Sniper rifles of India

[tower06]

I think I'd have gone for the L42...........................

Tower 06, sorry for the slow reply but the scopes in my garage awaiting refurb are all destined for my own rifles.....they're nearly all mis-matches, but they don't owe me a lot (was lucky - in the right place at the right time).

ATB

No worries. I though I would ask. I'm ****ed that I didn't jump on the Century snipers when they had them for $299. Would have had a nice addition to my collection.

[No4Mk1(T)]

If the rest of you out there have any comments please feel free.

OK I'm working on my iPod here so please bare with me but your No.15 chest looks like a CNo.7 .22 trainer chest with an extension added to the bottom. Admittedly the screen I'm viewing the photos on is quite small but that is what I'm seeing.

[bearhunter]

I would say so as well. It certainly looks different from my other No4 T chest.

From Peter's comments about the scope bracket, I don't really know what to think of the rifle. Other than I like it and it is a reasonable shooter. Like I said, the Indian fellow I talked to, told me that they did whatever they had to to keep the rifles functioning as they were and probably still are in high demand. He also said many of the rifles had been turned over to the police forces. It may all be authentic for all I know. I don't really intend on changing anything as it all works so well.
From some of the other comments above, about people refurbishing scopes, this rifle may easily be a parts rifle. I do know that it came into the country and was sold by International Firearms out of Montreal about 15-20 years ago. Supposedly they were sold as received. Who knows. Buy the rifle, not the story they say. The price was right at the time and I took the plunge. I don't doubt that the rifle,sling and pads are authentic, as for the rest of it, that's anybodies guess. One thing though, everyone I've shown the rifle to has never seen a similar scope bracket. Not that they admit to anyway. It's hard to believe that it's a one off.

[MJ1]

This rifle belongs to a friend of mine. When he purchased it he was told it was from India and I know very little else about it. I fitted one of DRP's brackets and a MkI scope. It does shoot even with a mixed stock set.





I have never seen the wrist scrubbed or the ID moved like this. I don't remember if I have posted these pictures before but if I have please forgive the repeat.

[Peter Laidler]

Having had a fairly close look at that bracket, it just LOOKS to me as though it's an original that someone with a smooth file and a grit blaster has actually smoothed it off, radiussed the edges smooth, sharpened up the corners and generally what we call it REME technical langage, 'titivated' it. I say that because it looks as though metarial has been taken off as opposed to having been cast like that. And who would go to the trouble while making a one-off fake many years ago, of making the 8x taper-lock screws AND the cutter for the cradle caps.............

Another rough and ready guide, but not as concrete as the metallurgy sample, will be to see where the grat point is after zero. That sorts the good from the crap!

If I was you MJI, I'd ell your friend to invest a few ££ (it'll cost peanuts....) and take it to an engineering design office and ask them to have the steel analysed. It will be either whiteheart (pure) or blackheart (impure) cast. Take an original and they'll compare the two for comparison with simple file cut samples. Do you have those facilities jmoore?

[MJ1]

As stated it's one of Rogers 1st. run brackets from several years ago and a $300 MkI from Australia.

I then used my best tools to lash it all up.


Cheers

[Roger Payne]

'Precisioneered', eh Jack?! (LOL).

[jmoore]

No easy access to analysis labs these days, esp. after the local steel mill closed and the folk I knew there went on to different things, mostly retirement.

[Peter Laidler]

Ah, the secret is OUT................. It's one of the original Roger Payne brackets. In that case, there's no point in having it analysed for material as we did it ourselves at Shrivenham because the UK MoD insisted that they be made from the same tried and tested (but SO almost antique...) material.

Does anyone have one on an L42. (And DON'T tell Roger, but I kept the unfinished one provided for steel sampling)

There was a similar sequel to the leather eye caps too. Cooke and Perkins, who had the last batches of 200 and 80 sets made submitted a 'relaxation in standards' or 'request for a change in material spec' for them, suggesting that they could have them made and supplied in pliable plastic material at a quarter the cost but it was turned down flat. They tried the same with the No8 case, with a hard cast plastic, similar but thicker to that used in the last Scout Reiment cases. But this was turned down too. But at least they tested a few samples. The 'problem' was that the rounded corners popped inwards when dropped and then broke as they were pushed out again! So Cooke and Perkins just carried on making the old steel ones at the exhorbitant but profitable cost....................

But they managed to pursuade the MoD that the plastic case for the Scout Reg scope was a good idea and was accepted. Strange world.

There, another useless bit of Enfield sniper info...............

And another thing. Why are my 'post quick reply' answers always not such quick replies?

[Surpmil]

Image of a reputed Enfield Sniper from an auction catalogue approximately 10 years ago. Never seen any thing similar since.

A Complete L42A1 in its chest was estimated at $1,900 in the same auction, whilst this one was estimated at $2,350

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/...a83616aa_b.jpg

On the back lip of the box is looks like it says "FED. ARMOURY W/SHP. ?0-1-64" Presumably 1964?