Thread: Need help with SMLE

Wow. i learned more from members posts than scouring the internet! thanks!
I'll admit its not the best candidate for refurbishment, but i can gain experience and knowledge by doing the work on this one. Eventually I'll find a better example and I can swap the furniture and turn this one back into a better version of a sporter. I have a soft spot for historical arms and if i can put them back in condition I always try.

at least its numbers matching with no rust and the inside of the barrel has good rifleing with only a few small pits. the sights are complete. I haven't decided what to do with the Parker Hale scope
mount.
my first step is cleaning the parts and barrel and then reblue while i'm waiting to find all the stock pieces.

here are some pics

after i removed the parker hale scope mount base i found the dreaded "DP" stamped on the barrel underneath. i dug around trying to find a set of 303 chamber gauges to buy but all i found were out of stock. so i went to option 2:

drove down to the local 'test paddock', loaded a round; tied the trusty string; moved back 20 meters and pulled! gun fired and brass looks ok. did that 3 more times. all brass within specs except for neck expansion (out not up). no pushed out primers or shiny rings. I put on my safety glasses and covid face shield and fired first from the hip and then 2 more times from the shoulder. gun shot to point of aim at 30 meters and no excess gas. I did notice that the extracting the brass is quite 'draggy' feeling. i tried it with unfired rounds and it feels the same. don't know if this is normal or something to fix.

so why is the barrel marked DP? the serial numbers aren't crossed out (like the DP norm). only DP marks are on the top of the barrel and a very lightly pen engraved dp on the bolt.

After shooting i cleaned out the barrel with BoreTech Eliminator (great stuff) and the bore is shiny and about 7-8 out of ten with very minor pitting.

My two questions now are; since the charger base and chamber were drilled for the scope mount base, does removing it weaken the action? Second is why if it shoots good is the Lithgow barrel marked DP?

Any insights appreciated.