Regarding "Press Ganged" Rifles.

[muffett.2008]

Just to add a few clarifications, there were no confiscations, as a protection in our Constitution, no property can be taken without fair and adequate compensation, hence the requirement to pay when these items were Impressed.
Having said that, you will note the initial returns were not paid for......these were deemed to be surrendered/gifted to aid the war effort.
The second round of Impressment were paid for, but subsequently just receipted to be reclaimed post conflict.
This reimbursement system is still part of our Constitution, as was recently seen with the compulsory buyback in the late 1990's.

Not all rifles recalled were privately owned, the Rifle Club Movement ran a program where Service Rifles could be placed on permanent issue to a member(maintained at Military expense) as opposed to rifles purchased by individuals. The Rifle Club Movement at the start of WW2 was about 70,000, so the return expected by the Military was about 50,000, as not all members were issued or had a rifle, but drew a rifle from a holding depot for short term use as needed...….quite a complicated system, but it also had to cater to Cadet and Naval Units.
These rifles held as long term issues to club members (hopefully) were the rifles upgraded and sent as 1st line to Active Areas.

As the Impressment was for 303 Rifles, repeating Sporting Rifles and Repeating Rimfire Rifles, there was an obvious out for smart thinking Individuals, as single shot 22 rifles were exempt, a lot of top line Target SMLE's were suddenly sporting a .22 barrel and the magazine removed, a tinplate floor was fitted under the trigger guard, and the owner got to keep his rifle.....with the help of the local Police that is....most country cops were members of their towns rifle club and only had to state that the rifle was a single shot rimfire unable to accept a magazine and exempt from surrender.

My Rifle Club retained six of it's better rifles in this manner, handing in old rifles that were previously setup as .22, now sporting an old 303 barrel, missing the odd bit, but enough to satisfy the quota requested for return.

Despite the often stated comment that Australia had a shortage of rifles in 1940/41, this was incorrect, there was a shortage of Australian made 1st line rifles(late'30's/40's build) which was due to the re-equipping of the Line Battalions.(Battalions in Malaya were still being issued late Manufacture rifles only months out from Invasion)

Other Units and Training Battalions were issued with 2nd line rifles(earlier years) and the 30,000 Rifles sent to England after 1940 funnily enough, were part of the 110,000 British rifles gifted to Australia post WW1.(the collectors amongst the aussies would have noticed the predominance of 1918 Enfields)
The VDC was issued with 310 Martini's, part of the 70,000 held in stores for Cadet units, these were later replaced with 303's, but VDC training programs show the 310 being used as late as 1943.

Just a bit more totally irelevant junk, if I keep this up I will be as bad as PL.