This is an great example of a hard to find pre-WW1 BSA .303 SHT. LE which retains all original features & is in great condition, as can be seen in the photos.

In the collector community, an early production rifle from this era that has managed to retain its original features & all-matching serial numbers is considered a rare find.

We believe it was never FTR’d & the Unit Disc remains, as do the other original parts which were usually removed during an FTR such as magazine cutoff & volley sights. It also has an inventory (rack or armoury) number (10/60) on the stock as many rifles had.

It has clearly lived a service life judging by the wood which has the usual bumps & marks (see pictures). The wood appears to be quite different in the photos but in the hand, it is more uniform.

It is marked with DP in various places which indicates it was designated for Drill Purpose at some stage in its life but for why we cannot see for the life of us.

Commonwealth armories designated rifles as DP for many reasons, including excessive headspace, structural receiver stretch, worn action-locking lugs, deep barrel corrosion, or simply because the model was phased out & needed for drill or training.

The barrel is bright & shiny, with plenty of visible rifling & there is historical, very black grease visible internally. We suspect this was designated DP due to being phased out & 'handed down' for drill practice when the SMLE No.1 Mk111* became the standardised service rifle in the lead up to WW1.

We see nothing to indicate mechanical issues being the reason for marking it DP & it's not like they had X-rays or such technology to see something we cannot see now.

It will be your decision whether to shoot it or not & we think it’s best to make the decision to buy based on the rarity & completeness of this hard to find rifle, rather than as a dedicated shooter.

Please view all of the photos carefully as they form the main description & override all others. Ask for more if desired.

We are not going to try & rate the condition out of 100 as everyone seems to have a different opinion on what the percentages should be, so we’ll let the pictures be the description. You will know if this is for you so view the photos carefully & make your decision based on what you see as they form the main description & override all written information. Ask for more if desired.

This rifle would be an excellent addition to or the start of any Enfield or Lithgow collection.

We think we have described it accurately & correctly but do not claim to be infallible so if we have got anything wrong, it is unintentional.

Whilst we check these out for serviceability, the warranty has expired & this is sold on an ‘as is’ basis. As with all used guns, we recommend you have this checked by a suitably qualified person prior to shooting.

Standard cost for shipping to metro locations is $110 & all guns are sent intact via StarTrack without insurance but packed very well.