RIFLEMAN AND PIST OLMAN By L. B. ESCRITT author of Rifle and Gun LONDON: HERBERT JENKINS LIMITED WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKChapter 2 Buying a rifle—English and foreign -22 rifles—Mihtaiy rifles—Big game and other sporting rifles—English gwi- tnakers—Buying second-hand OR the tyro who wants to learn to shoot, the first rifle pur chased should be a proper target rifle, if he is to give himself a reasonable chance of registering decent scores. In this he has the choice of the B.S.A. range of target rifles at moderate prices, and a number of more costly Continental and American models. The B.S.A. "Martini-International" is a very good job that costs a good deal less than its foreign equivalents. At the time of writing it is listed at £30. I believe it is the only target rifle in quantity production designed specifically for both left-handed and right-handed shooters. Particular attention has been given to the trigger pull. The mechanism is on somewhat similar lines to that of a hair trigger j but there is no hair to set, and the trigger weight is adjustable to accord with competition require ments. The rhanufacturers have tested the trigger let-off by machine and claim that in regular production they can maintain a trigger pull varying by not more than two ounces from shot to shot. The B.S.A. 12/15 target rifle which, until the introduction of the "Martini-International", was a great favourite of target men is now obsolescent and is to be replaced ini955 with a new model in the moderate price range. Foreign models include the Remington 513T at £2^: the Remington 37 at £6$: the famous Winchester 52 at £6j los.: the Schultz and Larsen Free Rifle at £53 105.: and the "Firmish Lion" at £$0. The last two have to be modified slightly to comply with small-bore competition rules. These rifles, intended for target shooting, can be used for sporting purposes by riflemen who have leamt how to use them, but they are too heavy, particularly those fitted with extra heavy barrels, to be conveniently carried round the field. In any case, the man who wants a -22 rifle for rabbit potting can choose from a large selection of new and second-hand rifles. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKI WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKWWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKE n g l i s h a n d F o r e i g n - 2 2 R i fl e s 2 3 In the manufacture of -22 rimfire sporting rifles, B.S.A. again have no English competitors. They have available in this class their single-shot, bolt-action "Sportsman" at £6 15s.: their bolt- action "Sportsman 5" box-magazine rifle at ,(^8 5s.: and their bolt-action "Sportsman 15" tubular-magazine rifle at £<) loj. Particularly attractive are the B.S.A. central-fire sporting rifles. T h e m o s t r e c e n t o f t h e s e i s t h e " H u n t e r " s h o r t - a c t i o n r i fl e designed in two styles—Monte Carlo and Continental patterns. It has a modified Mauser-pattern bolt action and a new target- rifle trigger mechanism which, by manipulation of an adjusting screw, has either single- or double-pull. At the time of writing this rifle is available for the -222 Rem. cartridge, but the -22 Hornet calibre is expected in the near future. Among the foreign -22 sporting rifles are the Zbrojovka Bmo* Model I, -22 box-magazine rifle at £2^ (see Fig. 6): the Walther Model KKJ: the Beretta sliding-bolt action single-shot or auto matic rifle at £2$: the Lightweight Browning automatic rifle at £1$ 17 s. 4d.: the Browning pump-action, hammer less repeating rifle at ;Ci8 155.: the Winchester Model 74 automatic rifle at £19 6s. Sd.: and the Zbrojovka Brno -22 Hornet rifle (for, of course, the Hornet cartridges only) with box magazine and hair trigger at £37 los. I have not handled all these, and there are some that I have handled but not used, so I cannot give (even if I were willing to do so) any comparative opinion. But I have in my armoury one of each of the two Bmo models mentioned above, and I find them exceedingly good for the purposes for which they are intended. I have also seen some very good shooting with a B.S.A. Sportsman which the owner had carefully adjusted and fitted with a tele scopic sight, and have heard good reports of the Browning automatic. To Americans the foregoing would appear a meagre list, for in the States many classes of rifles are made and all types are imported. Also there is a wider range of small game calling for a greater variety of smaU-bore cartridge. So whereas in England we manufacture and use the short- and long-rifle -22 rimfire cartridges and but one -22 central-fire cartridge, the Homet, the Americans have a vast variety of -22 "varmint" cartridges; *Made at the Zbrojovka works at Brno, Czechoslovakia—and often referred to as "Brno" and "Z.B," rifles. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK24 Rifleman and Pistolman among which the Hornet is one of the least powerful and the -220 Swift with its muzzle velocity of 4,140 feet per second perhaps the most powerful. Broadly, these high-power *22 cartridges are of little use in England. Regardless of calibre, the best value for money on the market are the -303 service rifles available for sale to the public and recognized for use in "full-bore" competitions. These are the Short-magazine Lee-Enfield, Mark III, officially known as Rifle No. I: the Pattern '14 Enfield rifle, officially known as Rifle No. 3: and the Rifle No. 4, Mark I, Short-magazine Lee- Enfield. The last time I saw prices quoted for these rifles they were as follows. Rifle No. i as issued, but fitted with a Parker-Hale peep-sight, was listed at £20: fitted with an extra heavy barrel at £22 105. Sometime back, the P'14 rifle was, by a large margin, the least expensive of the three service rifles. But the P'14 is now becoming scarce, and at the time of writing would probably cost in the region of £i/^. Rifle No. 4, unused, and as issued from government store, is listed at ^^19: the price quoted for the same rifle, ball-burnished, fitted with aperture sights, and tested, is £26 175. 