Gun Review: Australia Lithgow 1919 SMLE No.1 Mk III bolt action rifle in .303 British

By Joshua Gillem

Short, Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) No.1 Mk III bolt action rifle in .303 British made at the Lithgow factory in Australia in 1919. (Photo: Joshua Gillem)
The Short, Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) was already being produced by the time World War I began — this faster shooting bolt action rifle is one of the tools that helped the allies win that war due to its reliability, expedient action and precision performance.
Background
Lithgow Small Arms manufacturer markings. (Photo: Joshua Gillem)
The SMLE No.1 Mk III was first introduced in 1907, and was a variant of an earlier Lee Enfield rifle. The manufacturers made periodic changes to these rifles in an effort to produce them as fast as possible during the peak of WWI. The main idea was to make them simpler, with less parts, mainly so they could be pushed out faster.
Also helping to keep up with the demand, was the use of different factories to include those in Britain, India and the Lithgow Small Arms Factory in Australia. This is where my rifle was manufactured back in 1919.
Build and service
It is a common misconception that the “short” in its name refers to the size of the magazine. It actually refers to the overall

Source: Guns.com