I have very recently acquired a Lee Enfield Rifle like the one below, and it has proved to be of interest to a much wider circle of friends than just my fellow firearms enthusiasts.
If you are desperate enough to follow my twitter account ramblings you will have seen that I tweeted about a couple of folks who wanted to have a look at a real Lee Enfield. Well Sunday afternoon we did a bit of show an tell.
The folks came round for a cuppa and a look at this historic rifle. Their interest was purely historical, grandfathers and fathers had carried one during WWI and WWII and this was a chance to make a physical connection with that personal family history.
The rifle I have was built in 1908 and from the markings had the stock replaced in 1942.
So it is not much of a stretch to suggest that it might have been held by two generations of soldiers.
Anyway, after a everyone had a good look at the rifle I asked if they would like to see how you load the magazine. I removed the bolt and made it clear that the rifle was now unable to fire and so the loading of the magazine would not present any danger and then grabbed a couple of 5 round charging clips.
The first clip loaded easily, but I admit the second required a little more practice on my part.
"So there you go, your 10 rounds are loaded which gave you 2 more rounds than the guys shooting at you"
Then came the q&a I was not expecting:
Q: 10 rounds? is that legal?
A: yes I have 10 round mags for all my rifles.
Q: So how many did that adler thing hold
A: 7
Q: So what is all the fuss about a 7 rounds if 10 round magazines are legal?
A; that is what hunters have been saying....
This was a great example of how the general public with no other information than the press can be so confused about why we (sporting shooters and hunters) have been making such a fuss about 5 or 7 rounds.
In the course of a quick look at a historical artifact over a cuppa I was able to demonstrate safe handling, safe storage and answer a few questions which delivered a small antidote to media hype and misinformation.
Activists who want to ban something, seem to very capable of getting the press to publish a one sided view. I wonder if it is because the media writers are as clueless as my non shooting friends?
It is important to remind myself that I know as little about my friends wood turning and fly fishing pastimes as they know about my target shooting and hunting.
I think that the Greens and Gun Control Zealots (that want more restrictions and more bans) who push to prevent Shot Show, Hunt Fest and any sort of access to "try shooting" know that a little first had experience is deadly to the agenda.
As much as I want to yell and scream about the injustice of media ignorance and the stupidity of the laws as they stand and the lies that are being pumped out by opponents of hunting and shooting it seems that the quiet conversations over a coffee actually achieves more.
Well that's how things seem to have worked for me......
If you are desperate enough to follow my twitter account ramblings you will have seen that I tweeted about a couple of folks who wanted to have a look at a real Lee Enfield. Well Sunday afternoon we did a bit of show an tell.
The folks came round for a cuppa and a look at this historic rifle. Their interest was purely historical, grandfathers and fathers had carried one during WWI and WWII and this was a chance to make a physical connection with that personal family history.
The rifle I have was built in 1908 and from the markings had the stock replaced in 1942.
So it is not much of a stretch to suggest that it might have been held by two generations of soldiers.
Anyway, after a everyone had a good look at the rifle I asked if they would like to see how you load the magazine. I removed the bolt and made it clear that the rifle was now unable to fire and so the loading of the magazine would not present any danger and then grabbed a couple of 5 round charging clips.
The first clip loaded easily, but I admit the second required a little more practice on my part.
"So there you go, your 10 rounds are loaded which gave you 2 more rounds than the guys shooting at you"
Then came the q&a I was not expecting:
Q: 10 rounds? is that legal?
A: yes I have 10 round mags for all my rifles.
Q: So how many did that adler thing hold
A: 7
Q: So what is all the fuss about a 7 rounds if 10 round magazines are legal?
A; that is what hunters have been saying....
This was a great example of how the general public with no other information than the press can be so confused about why we (sporting shooters and hunters) have been making such a fuss about 5 or 7 rounds.
In the course of a quick look at a historical artifact over a cuppa I was able to demonstrate safe handling, safe storage and answer a few questions which delivered a small antidote to media hype and misinformation.
Activists who want to ban something, seem to very capable of getting the press to publish a one sided view. I wonder if it is because the media writers are as clueless as my non shooting friends?
It is important to remind myself that I know as little about my friends wood turning and fly fishing pastimes as they know about my target shooting and hunting.
I think that the Greens and Gun Control Zealots (that want more restrictions and more bans) who push to prevent Shot Show, Hunt Fest and any sort of access to "try shooting" know that a little first had experience is deadly to the agenda.
As much as I want to yell and scream about the injustice of media ignorance and the stupidity of the laws as they stand and the lies that are being pumped out by opponents of hunting and shooting it seems that the quiet conversations over a coffee actually achieves more.
Well that's how things seem to have worked for me......
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