WW1 SMLE Sniper - Opinions Please

[Bigsieuk]

Hello all,

I'm interested in a WW1 SMLE Sniper that Arundel Militaria have for sale but would appreciate opinions/views.

Super Rare WW1 SMLE Sniper Rifle - Allied Deactivated Guns - Deactivated Guns

Is the double stamping of the number "4" on the bolt common? I'm a K98 man myself and I'm always suspect of over stamping.

Regards

Bigsie

[Adrian Stevenson]

I cannot offer any opinions on overall originality as this is really outside of my area.

But I just see this as an accidental double strike.

This rifle should never have been chopped.

Cheers, Ade.

[davies435]

What a criminal wast of a beautiful rifle. Shouldn't we ought to start a Military Heritage to protect stuff like this?

[GasMasksUK]

Makes me sad when such rare weapons that can be legally owned in the UK on an FAC get deactivated

What a waste.

Thanks

Danny

[davejb]

Although a very nice weapon, its basically destroyed by our archaic laws regarding firearms, another point which i find strange is i believe the sling should be slightly longer as there isnt enough to wrap around the arm sniper style. Did anyone look further on the site re the repro live firer De Lisle silenced carbine at £2495, am i wrong in thinking that silenced weapons of this calibre are a completely prohibited weapon and cannot be sold as live firers even on a certificate, it certainly was a condition when i used to check firearms certificates

[talltom]

Although a very nice weapon, its basically destroyed by our archaic laws regarding firearms, another point which i find strange is i believe the sling should be slightly longer as there isnt enough to wrap around the arm sniper style. Did anyone look further on the site re the repro live firer De Lisle silenced carbine at £2495, am i wrong in thinking that silenced weapons of this calibre are a completely prohibited weapon and cannot be sold as live firers even on a certificate, it certainly was a condition when i used to check firearms certificates

i would assume that the silencer is a fake and just a dummy as to the smle its sold

[Bigsieuk]

Oh well, you snooze you lose.

Thanks all.

[GasMasksUK]

Oh well, you snooze you lose.

Thanks all.

Indeed, but good things come to those who wait too.

Thanks

Danny

[m3bobby]

The SMLE sniper is a fake unfortunatly, the scope is original but the bracket is a reproduction so its doubtfull the rifle was anything more than standard when it was chopped. As far as i'm aware, if you can justify using a moderator, you can get a variation on section 1. The main justification I believe is for indoor range shooting where noise becomes a health and safety issue. Here is an extract from the 'Home Office Guide to Firearms Law"

Sound Moderators
13.71 Sound moderators are subject to
certificate control as “items designed to
reduce the noise or flash of a firearm”. Sound
moderators for .22 rimfire rifles are often
used for shooting game or vermin, and in the
case of the latter might facilitate more
effective pest control. Sound moderators for
full-bore rifles are of questionable
effectiveness in reducing disturbance to quarry
but can confuse them by diffusing the
directional report of a rifle. They may though
be appropriate for reducing hearing damage
to the shooter, or to reduce noise nuisance,
for example for deer control in urban parks.
The applicant will be expected to demonstrate
a “good reason” for noise reduction before
authority is granted. It should be noted that
sound moderators on air weapons or section
2 shot guns are not considered to be
component parts. Chief officers of police
should also be aware of the case of Broome v
Walter (1989) where it was found that an
integral sound moderator, that is one that
is part of the firearm, does

[davejb]

.I think you would have a very hard job convincing the Home Office that although the Suppressor is an integral part of this weapon and manufactured to that spec , there was only one reason why it was constructed in the first place, and it wasnt game hunting or pest control (I dare say it could have been construed that way during wartime), the "good reason" in this case was for assassination, try and get that one past the Home Secretary and if you can "your a better man than I Gunga Din", if memory serves there was a case many years ago when a local arms dealer had a purpose built Chinese suppressed pistol, it was supposed to be the only type of manufactured pistol on the market at that time and like the De Lisle was made purely for covert operations , the dealer was prosecuted and fined heavily plus lost his licence to trade for a number of years, i believe it appeared in one of the police journals, the main trouble with the Firearms Act is that there are very ambiguous and contradicting statements within its meanings and takes an expert in Gobbledegook to unravel them, not withstanding that all those rules are open to interpretation when presented to Chief Officers of Police and to the Home Office and there are no considerations for responsible firearms owners and users.