again either with or without removing the old numbers. Chasing Enfield serial numbers is a study in itself and can easily lead to madness, (or alcohol if your lucky!) Cheers.
I imported it from IMA from the states a couple of years back. Its one of the ones they got from the Nepalese cache. As you say, made from mix of parts from the poms and locally made bits. Serials and rear sight markings are Sanskrit. Bore is good but chamber is way oversized and not kind on brass. It’s got the mk iii locking breach
My dad imported a long handle mk IV martini Henry from IMA that also came from the Nepal cache however it is a complete British made one from 1887.
You guys smash me by half centuries easy, mine is a 1943 no 4 mk 1 maltby manufactured lee enfield .303
…and has battle scars from 2018 lol
Not my best decision
Dont worry your only young by the time you get to my age or if your lucky Oldblokes age I am sure it will be well down the list.
It will be an antique by then lol
Haha i’m refering to putting it through a car window, scratched the stock up something fierce!
Im getting sick of u young blokes knocking my age. Ive still got plenty of get up and go. Still got my looks too.
Heres a pic on my latest birthday party.
Lost weight?
Had a hair cut?
Got some suntan?
No, hair has actuality started growing again.
And to steer the thread back on track @Oldbloke still has his first rifle.
And it still works!
And it doesnt need a “sound moderators”.