Gun Showcase Thread (No Politics or Philosophical Discussions)

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

That makes sense. I bet you’re right.

I’ve never really done any research on them. Maybe it was designed to compensate for that controversial 25” barrel length. I’m pretty sure I would have been shot by my own side for being a coward and refusing to go “over the top”. I can’t even imagine.....

Brings to mind the old Army story about bayonet training. A soldier asked the cadre NCO "what if I stick the enemy with my bayonet and it sticks in his ribs, how do I get it out"? The NCO replied "just fire off a round and blow him off".

A soldier from Georgia piped up and said "if I have a round left in my rifle, there ain't gonna be no bayonet fighten".

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

1905 S.M.L.E.

Short Magazine Lee Enfield, made at Enfield, England, in 1905. I think this example is known as a No.1 Mk.1, with additional updates performed, I think, in 1914. It’s marked I***. I believe some of the updates had to do with new ammunition types that had recently become available. I’ve never shot it and I’m not 100% positive if I can safely run modern ammunition through it despite the updates. I owned it about ten years before making the decision to take it to bits and clean it. It’s possible that it hadn’t been taken completely apart since it’s last round of updates. There was quite a lot of caked dirt and cosmoline under the stocks, together with some superficial surface rust. I really wish I knew more about these rifles and where this one might have seen service. The floating charger guide is one of the strangest features of this generation.



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee–Enfield

I have had 4 different versions of the Lee Enfield over the years including a 1914 No1 Mk 1. Still have the bayonet and a very, very, VERY rare 1914 canvas frog (the part that holds it on your belt).
Trying to track them is extremely difficult since they made about 8 million between 1906 and 1925 and they were used by no less than 20 different countries at various different periods in between those years. They were still in use by some countries as late as the 1950s even though there were "better" versions made throughout WW2. Once upon a time I had a book that I could have looked up your serial and armoury number up and at least been able to get an idea of when an where it was originally ordered but I gave it away when I sold off my early versions about 30 years ago.
I spent years and years researching these rifles and knew exactly when and where each of the ones I owned were first sold.
The only one I kept was my 1942 No4 Mk 1*. The asterix is important here since it shows that it was one of only a few made by the Savage Company in the US as opposed to the million made by the British. It was a lend lease trial with the recever marked as "US Property" to avoid some of the restrictions. It is about as rare as you can get for a Lee Enfield.

Originally Posted by NWFRS

Right?!

British military doctrine over the years was so strange. I couldn’t say what was going through their heads at any given time. They took interesting lessons away from each conflict. I think this is a 1907 pattern bayonet. It came with my rifle, but I have no way of knowing how long they’ve been together. I spent years and years reserching these rifles and knew exactly when and where each of the ones I owned were first sold.
The only one I kept was my 1942 No4 Mk 1*. The asterix is important here since it shows that it was one of only a few made by the Savage Company in the US as opposed to the million made by the British. It was a lend lease trial with the recever marked as "US Property" to avoid some of the restrictions. It is about as rare as you can get for a Lee Enfield.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pattern_1907_bayonet

Originally Posted by humfrz

With that stuck on the end of the rifle, in trench warfare, I could see where the added "reach" would have an advantage -

PS - I just read your attachment after I posted - . Interesting.

Need to keep in mind that just a few years before WW1 battles were still held with lines of infantry using single shot weapons. A very common tactic was to just keep firing volleys at the opposing line of sitting ducks until everybody had got close enough to just do a bayonet charge and the whole thing turn to melee. The various armies went into WW1 expecting to still use a variation of this type of infantry tactic. The increased fire power of the bolt action would of course change how the two armies grouped up but they still planned on two large groups going head to head and ending in a bayonet charge. What they didn’t see coming ( and took a dreadfully long to recognize once it did) was the impact of the machine gun. The effectiveness of any of the old tactics was all of a sudden changed when you could mow down a pile of people charging at you with bayonets with little effort or danger to yourself. Both sides still tried it of course but this is how they ended up in trenches with gains and losses measured in feet per month instead of whole battlefields in hours.
WW1 really spelt the end of the long sword type bayonet and everybody pretty much gave up on them after that. There were limited uses in WW2 (the Japanese still loved them and look how it turned out for them) and even most modern infantry weapons can still be fitted with them but the practical use really ended in late 1914 and modern bayonets are more useful as a knife than anything else.

