Tony B

Funny how many of the old 'full power' cartridges seem to be creeping back into the inventory though.

Don't suprise me at all.

I have a SMLE number 2 rifle. The oddity of that one is it is .22 rimfire. They were manufactured in .22 not converted as many shot out rifles were by Paker & Hale. The No 2 rifle is identical to the No 1 except it uses a Long Lee (Lee Metford) type bolt. They were issued for cadet and TA use as the ammo was cheaper and could be shot on indoor TA ranges. It also fits the bayonet for parade and training . That has volley sights and magazine cutoff.

About £250 /£300. The good thing is it can be held on a shotgun certificate, provided! That the weapon has ben modified to hold a maximum of three shots, two in mag , one in chamber, anymore and it becomes Section 1. The down side is the NUMBER 5 (Tut, tut , read earlier!) also known as the Jungle Carbine, is the most evil piece of kit to fire. The barrel is shorter with a flash hider, and less wood work. The reson for the open barrel is that in hot humid climates the wood work on the standard N0 4 rifle would swell and contract, touching the barrel which interfers with barrel harmonics altering the zero. Indian built weapons had modified bedding on the barrel to get over this. The result is a felt recoil like a mule. I was, persuaded, into firing one in Jersey, full .303, cordite charged number 7 z cartridge, and took ten minutes to stop whimpering. :-D

The long bayonet was due to the SMLE being shorter than most other rifles at the time. Reach in bayonet fighting is everything. The 1907 pattern 16 inch sword bayonet was patterned on the Japanese Askari bayonet. Originaly there was a curved hook projecting from the cross guard under the hilt, called a Quillion. This was a direct copy of the Japanese, the idea was to trap an opponents blade. Howerver it was found to be more nusiance than worth so was discontinued. The existing stock had the Quillion removed. If you find one with an intact Quillion, it won't buy the yacht but will command a three figure sum. There are also British bayonets of the Great War and Second World War made by Remington. These are for the Ross and P14 rifles. They will not fit the Enfeild. The distigusing mark is two vertical groves cut into the scales on the hilt. The short Pigsticker bayonet was introduced with the Rifle No 4, as a consequence of change in doctrine and the wood work, nose cap of the No4. They were not popular as they could not fufuil the popular uses of a bayonet...cutting wood, opening tins , etc. The Triple Alliance in the Great War issued a bayonet with a serrated back edge, this led to much outcry abiut Barbabris Huns, the original idea was to provide the soldier with a saw for firewood. There is also the No 7 bayonet issued in small quantitys for the No 4 rifle, this is similar to the SLR bayonet except there is a complex arangement at the back of the hilt that swings up through 180' to allow fixing to the rifle. Originally the manual for the rifle said to allow 3 inch elevation at 100 yards for zero when bayonet fitted.

Fantastic pice of serindipity. Finally she has got to someone who apprciates her..

What do you mean 'Up to 1957'? :nono: The No4 rifle served The Royal Navy up to the 1970's. The number 4 (T) rifle was standard issue up to the mid 1980's . The standard .22 Enfeild Envoy, single shot target rifle (British Military standard) still serves using a Lee action. Both Indian and Pakistani army and police can be seen with Lee Enfeild Number 1 Mk 3* rifles. The Canadian (Artic) Rangers use the .303 Lee Enfeild Rifle No 4 as their issue weapon, it is part of their divisonal patch. And that is without the locally produced patterns knocking about all over the Middle, Far East .

The magazine of a Lee Enfeild should only be removed for cleaning. Loading was always done by charger. The Lee action was intorduced in the 1880's originally on the Lee Metford, this used black powder proppellant. When first Ballisite and then for British use Cordite came into use as propellant the ballistics meant a new barell was neded. Designed by Enfeild. There was also a decison to make one length of rifle, rather than the long arm for infantary and carbine for cavalary. The result was the Short Magazine Lee Enfeild number 1 rifle. At this stage the rifle had volley sights, out to 1200 yards and a magazine cutout. Single shot was used unless an oficer ordered rapid fire. During the Great War the rifle was modified for easier manufactur. The volley sight and magazine cutout were omitted. This became the standard as is propperly known as the Rifle Number 1 Mark 3 or mark three * This continued in use till 1940 when the Lee Enfeild Rifle Number 4 became standard pattern. This had a diffrent bedding and wood wrok, the rear sight was also changed to a peep sight and moved to the rear of the reciver, though tilting long range sights are still included. That is why in the Middle east you see Rifle No 1 Mk3. Also in the Far East as rifles were manufactured in the Indian Arsenals such as Dum Dum. To be very technical the Indian rifles have a three quater floating bedding . PLEEEASE note. The correct nomaclature for any Lee Enfeild in the word 'NUMBER' not The term MARK! The mark designates manufacturering diffrences bettween models of the same number.

Very nice, please tell more.

Welcome along, Champs are an odd thing very British.

Knowing Tesco's only to well, I'd advise that any vehicle owner has a written permit from the store manager, preferably from the AREA manager to allow the vehicles on site. AND that the parking up place is CLEARLY deliniated.

Welcome along, all your tastes should be covered here.

On BBC 2 , so what has this to do with military vehicles? Apart from it actually being an intresting, good programme, with a number of nice vehicles, at 38:29 there is a shot of WW1 British tanks, in Red Square! I know some where supplied to the White Russian forces, but this is the first eveidence I've seen of Red Russian use.

Beutiful work, as usual.

Aptly named excersise. :-D

Isn't Minerva Belgium? Now known for licence built Landys.

Picture not coming up. OK is on a diffrent server. Are a bell book and candle involved?

Looks like they have a wax finsh on the jackets.

I was told designing it drove Wilson , mad, mad I say....... Not suprising really. :nut:

Is now the time to say the gate gardiuns are fibreglass fakes? The chapel is still under RAF care. The original aircraft were removed about fiffteen years ago for preservation.

A couple of concrete blocks with ovehanging plates of plywood? It'd work.

Welcome along.

Thanks Richard. The whole thing is stupid. I have a Land Rover Discovery 200tdi. With a Ladder hitch on the back. That allows me to fit one of the two tow hitchs I have, a 50mm ball, with civillian size jaws, and a NATO hitch. But accrding to the VOGEL if it has a NATO hitch its military. So if I have the two hitchs in the back, normal procedure as they are removable, do I need a licemce? So don't tow a Sankey around France.

First electric torch was patented in 1899, by an englishman David Misell. They were definitley used in the Great War, and I should think the right angle head developed from there. So many other things did. Found this one dated 1924 http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/Yale-Flashlight-2-Cell-Right-Angle-Ribbed-Vulcanite-Switchless-Flashlight-with-Belt-Clip-2D-1924

When we were young shavers.