Calling all Aussies, Kiwis & Brits...

[aqbill]

Well tell us the story anyway, as a sort of consolation prize.

And what did you say he got his PhD in?

OK Friends, Here's the story straight from the rifle's owner Dr. Nolan Richards. His PhD, I believe was in Metallurgy. He retired from Reynold's Aluminum - as their principal research scientist and he is still highly regarded in the aluminum industry.

Some stories about Nolan Richards’ SMLE .303 Rifle

My interest in target shooting began while a military cadet at Kaitaia District High School at the northern tip of New Zealand. We were trained on the .303 and somehow I did well becoming the “Best .303 shot” in the cadets of North Auckland in 1948.

At the beginning of my master’s studies at University of Auckland, 1952, I joined the University Rifle Club and bought an SMLE from the New Zealand Army Depot at Waiouru for ten pounds. (One had to register it with the police at a lifetime fee of five shillings). I also bought a Central sight from Australia and a 20 –power telescope to see the spotters on the targets. The rifle range was at Ardmore which had been built to support an Army Camp during WWII at nearby Papakura about 15 miles south of Auckland.

At Ardmore, the ranges were 200/300 yards with about a 4-inch bull’s-eye; 500/600 yards with a 7.5 inch and 800/900 yards, 12 inch bull’s-eye, as I recall. My scores at all ranges lay around 42-46 and only once did I ever shoot 48. All of our competition was in the prone position. In NZ, wind was always a factor and one had to take note of the status of all the flags situated at 100 yard intervals from the mound to the target because wind was variable in both strength and direction.

The No.I MkIII rifle was used in weekend shoots 1952-54, twice in inter-university tournaments at Easter when the then four universities had sports competitions up until I left. I was captain of the rifle team in 1954 when we competed at Christchurch (the city that got devastated by a recent earthquakes). In early 1954, I had a Lithgow heavy target barrel fitted. An excellent marksman, Roy Larsen, who became the ammunition-tester for and in the New Zealand Army, did this. For my achievements in the University of Auckland rifle team I was awarded a “University Blue”. (Like a U.S. “letter”)

I was a Fellow at Imperial College, London, 1956-57 and wanted to resume competitive shooting so I had my rifle flown from Auckland to London. I recall being impressed by the sticker on the case,’North Pole Route”. I shot at Bisley several times scoring at the same level as I was in New Zealand. As part of the University of London team, I took some pride in our beating Oxford University in a shoulder-to-shoulder match at Oxford. For my shooting whilst associated with the University of London [all of small bore, pistol and full bore (.303)], I was awarded a half purple (athletic achievement award).

We came to Florence, Alabama in late 1957, with the .303 Enfield but it has been fired maybe twice only since then. She was a great responder to careful and steady nurturing on targets and perhaps the most rewarding shot was when out in the wilds of New Zealand, trying to live off the land and sea, she shot a duck on the water at a range of about 120 yards right through the head! We ate well that night.

Nolan E. Richards, 28th November 2012

[aqbill]

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