Same dealer as the sniper model. Has what I would consider a reasonably nice '43 Lithgow No 3. Again, sorry, no pics. Wish I had shot some, since my knowledge on them is so weak. But, he said that I could have the rifle, and an original  Lithgow bayonet for $600. Does this sound reasonable?

Double check that one...Lithgow only made No. 4 Mk I's and I*'s...

But that's very high, unless you really want one and its mint and matching...but even then it's the high side...

Lithgow manufactured No. 1 Mk III and III* from 1913 to 1945, with a small additional run in 1953.

 

However, I agree with the second sentence.

Shit, you are 100% right, Lithgow NEVER manufactured the No.4...I was thinking Long Branch...wrong Commonwealth country.

I'm a dumbass...

The No. 3 is about the only thing I knew for sure. Keeping in mind that it has an original bayonet, that's still high?

Way high...1943 was a highpoint in Lithgow production ...they are nice guns, but even minty matching...it's at least $100 to $150 too high...more if it's mismatched, FTR'd, or beat....

The bayo is worth $75 to $125, depending on condition, etc...

Appreciate all of the info. I'll see if he'll go $450 for the whole thing, but my impression is that he's financially invested. I want a No. 3 badly, but not that badly.
 

ETA: he wanted $150 for the bayo alone.

To me, that's high for a long Enfield bayo, even a Lithgow ( unless it's a hooked quillon...then it's worth 3 or 4 time that!).

But, ymmv, depending on your local market...but seems $25 to $50 too high...

Do the bullet test to check the muzzle.

Last fall I picked up a pretty fair condition Lithgow for $140.

The bullets print a very nice sideways profile. When they hit the target board. At 25'.

A Lithgow No. 1 Mk. III* was one of the first guns I owned (as a teenager). It cost me all of $12.99 in 1961.

A weak point in the Lithgows is the Australian coachwood stock. It tends to split in the "draws" area. That's why the Australians reinforced that area with brass strips.

A split stock prompted me to sporterize it. I remember spending quite a bit of money to turn it into a nice sporter, but today I'm sorry I did it. I sold it years later.

Your early guns are always a learning experience.

Check for import stamps. J.Jovino Co. bought out the Lithgow warehouse in the late 90's and imported the lot. NiB unfired guns, old warhorses, boxloads of parts, barrels, actions, stocks etc. They sold a ton of the rifles and built even more from the boxed parts, stamping them with new matching serial #'s. Some of the Unfired and old rifles are fantastic, legit guns and can be great shooters. Lots of 'mint' guns assembled from boxes of spare parts have no collector value but can be good or bad shooters depending on who assembled them.

Jovono stamped the guns lightly on the base of the charger bridge just above the bolt. "J.Jovino Co. NY.". Sometimes it can be hard to make out. Even if it is visible, it doesn't mean it's a bad gun, it could be one of the many complete rifles imported from Australia, or it could be a parts gun assembled in NY by Jovino. I believe the Military Surplus Rifle forum has an Enfield page and guys like Peter Laidler post there, I know when I bought my '42 Lithgow I checked there to find out that my rifle's serial # was in fact legit.

As said, overpriced. 40's Lithgow rifles are common. What aren't are 1920's and 1930's rifles.

Check for evidence of a paint band around the front of the rifle's forestock, sometimes including the nose cap. These were green (safe to fire), yellow (safe to fire but bad bore), and red (do not use with live ammunition, unsafe). These bands were added when the rifles passed into Australia's cadet system, and many were removed when the rifles made it here. Sometimes you can see a shadow of the band in the forestock, and find traces of the paint in crevasses. If you find traces of red paint, stay far away.