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Legacy Member
It looks like it was used in the Star Wars film or possibly inspired by the early mortar firing devices or the smoke discharger on a Bren Carrier type vehicle.
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06-19-2014 03:17 PM
# ADS
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Peter (& everyone else), I know I'm swimming against the tide & I am well aware of the likely effects on my ear drums of firing even a full length SMLE in an enclosed environment without ear protection, but they were desperate times. We did indeed discuss this in the previous thread, in which Nigel came up with another reference to attempts to come up with a standard design for such a nightmare weapon......I have the information he quoted too, but can't remember where to find it! However, additionally,
see 'Beneath Flanders Fields'; Barton, Doyle, & Vandewalle; page 137............'Major RSG Stokes' sketch of a cut down 303 Lee Enfield Rifle, the weapon of choice for some of the tunnellers in The Bluff workings.' There is indeed a sketch of something similar to what Gil has shown. (I'm not saying the weapon in Gil's picture was definitely made for tunnellers as it could have been cut down for a variety of reasons, but it could have been for tunneller's use. Is there any provenance with the photo Gil?). I would concede that it does not say in the text if the tunnellers at The Bluff ever fired their shortened rifles!!
ATB
Last edited by Roger Payne; 06-19-2014 at 04:55 PM.
Reason: typo.
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Contributing Member
Roger et al,
This is the link and from the description try's to make a case for its existence. Like everyone else I was not believing what I was reading because of all the issues on ears/cave in's etc.
So make your own minds up.........................http://www.militaryantiquesmuseum.co...vated+Firearms
24th entry down, I await the experts findings, with all the regulation instilled in weaponry, would an RSM allow such hacking of a service weapon???
Last edited by Gil Boyd; 06-19-2014 at 05:23 PM.
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
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The Following 2 Members Say Thank You to Patrick Chadwick For This Useful Post:
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Roger et al.............. Lets all get into the real world here and just go back to the VERY basics. Forget health and safety and the why's and wherefores and just consider firing that in a xxxxxxg tunnel for heavens sake! It's nothing more that a stun grenade!
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Advisory Panel
I'm not saying the weapon in Gil's picture was definitely made for tunnellers as it could have been cut down for a variety of reasons, but it could have been for tunneller's use. Is there any provenance with the photo Gil?).
Gil's photo is of an admitted fake. Follow his link.
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Advisory Panel
Last edited by Patrick Chadwick; 06-19-2014 at 06:06 PM.
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Legacy Member
Bubba, Bubba, Bubba! What have you done now!
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I have now seen Gil's link too - they admit they have done it, but the reference in Beneath Flanders Fields is contemporary (to the time) & remains pertinent. The one shown may be a faked up example but it's a faked up example of an idea that was at least looked into. I'm not disputing the extreme undesirability of using such a weapon - but museums are full of ideas that seemed ok at the time even though they may leave us incredulous now. Look at the Northover projector - that got into production! Another example that springs to mind is the front mount base of the Whitehead mounts for the SMLE/Winchester A5; it's mounted to the rear sight protector which in turn is fixed to the wooden forend of the rifle. How sound an engineering principle is that? But they set up 907 of the buggers!
Sometimes a bad idea does occasionally get off the ground.....
Last edited by Roger Payne; 06-19-2014 at 08:58 PM.
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Legacy Member
Were there shortages of service revolvers and Colt automatics? Were there restrictions on who could be issued a handgun? These would be the only reasons I could envision for such a silly creation- imagine trying to cycle it quickly! It does resemble a common form of North American cheapo hold-up weapon.
Ridolpho
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