Some .22 conversions

[303 Collector]

Its a wet and windy bank holiday and I'm bored so I thought I would post some pictures of some unusual .22 trainers.

Top is a patt 18 303/ 22.
Next a Saxby Palmer conversion
Next a Remington patt 14 .22 trainer
Last a .22 number 5 trials rifle.

The Saxby Palmer is an air cartridge conversion from the 1970's.
Its classed in the UK as a prohibited firearm and illegal possession gets you a minimum 5 years in the slammer. Luckily when they banned them they allowed owners to keep them on a firearm certificate. Only a handful were declared so were any sent abroad or are they all hiding in the UK?
I read somewhere that Saxby Palmer converted around a 1000 No4's to air cartridge.
As you can see from the pictures the conversion is quite extensive and has destroyed the
ability for it to function as a true cartridge rifle.
The air cartridges called TAC's are pressurized by an divers air bottle or pump and the air is released sending the .22 pellet up the barrel when the firing pin hits the base of the cartridge. The muzzle energy is around 12 ft/lbs.
The TAC's are shaped to simulate 303 rounds and fit into charger clips, load from the magazine, extract and eject just like the real thing.

I'm the worlds worst at taking photos but if anyone would like to see pictures of any of the other three rifles I'll see what I can do.

No prize but can you guess what firearm type the red disc in picture 1 marked 190 came from? Ignore the hole and number. The gun is still in service around the world.

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Very interesting piece. First I've actually seen. It's sad that the bureaucracies have deemed this a dangerous weapon and taken it from history... It just makes it rarer and more valuable to us I guess. The cartridges alone must be worth a fortune.

[mrclark303]

Interesting conversions, slight correction, they became avalable in 1985/86.

I've only ever seen two other converted No4's, interestingly both based on Savage builds.

I have one of the Saxby and Palmer Model 54 revolvers on my FAC, it's a bit of a safe queen to be honest, but I wanted​ to protect it from destruction.

I recall a few companies doing convertions of other firearms too before it was all stopped by the fun police, M1 carbine and Enfield revolver prototypes come to mind among others.

All now considered Sec5 prohibited in the UK, unless you registered them on your FAC at the time of the ban (2004), can't be sold or gifted and need to be destroyed upon surrender of your FAC.

Lots weren't surrendered and I believe less than 50 of the converted No4's were eventually registered. My local force aren't even aware of the No4 builds!

[browningautorifle]

Very interesting builds...

I have one of the Saxby and Palmer Model 54 revolvers

Any chance of seeing that?

[mrclark303]

I will get her out of the safe and photograph her Jim.

[bigduke6]

Many years ago, I was temted to by a SP No4 and was the first one I had ever seen, but I had spent up on a Deactivated Sterling in fact at the same arms fair there was a guy selling a Blank firing MP40, was a realy nice example, dont recall the maker........

[mrclark303]

I wish I had bought one too Geoff, I know of one example locally and came across a rare Parker Hale Herald air cartridge sporting rifle a few years ago.

This was off ticket and ended up being surrendered. The owner had no idea it was illigal.

Ironically even my local Sec5 dealer (who is licensed for hand gun, semi and full auto firearms) can't handle or repair them as they arnt specifically named on his Sec5 RFD!

So he can repair your Vickers Gun, but he can't touch your air rifle...

[Peter Laidler]

I seemkto recall that these S&P air conversions came under the 'easily converted to metallic cartridge' category by default really as opposed to the main intenmtion. So the blanket ban applied

[mrclark303]

I seemkto recall that these S&P air conversions came under the 'easily converted to metallic cartridge' category by default really as opposed to the main intenmtion. So the blanket ban applied

Yep, the usual knee jerk reaction Peter, ironically, when I added mine to my FAC back in 2004, I had a call from from my local FEO to enquire if a couple of them could come over to my place and take a look at it, as they hadn't actually had a chance to take a proper look at one in the flesh.

They came over, had a coffee, took a good look and admitted that despite repeated requests for information, they had yet to see an example of one of these illegal Gangland cartridge conversions, to this day I have never seen a picture of one so converted...

Anyone have any pictures to share?

[Peter Laidler]

It wasn't the rifles that were the problem, it was the revolvers, in that it was simplicity itself to manufacture a new air cartridge that ......... I won't go on! Not so with the rifle but the ill-thought out definition covers them too so they got the chop by default! That was the story behind them. Saxby and Palmer tried to get the Army involved as a training aid. We had a couple of the high capacity pumps, cartridges and pellets at work. My friend still has one of each and .............. My sister says that financial legislation is jamb packed with thesely formulated and written 'LUC's' = Laws with Unforseen Consequences