Here's a item you don't see for sale too often. A Enfield wire cutter

[rayg]

Picked this up at a show this weekend. It's the first I can ever remember seeing out side of the books and some informational sites.
The maker was C.H. Pugh Ltd, Birmington, England. All I could find in my initial research on the company is they also manfactured Enfield charger clips.
It fits all three WWI British rifles. The Lee Enfield, Ross and P14.
Here's photos of it. The photo shows it on a 1917 Enfield as I don't have a P14. Ray

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Information

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[Badger]

With thanks to ~Angel~ and warren, there was an interesting entry from 2007 about these rare wire cutters.

1917 No.1 MKII Wire Cutter for ShtLE Rifle (click here)

This MKL entry includes on-line videos demonstrating how the wire cutter works when mounted on an Enfield Rifle, as well as feedback from MILSURPS.COM member "warren", who describes its operation in detail.

Regards,
Doug

[rayg]

I did see that site and used the photos to compare mine to, thanks.

Just for information while researching it I see they are actually making repros of them. Ray

[boltaction]

I did see that site and used the photos to compare mine to, thanks.

Just for information while researching it I see they are actually making repros of them. Ray

Are the repros easily distringuished from the originals? How would one tell them apart? I know that some pretty well done repros of bayonets and such are now readily available (M1917 Enfield, etc), but didn't realize that the wirecutters were being done too. I've been looking for a set of wirecutters for some time now, so now will have to be very careful. Sigh.

Ed

[browningautorifle]

Very nice piece Ray...good catch

[Warren]

Here's some breakers and a cutter.....
The cutters showed up on the market about 30 years ago. A case of them was found in a cellar in London. Once you got the paper and rust off them they were not too bad at all.
The breakers used show up on occasion, however have not seen one on the loose for a few years now

[Roger Payne]

Ray,
Vey nice indeed. Now I could be wrong, but perhaps if we can persuade Warren to dust off his monocle & have a really careful look at your photo's I think you may well have the first model (is it the No1 Mk1 rather than the 'commoner' No1 Mk2?), as issued for The Somme in 1916!! The Mk2's are most commonly found made by 'Decimals' of Selly Oak, also here in Brum & are generally from 1917, although I'm sure I have also seen these made by 'Pugh'. The 'horns' on the Mk1's are not quite as long as on the Mk2's; I am looking at a set of Mk2's at the moment & they have three rivets along the long 'horn' & two on the short; yours definitely does not have three rivets & looks a little squatter than the Mk2. Somwhere I have a 'Pugh' first pattern set that I actually bought from the Delville Wood South African Memorial museum many years ago, when it was run by a lovely & enterprising Scottish lady called Janet Fairgrieve. She used to sell memorabilia as a side-line from the memorial tea rooms! As I observed, I may well be incorrect on this as accessories of this type are not really my cuppa, but.........whadya think Warren??
Apologies if I have the nomenclature wrong as well.....it's all in Skennerton, I'm just too lazy to go & look; & it doesn't affect the point made....
They are all very rare & whatever model you have turned up, you did well...

ATB

[rayg]

Wow Warren, what a collection of rare ones. Here in the states you don't often see any of those. Mine is the first one I have ever seen for sale here of the wire cutter one.
Ray

[Warren]

Here is a rare one.....The top one is for the 1910 Ross but alas no leather handguard to go with it. It is on a Mk. II right now. Bottom is a Lee Enfield cutter by Decimals.
I've only ever seen one other Ross wire cutter.

[Roger Payne]

Warren,
Your fellow countryman B D-L bought a set of Ross cutters from me a few years ago. Don't know if he still has them.
Do you think Ray's cutters are the first model?