[NWFRS]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Brings to mind the old Army story about bayonet training. A soldier asked the cadre NCO "what if I stick the enemy with my bayonet and it sticks in his ribs, how do I get it out"? The NCO replied "just fire off a round and blow him off".

A soldier from Georgia piped up and said "if I have a round left in my rifle, there ain't gonna be no bayonet fighten".

Exactly!

My thoughts as well. It seems long and unwieldy to me, but I have to remember that in those days their leadership didn’t even want them opening up their magazine cut-offs for fear it would encourage the men to waste ammo.

[NWFRS]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I have had 4 different versions of the Lee Enfield over the years including a 1914 No1 Mk 1. Still have the bayonet and a very, very, VERY rare 1914 canvas frog (the part that holds it on your belt).
Trying to track them is extremely difficult since they made about 8 million between 1906 and 1925 and they were used by no less than 20 different countries at various different periods in between those years. They were still in use by some countries as late as the 1950s even though there were "better" versions made throughout WW2. Once upon a time I had a book that I could have looked up your serial and armoury number up and at least been able to get an idea of when an where it was originally ordered but I gave it away when I sold off my early versions about 30 years ago.
I spent years and years researching these rifles and knew exactly when and where each of the ones I owned were first sold.
The only one I kept was my 1942 No4 Mk 1*. The asterix is important here since it shows that it was one of only a few made by the Savage Company in the US as opposed to the million made by the British. It was a lend lease trial with the recever marked as "US Property" to avoid some of the restrictions. It is about as rare as you can get for a Lee Enfield.

That’s fantastic! I love that greenish patina. Looks like a fine example. Too bad you don’t still have that book but I understand. I only kept about two dozen reference books myself, and some of the good ones can get expensive.

I’ve only owned a few other wartime bolt-guns, but my collection took a different turn over the years and this 1905 is the only one I have left. U.S. Property stuff is really neat but I’m kind of a bottom-feeder and the value of those was already well established by the time I started collecting. A Swedish model of 1896 was probably the smoothest action I had but I never enjoyed shooting any of them. I only kept this Enfield because it seemed like an interesting variation that I wasn’t likely to run across again, and I picked it up for almost nothing.

Othais of C&Rsenal has some really great primer videos on the development of WWI-era small arms and the various conflicts that helped shape them. I think I’ve listened to them all at least once by now, but I generally have poor retention, and he can be a little long-winded.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

That’s fantastic! I love that greenish patina. Looks like a fine example. Too bad you don’t still have that book but I understand. I only kept about two dozen reference books myself, and some of the good ones can get expensive.

I’ve only owned a few other wartime bolt-guns, but my collection took a different turn over the years and this 1905 is the only one I have left. U.S. Property stuff is really neat but I’m kind of a bottom-feeder and the value of those was already well established by the time I started collecting. A Swedish model of 1896 was probably the smoothest action I had but I never enjoyed shooting any of them. I only kept this Enfield because it seemed like an interesting variation that I wasn’t likely to run across again, and I picked it up for almost nothing.

Othais of C&Rsenal has some really great primer videos on the development of WWI-era small arms and the various conflicts that helped shape them. I think I’ve listened to them all at least once by now, but I generally have poor retention, and he can be a little long-winded.

I had 12 different WW1 to WW2 rifles at one point.
My Lee Enfield was picked up at a surplus store in 1972 for my 13th birthday. They had a great big bin of paper wrapped rifles packed in solid grease. Most were surrendered weapons from the end of the war in Europe. You had no idea what you would get. It could be German, British surplus, Italian and even the very occasional Japanese one. No US ones though as they took all theirs back with them. You simply paid your $30 and picked one. I just got the luck of the draw with the Savage Enfield.

[NWFRS]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I had 12 different WW1 to WW2 rifles at one point.
My Lee Enfield was picked up at a surplus store in 1972 for my 13th birthday. They had a great big bin of paper wrapped rifles packed in solid grease. Most were surrendered weapons from the end of the war in Europe. You had no idea what you would get. It could be German, British surplus, Italian and even the very occasional Japanese one. No US ones though as they took all theirs back with them. You simply paid your $30 and picked one. I just got the luck of the draw with the Savage Enfield.

