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krinko · May 4, 2012, 09:42 PM

Here's how the rifle reads:
1.The "D^D" on the left receiver ring is a post-WW1 Australian property mark, which means this '16 LSA was given to the Aussies after the war in reparation for Australian Lithgow rifles sent to the Brits and lost by them in combat.
2.The "MA/59"* on the left buttsocket and "FTR" on the right receiver ring are Aussie marks, usually found on a large group of rifles sold to the Indian government in the early 1960s.
3.The Tennessee Guns import mark makes this one of the rifles that came into the US mixed up with the 1980s dated Ishapores a few years back.
4.There are no Indian rebuild marks on this rifle, despite the fact that the forestock would have been an Indian replacement---BUT---the stocks on these were universally black from whatever the Indians did with them. Very, very black. The number of "bruised apple" marks on this one indicate collector "improvement" to the wood finish.
5.This improvement is also indicated by the LSA marked magazine cut-off and the fact that the Indian stock has been relieved to accept the cut-off.
The cut-off, if it had remained on the rifle prior to the MA/59 rebuild, would not have survived that rebuild.

It might shoot nicely---barrel looks new---but it is approaching my local maximum retail at $222.77
Still in the comfort zone, though.
-----krinko

*Might be '59, might be '58

May 4, 2012, 09:42 PM	#6
krinko Member Join Date: August 1, 2009 Posts: 94	Here's how the rifle reads: 1.The "D^D" on the left receiver ring is a post-WW1 Australian property mark, which means this '16 LSA was given to the Aussies after the war in reparation for Australian Lithgow rifles sent to the Brits and lost by them in combat. 2.The "MA/59"* on the left buttsocket and "FTR" on the right receiver ring are Aussie marks, usually found on a large group of rifles sold to the Indian government in the early 1960s. 3.The Tennessee Guns import mark makes this one of the rifles that came into the US mixed up with the 1980s dated Ishapores a few years back. 4.There are no Indian rebuild marks on this rifle, despite the fact that the forestock would have been an Indian replacement---BUT---the stocks on these were universally black from whatever the Indians did with them. Very, very black. The number of "bruised apple" marks on this one indicate collector "improvement" to the wood finish. 5.This improvement is also indicated by the LSA marked magazine cut-off and the fact that the Indian stock has been relieved to accept the cut-off. The cut-off, if it had remained on the rifle prior to the MA/59 rebuild, would not have survived that rebuild. It might shoot nicely---barrel looks new---but it is approaching my local maximum retail at $222.77 Still in the comfort zone, though. -----krinko *Might be '59, might be '58