6d. As soon as one requires anything other than rifles used for target practice and competition, or -22 rimfire rifles, choice is much wider, for there are calibres suitable for different classes of game or types of country, and prices range from about ;(;i2 for converted military rifles to over ;{|500 for a best big-game double. When buying the medium and big-game range, it is as well to go to a gunmaker of high repute, tell him your problem and listen to his advice on what he considers suitable, telling him also what you are prepared to pay. He will advise you on calibre and cartridge for the game you intend to hunt, and will know of any restrictions that may be in operation. For example, in certain British colonies the -303 is prohibited. It is always as well to choose a weapon for which ammunition is easily available in this country and abroad, and to avoid completely a calibre for which cartridges are no longer made. It should also be remembered that there are some cartridges which are very similar in description but are not quite the same, nor are they interchangeable. They therefore should not be confused. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKEnglish Gunmakers 25 English gunmakers differ in the type of business in which they specialize. Some firms make highly expensive "best guns"* and rifles only, and nothing else. Others make best weapons in small quantities, but their main business is in good medium- priced weapons that the greater number of sportsmen can afford to buy. Others have one or two workmen capable of making an occasional best gun but who concentrate on a good international trade in sound but inexpensive arms. Of those dealing in only the highest quality products, some specialize in rifles, others in guns, and almost all have some speciality for which they are noted. One, for example, may have invented a bullet or cartridge particularly suited for elephant shooting and builds rifles to take it: another may be famed for such refinements as single-trigger mechanisms and detachable locks. Yet another may specialize in shotguns for wildfowling and pigeon shooting—weapons which, being comparatively heavy, are considerably less costly than the lightest of game guns. The would-be purchaser of a big-game rifle or best gun must study the market for himself. The thing to do is to go roimd the gunmakers—most of those in London have their headquarters in a small area in the West End—and get their catalogues and some indication of the range of prices. Having done this, have a talk with someone experienced in the buying of sporting guns and rifles. When buying anything expensive it is always worth while considering the second-hand market. Many of the more costly weapons have been purchased by wealthy men for use on a single trip and have returned to the market in very good condition. Most of the leading makers have a number of these in stock, either of their own make or manufactured by other first- class firms. When buying second-hand it is often said that it is safe to rely on the integrity of the gunmaker who would not risk his reputation by selling anything not up to standard. This is probably true of many of the foremost firms who only deal in high quality goods. But it is not a rule that can be accepted without qualification. Since the Second World War, during a period of shortage in small-calibre rifles and pistols, a certain amount of junk found its way on to the racks of gunmakers, and * "Best gun" is a term used in the trade for the highest quality hand-made shotgun or double-barrelled rifle. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UK26 Rifleman and Pistolman some of it was sold without the examination and testing that a gunmaker who values his reputation should have given. You often see the term "gunsmith" used where gunmaker is meant. The terms are not synonymous. A gunsmith is a craftsman who works in metal in making and assembling the parts of guns, rifles and pistols. The term "gunmaker" is correctly applied to the firm that takes the customer's order and eventually produces the complete article. There are very few gunmakers who manufacture under their own roofs everything required in the making of a firearm: and there are some well-known firms who make virtually nothing at all, although they supply guns with their names engraved thereon. Most gunmakers buy partly finished components, which they themselves finish and assemble. Barrels are made from bars of steel roughly to shape called "blanks". These the gunsmith drills, bores and rifles as necessary, shapes and fits. For incorporation in magazine rifles, complete Mauser and other actions are imported. Roughly shaped blanks of walnut are imported for the making of stocks in the gunmaker's workshop. Some of the work is sent out after the weapon has been partly finished. For example, it is under stood that the greater part of the ornamental engraving of London-made guns is done by one firm specializing in that work. It has been said before, and I say it again, that English fire arms of low price are much better than similar-priced goods of foreign manufacture. All are proved, safe and made of excellent materials. The difference between low cost and expensive guns is that the more costly products are made to order and to measure, and involve in their manufacture a great deal of handwork. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKNext >