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I have just finished this display. I know there is not another like it anywhere! This display has the original target stand, three rifles (Mark III, Mark IV, and Canadian) RAF case and last, but not least, an original target case! This display is located at the Aviation Cadet World in Eureka Springs, AR. (http://www.aviationcadet.org/home.aspx)
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BRILLIANT to see. I put these little 'rifles' in a valuable niche and that every Enfield collector should have one. Like the unsung L59 DP No4 'rifle'.
Peter,
Thank you for the kind words. It took me over a month to build that cabinet, glad my dad taught me to be a cabinet maker. I didn't have one of the target holding wedges, had to make a new one. I tried to get the Terry Clips I needed from GB but after over a month, I gave up and found them on Amazon. They were shipped from China! They are still manufactured for use in holding T-5 and T-8 fluorescent bulbs.
Very nice! I used to see these regularly at antique markets in the 70's and 80's but never got the urge to buy one, very unique display, congrats to you.
Very nice display
A bit of closure, from the Halloween gun show to a display that the world can see through time. That's a reward in itself, out of the closet, into a museum. It spent since about 1973 in darkness with the previous owner just being happy to know it was there.
Jim, that sounds like my collection due to restrictive Firearms Laws over here:crying:
We have some of the same issues, unfortunately.Quote:
Originally Posted by muffett.2008
Should have posted here you were looking for some clips.
I have a couple of the stands and also have a few spare clips.
The wedge clips also hold the signal light flasher on the firewall of a 1966 Ford Mustang.
Are you are aware that a book was written on the Swift Training rifles by Malcolm MacPherson in 1997...
If you want his address to order a copy PM me, but it might take a while for a reply, as I don't pop on here much anymore.
Warren,
Thanks for the note. I really didn't think about posting it here. Duh! I bought the last copy of Malcom's book from his widow about six months ago. Glad to see there are more of the stands around.
Thanks for the note, and I was not aware that Malcolm was deceased.
I supplied him with a lot of info for the book and we corresponded at length during its writing.
Malcolm had a passion for the Swift and I salute him for that, as at the time, few cared about the Swift Training Rifle.
Further info has recently surfaced on the Swift series and maybe someone will grab the torch and carry on the Swift story down the road.
I have a couple of the stands and a number of Swift rifles however, I need another target box in better condition, as mine is rather beat up.
The cardboard target case suffered dearly, due to age and its construction material.
You have a wonderful display there and glad someone is carrying the torch on the Swift.
The UK SWift rifles were made about 8 miles from here. I put a letter in our local paper and got quite a few replies from those that remembered the Company, which was a good well regarded local builders and staff members. I'm sure I've related all this before......... Most of the folded type metalwork came from a small steelworks in Jericho......... Not the one where the walls came tumbling down but the one in Oxford!
Maybe your next project ought to be to strip one of the rifles and make up a sort of generic parts list together with a simple workshop manual of how to fix/rectify the most common problems.
I was in the National Firearms Centre yesterday and one of my colleagues saw a swift on the top shelf along with some Enfields. He asked the staff member showing us around what it was and neither him nor his shadow knew what it was. They looked surprised when I stepped in and told them it was a Swift training rifle and that there was a whole lot more to the system.
As a side note, I found out that there is an RAF Armourer based there. I intend to do some digging!
Bigdac if your still looking for any stand parts APEX gun parts has two of the lower portion for the Swift Mark II. I have a later mark in RAF transit case but I've had no luck finding a stand for the later marks. Very nice display eventually I'll either find the correct stand....maybe....hopefully.
Warren,
I wish I had known that you have some stands, I may have been able to talk you out of one! Do you have the British or Canadian version? It would be great to have a CA one so I could hook up my CA MK IV to it. I would be very interested int the recent info. that you mention.
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P246, Thanks for the info. Exactly which lower parts do APEX have? I would like to find the CA version stand and an "A" model swift would pretty well complete the display.