Enfield Trainers No 9s

[Gnr527]

Possibly this might be added to the above thread at some time.

I would like to add to my(our?) knowledge of the No 9 .22 trainer.

The most I have been able to find at present is that within Lee-Enfield Rifle No.9 for the Royal Navy, Ian Skennertons 'The Lee-Enfield' and Dennis Lewis/Robert Washburn's 'British .22RF Training Rifles'.

In summary:-

Few produced - 3000ish
Produced by 'Parker Hale' of Birmingham
Plus some produced to spec by 'others' - unofficial - few or no details available
'Parkerifled' sleeved barrels - by Alfred G Parker or Parker Hale?

Questions -
How many are left out there? - Fultons told me they might get one a year!
Of those still around - any of the original Royal Navy production?
Do any cadet forces have any?
Did anyone else sleeve barrels - I have one sleeved by A J Parker - I understood that AJ and AG Parker were not necessarily on the best of terms?

A number of other questions but this in the hope of getting a ball rolling.

Answers? Questions?

John

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[muffett.2008]

Just a quick look at the timeline, Athur Gray Parker died in 1915, A.G. Parker jnr. died in 1939, His son A.J Parker died in 1975.
The falling out between A.G and A.J was over the monopoly of the Hales, (cousins) in the firm. After A.J split from the firm it became PARKER HALE in 1936.
Now as the No.9's were converted by P H between 1956 and 1960, that effectively rules out the Parkers direct involvement.
The only reason the occasional Parkerifled A.G.P was on the crowns of some of these rifles was because the early patents of A.G were still current.
3000 is a small number,so a survival rate would be very low, that you have one marked A.J.P is even stranger and maybe even rarer.

[Frank LE]

Sme pics of my No9 Mk1.
Low serial number, sleeved barrell with Parker AGP marking, matching wood, german import marks
Where to find any navy markings?
Attachment 27784Attachment 27783Attachment 27785Attachment 27786

[Gnr527]

Frank
Have you looked at Lee-Enfield Rifle No.9 for the Royal Navy - the rifle shewn there is very close to yours and was apparently part of the Navy contract.
I don't know of any Unit markings.

[Peter Laidler]

There were still a dribble of N9's (and No7's) doing the rounds of the School Cadet Forces back in the 80's, alongside the old No8's but with the introduction of the CVadet SA80 rifles and then the .22" sub calibre kits, the 7's and 9's were back-loaded or disposed of.

Additionally, my sons school shooting rep told me that there were fewer and fewer military/schools shooting competitions that allowed these rifles as the specified rifle was the 'as issued' No8 rifle and even in open comps, the old No4 types couldn't compete with the modern Anschutz's. Once the Army took over the whole of the small arms repair schedule (beyond unit level) there were no spares and even less interest for these odd-balls.

There were a few No7's at Aldershot that had been cannibalised for spares (that I stripped/finished off and eventually wrote off). Once one of these rifles was condemned, the school/unit (some of the Sea Cadets and RAF Cadets had them too) would get a No8 as a replacement.

[newcastle]

I used one in 1982 to earn my cadet Marksman badge. I remember being excited because it looked juts like a NO.4. Are the No.9s repeaters or single shot?

[Gnr527]

Single shot and a PITA to load that shot.
Extract drops the case into the empty magazine.

[muffett.2008]

Nice looking rifle, what is the writing just visable in front of the identifiers in your photo?

[Buccaneer]

I used one in 1982 to earn my cadet Marksman badge. I remember being excited because it looked juts like a NO.4. Are the No.9s repeaters or single shot?

The No7 was the "repeater" the No9 was just a single shot and as Gnr527 has pionted out with no loading platform they are a swine to load especially when you have hands the size of mine!!
I own a commercial "No9" made by AG Parker it is identicle to the service issue rifle including the rear sight "25 yard" graduation mark. The action is a reworked No4 MK1 the left side of the butt socket still bears M47 1943 with the original serial number haveing been ground away and replaced with AG 2553. It is all matching numbers including the forend and magazine though the latter has a number barred out with the new AG number below. I am hoping to get a look at a "genuine" No9 over the weekend and get some pictures of both of these rifles on the site as soon as I can.

[Warren]

I just checked two No.9's that I could get to and both are AGP marked on the barrel. One is a two digit number and the other in the 400 series...closer to 500 though.
The two digit is 56 dated and the 4-500 series is 57 dated.