No.4 and No.1 barrels?

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 Lithgow wrote:

I think they actually made the rifles in 1953 to keep the knowledge and skills. I beleive only 1000 were made and yes they do show up from time to time but command a premium price. 
from 1901 until the late 80's rifle shooting in Australia was overseen by the Army.
Until the 1960's and perhaps 70's the 303 was still used.
All ammo until the late  80's or early 90's was supplied by the Army and the club captain would alot each shooter his rounds for the days shoot. 
The rifles had to be in military configuration with the exception of the sights.
My father was an armourer for the local club and used to buy chests of 8 rifles from the army at a price of 1 pound each and turn them into target rifles and sell them to members. I still have an empty rifle chest.
These rifles did not have sold out of service marks as they were technically still the army rifles, each member signed an oath to defend the country when they joined the club. I signed it in 1976.
Grandad was a member of the 1948 Australian rifle team that went to England. He brought back a No4 Mk1/2 regulated by Fultons which my father still has. The No4 was virtually unseen at that time and the team showed up back here with what was called "the new rifle".
My father was also a State shooter but gave up at his peak.
I joined the rifle club in 1976 but was only in it for a couple of years and took up pistol shooting instead.

Interesting, my state has a Militia law requiring every able bodied citizen to serve in the "unorganized Militia" should a state of emergency be called, we are also required to assist police and rescue workers (which I've done in the past). 
The law has been so seldom used in the last century that very few citizens even know of it.
Gun ownership here has very few regulations other than handgun concealed carry, which required a cash bond at one time, but I hear they rescinded that.
Displaying a weapon of any kind in public (brandishing) can get you tossed in the hoosegow but that goes for just about anything thats considered a weapon.

There are many shooters clubs, only the Department of Civilian Marksmanship has a direct government tie in, they sell surplus rifles but once sold they have no further control over the weapons, otherwise its pretty much private.

PS
I can remember back in the sixties coworkers shooting their rifles in the parking lot of the plant at lunch time. Funny thing but I guess I saw more antique guns bought and sold at work than anywhere else. No one thought a thing about it if someone strolled in the workplace with a rifle on his shoulder. Some kids at my elementary school even carried rifles or pistols to school for protection against wild dogs. No one ever got shot at school back then. I guess if anyone thought about pulling a gun and going on a killing spree he'd have ended up with more holes in him than a cheesegrater before he hit the floor.

BTW
I was mistaken earlier when I mentioned the Chrome Nickel Steel, Skenerton had said that Carbon steel had been substituted for Chrome Nickel steel, which suggests that earlier Lithgow rifles were Nickel Steel but those used to test the 7.62 conversions were Carbon Steel. It could have been that some late WW2 rifles were made using a lesser quality steel due to wartime shortages.