Quote Originally Posted by p246 View Post
Lithgows themselves in the No 1 Mk 3 and No 1 Mk 3* can be confusing. They started with 3s went to 3*s during late WW1. In the 20s added mag cutoff back and crossed out *. Made a few new 3s interwar, ramped up 3 production for WW2 then went back to 3* production around 1941, JB might know the actual time period, as I cant remember. In circa 46, 47, 48 their was a large rearsenal program. All my Lithgow 3s done during this time no longer have a mag cutoff installed. Once again if memory serves all 3s were to be turned into 3*s during this rearsenal. Don't quote me on that as I need to crack my Skinnerton books to confirm that. JB or Sunray might be able to answer that off the top of their head. Lithgows can have blacked brass bands also, something not initially put on English rifles.
When I bought my Lithgow No. 1 Mk lll* it had been “FTR’d”.
Originally built as a 1918, Mk lll (with mag. cutoff), after “FTR”, it lost it’s windage-adjustable rear sight (now has non-windage adjustable sight) and the mag. cutoff.
I replaced the cutoff (after all, the slot and threaded hole was still there).
By-the-way . . . Have you tried to move the cutoff “in” to cut off the magazine feed AFTER loading the magazine?
Not easy unless your left-hand forefinger can carefully push down the top cartridge while your right moves the cutoff “in”.