Research and busting the myth.

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Originally Posted by Sentryduty

If I had to attempt to train to meet this record I think go in the following manner:

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I'm with you on this Darren, it's an incredible feat -- 56 shots in 60 seconds! If loading the magazine three or four times (6-8 chargers) took at least 10-12 seconds out of the minute, then the entire cycle of ramming the bolt, aiming, firing the shot, and extracting the cartridge had to happen in 3/4ths of second. This man had super-human reflexes. There are people in the sport that can do this -- saw it on the History Channel recently -- sharpshooter hit two balloons spaced several yards apart at a short distance with a six-shooter. Everyone heard only 1 shot, but in slow motion he drew, cocked, aimed, fired, cocked, aimed and fired TWO shots on target in 1 second. Amazing.

The article didn't say which rifle was used. With the rear sight located amidships on the barrel of a No.1, I'd think there be a harder time getting on target than with a P-14 with a aft-mounted rear sight. But perhaps I'm off target with this thinking -- Maybe the Sgt. Major was very accurate at point-and-shoot (something I couldn't even come close to doing at those ranges!)

I might also polish and wax the rails of the charger clips to make sure the cartridges slide easily (some charger clips are pretty ornery).

Perhaps a special 15 or 20 round mag would carve off a couple of seconds too (the story didn't say if the gun had any modifiactions, which are normal on exhibition guns).

this guy has the best "mad minute" i have seen video'd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DhjUrqH88s

i think if he kept it at the shoulder while reloading he'd save time. shooting standing with a rest (as from a trench as stated in one of the articles) would also help.
this is all conjecture on my part though as i have yet to get my smle and drill rounds to practice/experiment with this.

edit: another thought, from playing with mk4 chargers it seems that the area that causes the most holdup's in smooth stripping from the clip is the holes in the bottom catching the rim of the round. the mk2 chargers (as the guys setting the records would have had) might be better in this department but i don't have any to experiment with.

Back in the "good old days", rifles were kept in barracks, either in wooden racks or beside the soldier's bunk, not locked away in some distant armoury that required three days of paperwork just to draw a rifle for training, drill or cleaning.

Thus, it was common practice to, well, PRACTISE.

Magazine-filling races, either with loose or charger-packed DUMMY, (drill) cartridges, occurred, as did the drills to take the rifle into and out of "action".

Thus, unlike today's toys, the soldier could, within reasonable bounds, practice an essential part of operating the equipment, i.e. keeping it fed,( and quickly), coupled with all of the "holding, aiming and firing" techniques. These latter can also be practiced without drill rounds.

Lacking, were the noise, recoil and any danger to folk "down-range"; (notable examples of stupidity or gross negligence aside.) One of the reasons for inspecting soldiers webbing / pouches BEFORE a lesson, rehearsal, etc. is to fend off the chance that some dopey slug has a "stray" REAL cartridge that MIGHT turn "dry" training into something "wet" and messy.

Seaspriter,

This would be the standard rife, (No 1 Mk 111) not some trick -shooting set -up.
A P'14 wouldn't stand a snowballs chance in rapid fire, though a good accurate rifle it was.
The sights would be standard as well. Actually, when I use either, I never can tell which is the best! I like them both. (Peep and open)
As Bruce says,
These blokes had a lot of practice, and made good use of it. :-)

The 56 rounds /minute was from a rest, so not aimed, but that is still a fantastic rate of fire.

Richard.

Very Fast Mad Minute from a SMLE- 10 Shots in 6.5 Seconds - YouTube

This guy has the best technique I've seen on youtube- very fast. Some of the "mad minute" efforts are pretty sad with guys cranking the bolt like it's the gear shift on a 3T truck. I know it's not kosher (former) military practice but I would wonder if rounds/minute might not be maximized by starting with 4 or 5 full magazines and reloading the way J.P. Lee originally intended?

Yeah but how soft are those loads?

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Originally Posted by Homer

Yeah but how soft are those loads?

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May just be piglets of my imagination but I believe the second magazine was loaded with plastic drill rounds. Not sure about the first, only the first 5 or 6 appear to have been live. Not that it makes much difference, he's just demonstrating how fast he can go through a mag.

12 rounds in the second string?

It's an Ishapore 2A1. I believe they do hold 11 or 12. They may be light loads but some of those shots are amazingly close together.

Ridolpho

Eric (Iraqveteran8888) ran those with blanks he said, nice smooth cycling but no grouping to speak of.