Years ago while a member of the army cadets if there was a need to move rifles from point A to point B, between Cadets, we were often encouraged by the adult sergeant instructors some of whom were ex-regular soldiers to throw the rifles to each other rather than pass them. The rifles involved were No4s and SLRs with some of the No4s being D.P.s but a significant number of the weapons were live but never loaded. I have personal experience of rifles flying through the air at high speed towards me and catching them. I am pleased to report that on every occasion that this happened I managed to catch the rifles. It does, however, concentrate the mind having a No4 rifle flying through the air at high speed towards you. I, personally, witnessed several occasions of rifles being dropped on the ground by others but never by myself. I recall a SLR being dropped on a beach and being plastered in sand which got into every conceivable part.

The impression I got by talking to others who had been members of the regular U.K. army was that this was a common practice with Privates and N.C.O.s. I would be very interested to hear from members who are serving or recently retired from the U.K. army if this practice still happens with the current SA80 rifle given how fragile it is said to be and as it is fitted with a scope sight as standard. I would have thought that it would be very difficult to stamp this practice out completely.
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