For those looking for that "rare" enfield to add to their collection

[Surpmil]

Attachment 56121Attachment 56119Attachment 56120

True Warren, again. But even the workmanship doesn't look particularly impressive. Only my take on things of course. Compare that with one of the BSA-Ainley rifles. Quite useless (?) but the workmanship is to Rolls Royce quality

Speaking of the Ainley rifles, where is the one with the Patt. 18 scope and mount these days?

The Small Arms Committee turned up their noses at Col. Acland's rifle and offer, but from what I read in Skennerton, that may just be what they told the Colonel. In late 1937 Acland contacts the War Office. In January 1938 Capt. Barlow goes to see Acland and his rifle and not long after...

In 1938, a special new sniper rifle was suggested built on the No.3 [Rifle]. This was to have a special high velocity cartridge and to be fitted with a German telescope [sight]....The special sniper rifle referred to above was the .276" experiment "Ainley Rifle"....Six of these were fabricated in the late 1930s by a design team headed by Capt. J. Ainley, at Enfield....The original specifications required a muzzle velocity of 3,700 ft/sec...problems were encountered with the cartridge development and the project was abandoned by 1940.

Not very cricket to give the Col. no credit, or was it just a coincidence that Col. Acland came calling with his rifle less than a year before the Ainley rifle appeared?

Why they wanted 3,700 ft. per second is anyone's guess - avenge the failure of the Patt.13?? It would have been such a flash and bang whoever used it in combat would only do so a few times.

What do the S.A.C. Minutes for later in 1938 say about the Ainley Rifle, anyone got copies?