Lithgow Model 1B
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 533 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.50 kg
- Introduced
- 1949
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Lithgow Model 1B is a single-shot, bolt-action .22 Long Rifle rimfire rifle, the final and most refined member of the Lithgow Model 1 series manufactured at the government-owned Lithgow Small Arms Factory in New South Wales, Australia. Produced from 1949 to 1961 for Slazenger Australia Pty Ltd, it retains the series' distinctive one-piece barrel-and-receiver machined from a single piece of ordnance steel, a manual-cocking rear-locking bolt, and a two-piece wooden stock. As an affordable postwar 'bunny rifle', more than 104,000 Model 1B examples were built, making it the most numerous of the three variants.
Together with its Model 1 and 1A predecessors, the little single-shot .22 Lithgow 'put food on the table of many Australian families when times were hard following WWII', earning its place as a quintessential Australian 'bunny rifle'.
The Model 1B updated the earlier Model 1A, which had moved the trigger assembly from being pinned to the stock to being fixed to the receiver. Serial numbers were stamped on the barrel near the rear sight. Dimensional specifications are approximate and vary slightly between individual rifles; barrel/overall length and weight figures are drawn from the closely related Model 1 series and not independently confirmed for the 1B specifically.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Lithgow Small Arms Factory
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Australia
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1949 to 1961
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 533 mm
- Overall length
- 990 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.50 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 1
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Ordnance steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 330 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 141 J
- Effective range
- 90 m
- Maximum range
- 1200 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Single shot
One piece barrel and receiver
Two piece wooden stock
Iron sights
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 215 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 2.50 kg | 2.61 kg | Lighter than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 207 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 990 mm | 1016 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 228 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 533 mm | 547 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 231 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 1 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the Lithgow Model 1B
How much does the Lithgow Model 1B weigh?
The Lithgow Model 1B weighs 2.50 kg (5.51 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Lithgow Model 1B?
The Lithgow Model 1B is chambered in .22 Long Rifle.
How many rounds does the Lithgow Model 1B hold?
The Lithgow Model 1B holds 1 rounds.
How long is the Lithgow Model 1B?
The Lithgow Model 1B is 990 mm (39.0 in) long overall, with a 533 mm (21.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Lithgow Model 1B?
The Lithgow Model 1B is made by Lithgow Small Arms Factory (Australia).
When was the Lithgow Model 1B introduced?
The Lithgow Model 1B was introduced in 1949 and discontinued in 1961.
How does the Lithgow Model 1B operate?
The Lithgow Model 1B uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Australian civilian shooters
- 1949
Provenance
Confidence in this record
60%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/lithgow-model-1b' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "lithgow-model-1b", "name": "Lithgow Model 1B", "manufacturer": { "id": "lithgow", "name": "Lithgow Small Arms Factory", "countryCode": "AU", "foundedYear": 1912, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-07-06 11:00:16", "updatedAt": "2026-07-06 11:00:16", "version": "72c4f134b9f94121f2324424432da33151c3fcaaa1d09ca453657535f299025d" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "AU", "year_introduced": 1949, "barrel_length_mm": 533, "weight_empty_g": 2500, "action_type": "bolt_action"}