Aside from the one photo of the RCMP range team in the "Arms and Accoutrements of the RCMP" book I haven't seen any pictures of the RCMP Long Branches in use. Has anyone else turned any up?
I'm curious about their usage in the Force beyond the competition shooting team. (I have a '43 Long Branch - MP-marked w/ the s/n appearing on the master MP inventory list)
The Klancher book describes them as being selected as the force's "service rifle" after the war. My reply back from the historian at the RCMP museum about the rifles didn't shed any light on its use beyond saying the rifles "may" have been issued to the No. 1 Provost Company (RCMP) during the Second World War - though the historian added that no paperwork confirmation exists.
I am guessing that, post-war, these 1,000 or so rifles were used by the Force for rifle qualification for members as well as being allocated to detachments as a nuisance animal rifle and for use in, um, other cases when the sidearm was insufficient for the job.
My father was a Mountie, but as a child I don't recall seeing any Lee Enfields about. I did find, however, among the various boxes of his papers, a carbon copy of an ammunition request from June 1959 (just before I was born) in which he requests his authorized allotment of .303 (as well as .38 spl and .22) ammunition. (scan below)
I'd love to see any photos of the Enfields in use by the RCMP (and does the Canyon Rod and Gun Club still exist?)
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