Amazing! I’ve never heard of a blind draw like that.

A few years ago, a buddy of mine allowed me to join him in opening a crate that his granddad mailed to himself when he was stationed in Japan in the mid 1940’s. This crate, apparently, hadn’t been opened since it was mailed. It contained a pair of Arisaka rifles. I don’t recall that either was any kind of special variant. One had a broken stock at the wrist and the other had a badly mangled ‘mum. He wanted to swap stocks and keep the better rifle so that’s what we did.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

Amazing! I’ve never heard of a blind draw like that.

A few years ago, a buddy of mine allowed me to join him in opening a crate that his granddad mailed to himself when he was stationed in Japan in the mid 1940’s. This crate, apparently, hadn’t been opened since it was mailed. It contained a pair of Arisaka rifles. I don’t recall that either was any kind of special variant. One had a broken stock at the wrist and the other had a badly mangled ‘mum. He wanted to swap stocks and keep the better rifle so that’s what we did.

It was the early 70s. No permits, very few controls and a mass of surplus WW2 materials still showing up on the market as bases were being closed and items in storage disposed of.

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

He came home in one piece, so I guess he won.

Is he ok?

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

Is he ok?

He was blown up twice where he woke up in a German hospital. He has had a few surgeries for a busted up ankle, and suffers tinnitus. But basically he is a healthy, very successful 31 yo.

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

It was the early 70s. No permits, very few controls and a mass of surplus WW2 materials still showing up on the market as bases were being closed and items in storage disposed of.

So basically dumpster guns.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Sapphireho

So basically dumpster guns.

More or less. The cool part was that they were all wepons that had actually seen service in WW2 instead of shiny new ones. I was more a WW2 equipment collector than a gun collector.

[Capt Spaulding]

Originally Posted by humfrz

That reminds me of the time I took my daughter (she was about 14 years old) to an indoor range to become familiar with firing my .45 ACP. As her coach I stood beside her when she fired and noticed she would jump after she fired.

I ask her what was wrong and she said that the spent cartridges were burning her. I then noticed she was wearing a short sleeved blouse and that she was shooting left handed -

I know, I'm late to this party but Humm's story tickled me. I used to shoot a lot at a local indoor range and one day a guy shows up to show his GF how to shoot his 1911. She was a quite attractive young lady in a sundress held up by spaghetti straps and quite well constructed. Their lane was at the other end of the room.

After gawking for longer than I should I went back to my own business and forgot about them. After about 10 minutes I heard a report followed by some of the most intense screaming I've ever heard. I stepped back from the firing line and this woman is dancing around screaming her head off waving that 1911 around like it's a maraca. The gun is condition zero and everyone in the area is diving for the floor.

The lane dividers are plywood framing overlaid with industrial carpet. It's bad about bouncing spent cases back at the shooter. I wear a ball cap because once or twice a case has wedged itself between my shooting glasses and my cheek. A case had bounced off the divider and dropped down her cleavage. It was a looong way down and on the way it got hung up on something. Fortunately she didn't manage to pull the trigger, but about 10 people had to make an emergency trip home for wardrobe adjustments.

[Stephen W.]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

< snip > I wear a ball cap because once or twice a case has wedged itself between my shooting glasses and my cheek. < snip >

I've only fired pistols a few times but, each time I found spent casings in shirt pockets or other places well after leaving the range.
Like the time I was making a joke at work. I flipped my hoodie up over my head, folded my arms as I scowled to imitate a gangsta rapper. Just then the General Manager walked in to the sound of two spent Winchester 40 S&W's hitting the floor right in front of him. Without missing a beat I looked him right in the eyes and said; Dazz right sucka, I be one bad azz fother mucker!
Everybody laughed except him. What is it with management types never having a sense of humour, eh?

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Stephen W.

..Everybody laughed except him. What is it with management types never having a sense of humour, eh?

For what it's worth, I would have thought it was hysterical...but I do live in Georgia where accidental case droppage isn't that unusual.