SMLE Lithgow

[5.7 MAN]

I have a 1917 built Lithgow, it has some kind of reddish colored wood, anyone know what the wood is? hard to believe that rifle is almost 100 yrs old. one of my favorites as well.

[Scharfschuetze]

I've been told that the wood on my 1942 Lithgow is Australian Coachwood. I'm no forester, but the description of the wood seems to match what you are seeing in your 1917 Lithgow as well as the wood on my later version.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratopetalum_apetalum

[Multigunner]

Brithunter

Have always wondered why SAMMI has to do this especially when the specifications had been in existence for many years. Just makes no sense to add to the confusion about head space. Do they need the work that badly?

Original factory specs for the SMLE call for a .068 headspace gauge.
Sporting arms and ammunition manufacturer specifications for the .303 are based on the original Royal Engineer specifications for the .303, not the war time expediant specs used by armorers.

A number of sporting arms manufacturers built .303 rifles on actions other than the Lee Enfield actions. BSA is a notable exception. Winchester chambered many 1895 lever actions in .303. Many double rifles, Mannlicher rifles, falling block, and other actions were also used. Some of these actions won't close on some wartime manufacture .303 milsurp ammunition.

Due to rims that were often too thick or dinged up the military headspace specs were loosened. at one time the military field gauge was .072 later increased to .074.
They could get away with loose chambers and generous headspace because the increased use of the Lewis, Maxim and Vickers guns resulted in alterations to the cartridge case body specifications to avoid cartridges breaking up in the action when jammed or cases separating in the chambers jamming the gun tight in combat.
The problems had become so bad that by 1918 the RAF began contracting for its MG ammo separate from the normal chain of supply.
.303 milspec Ball ammo, and US .30-06 Ball as well, made from WW1 onwards has a partly annealed case body and usually thicker side walls than the original ball cartridges, to avoid case separations in worn MGs. So the safety margin of a SMLE or No.4 with headspace near but under .074 is just as good when using later milspec ammunition as it had been when the headspace specs were tighter and pre WW1 Ball ammunition was in use.

Canada had manufactured .303 ammunition to the original Royal Engineer specifications and chambered their rifles accordingly, so when they were issued British wartime specification ammunition that ammuntion caused jams and other problems.

It was the British military that loosened headspace specifications for the Lee Enfield rifles and loosened wartime acceptance standards for the .303 cartridge. SAAMI did not mess with the original pre WW1 specifications since sporting rifles were not ordinarily built to the loose wartime manufacture specs.

Rim thickness specs for the .303 are .054 minimum to .064 maximum, in general sporting cartridge rims mike in the middle of that tolerance range. Wartime manufacture .303 ball rims are usually on the thicker end of that tolerance range, mainly due to extending the operation time between maintenance of the case drawing and head forming machinery to increase production. Post WW2 the old case drawing machinery was kept in service till it wore out completely or was given to third world allies.

[Multigunner]

I have a 1917 built Lithgow, it has some kind of reddish colored wood, anyone know what the wood is? hard to believe that rifle is almost 100 yrs old. one of my favorites as well.

Some Lithgow and Ishapore stock sets were apparently dyed red for some reason.
A stock set from a Lithgow I once stripped had a red dye job. The dye was soluable in alcohol . Once I'd cleaned the wood it retained a reddish cast but was much lighter in color.
The red stain resembles "barn stain" which acts as a preservative with antifungal and insecticide properties.

[Scharfschuetze]

Some Lithgow and Ishapore stock sets were apparently dyed red for some reason.
A stock set from a Lithgow I once stripped had a red dye job. The dye was soluable in alcohol . Once I'd cleaned the wood it retained a reddish cast but was much lighter in color.
The red stain resembles "barn stain" which acts as a preservative with antifungal and insecticide properties.

If it did have an anti-fungal property, it was probably useful in the New Guinea campaign where soldiers and rifles were wet much of the time.