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NEWSLETTER OF THE ARMS COLLECTORS’ ASSOCIATION OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY ARMS COLLECTORS’ ASSOCIATION OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY INC. (ACANT) EXECUTIVE & COMMITTEE: 2008­2009 President – Tony Orr Vice President – Brian Dudley Secretary – Ellen Pitts Treasurer – Michael Pitts Public Officer – Ron James Committee –Don Davie, Craig Wharton, Ann Wharton ACANT PO Box 189 Palmerston NT 0821 Alice Springs Branch PO Box 4108 Alice Springs NT 0870 Telephone (Secretary) (08) 8932 1759 E­mail: secretary@acant.org.au Col Jarrett (08) 8952 6261 ACANT general meetings are held at the SSAA Club House at the Mickett Creek Shooting Complex at 7.30 pm on the second Thursday of each month. Approval is sought from the Commissioner of Police for every second meeting, commencing with the January meeting, to be preceded by an authorised collectors’ shoot. Under current arrangements, firearms held on a collector’s licence, including H Class firearms but excluding proscribed items, may be discharged at approved shoots, which are conducted at SSAA Range 2 commencing at 4.30 pm. Meals are provided at moderate cost after the shoots, and access to SSAA bar facilities is then available. Both the SSAA and ACANT attendance registers must be signed. ACANT CALENDAR 2009 DECEMBER 2008 08 Jan Colts & Webleys Shoot 12 Feb Percussion & Flint 12 Mar Martinis & Sniders Shoot 09 Apr Edged Weapons 14 May Big Game Rifles Shoot 11 Jun Rimfire, Rook & Parlor 09 Jul 13 Aug 10 Sep 08 Oct 12 Nov 10 Dec 1
Mauser v Lee Enfield Shoot Military & Police Handguns European Sporters Shoot Artillery, Mortars, Mines Smith & Wessons Shoot Cased Shotguns Xmas Party WANTED Anything to do with artillery or other ordnance: shell cases, projectiles, fuzes, fuze setters, tools, inert training rounds, sights etc. Have you got something lying around that you might like to part with? Please give me a call. I have a particular interest in tank and anti­tank guns, but am keen on anything to do with artillery of all eras. Jared Archibald (w) 89998292; (h) 89884562; jared.archibald@nt.gov.au If you happen to have something that you are not quite sure of I should be able to identify it. If you have an item that you think might be “live”, let me know as I have contacts with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal people in Defence. They can make sure an item is safe, and if it is not, can deal with it in a professional and safe manner. John Wilkes featured bold scroll engraving. A ‘modern’ double rifle in the form of a .577 Light Nitro was built on a Greener ‘Empire’ shotgun action. Chambered for the 8 x 57 JR cartridge, a Westley Richards side by side double rifle had a tangent rear sight graduated from 100 to 600 yards and was No. 2 of a pair. A fine Holland & Holland cased side by side, non­ejector sidelock rifle in .500/450 Magnum Nitro Express was of 1905 manufacture. OCTOBER, NOVEMBER & DECEMBER MEETINGS October: Double Rifles The ‘Double Rifles’ theme produced a display of nine British double rifles. The oldest was a .450 calibre side by side hammer rifle manufactured by E.­M. Reilly & Co. of London. A Tolley top­lever hammer rifle was a close second with its antiquated .500/.450 x 3½ chambering, and patent ‘Giant Grip’ third bite. Bridging the gap between the black powder and nitro express eras, a Rodda crystal­indicator sidelock was marked ‘CO EX’ indicating proof for the cordite equivalent of the .577/.500 No.2 cartridge. A .450/.400 double rifle by Army and Navy C. S. Ltd. with one standing and two folding rear sights was typical of the plain but serviceable rifles and shotguns purveyed by the company and found in large numbers throughout the British Empire. A cased Jeffery boxlock double chambered for the 3­inch version of that cartridge was engraved with prowling tigers, and a cased Manton .470 NE built by 2 The other long arms on display were an interesting drilling with two 16 bore barrels over an 8 x 57 JR barrel manufactured by Stahl & Berger of Hamburg, and a pristine example of Ruger’s magnum bolt action rifle chambered for Holland & Holland’s classic .375 Belted Magnum cartridge. The only pistol displayed was a well­used Mauser C96 in 7.63 mm and notable for its unusual safety catch. An item giving rise to much speculation as to its identity was a Wrench, breech piece, 3 inch mortar, 1944. The wrench was used on the Ordnance, ML, 3­inch Mortar, a most effective Infantry battalion weapon in British and Commonwealth service from between the wars to the late 1960s. 3
Again, a relic of the 1939­1945 War was tabled. Several .303 rounds in a disintegrating belt were found at the war­time Sattler Air Strip running parallel to the Stuart Highway at about the 20 Mile. An unusual collection of survival equip­ ment issued to United States air crews in the 1980s included weapons and a wide range of items from de­ hydrated food to communications equipment and other gear designed to assist downed airmen. Two uniforms were of particular interest. One was the camouflage uniform of a lance corporal paratrooper in the former Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). The other was the flying suit, helmet and associated equipment issued to Lieutenant Colonel J. C. Pross, United States Marine Corps (USMC), Commanding Officer of VMFA 212 ‘Lancers’. This excellent presentation was judged to be the most interesting or unusual item on display, earning its owner the monthly $25 award. November: European Handguns There was a fine response to the theme of ‘European Handguns’ and a good display of a range of other items. While it is pleasing that some members are committed to bringing items for display, it is known that other members have items that would be of considerable interest that have never been presented. Members are urged to share items in their collections with their fellow­members at meetings. The oldest pistols tabled were two Velo Dog revol­ vers. The smaller was cham­ bered for the 5.5 mm Velo Dog cartridge (slightly less powerful than the .22 LR) and the other was in .32 calibre. Both lacked a trigger guard but had a folding trig­ ger and a safety catch. Neither had any indication of maker or place and year of manufacture. The Velo Dog revolvers were produced, mainly in Belgium, 4 in the late 19 th Century and the first model was designed by Charles Francois Galand. They were carried by cyclists and the idea was that a cyclist menaced by a dog could fire a warning shot, and if that had no effect, could then take more drastic measures. Imagine that on your local street today! The other European revolver was a Nagant Model 1895 produced in 1912. While the Nagant was the principal Russian sidearm for a considerable period and was well made, it utilized a loading gate and was already behind the times when introduced into service. The Nagant was also used in military and/or police service in Sweden, Norway, Poland and France but only the Russian model had the gas check feature whereby the cylinder moved forward on cocking to form a seal with the barrel. Bill Ruger was responsible for two more­modern revolvers on display, a stainless steel, black powder ‘Old Army’ model and a centre­fire ‘Security Six’ chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge. German handgun manufacturers were represented by models ranging from the late 19 th Century to the later years of the 20th century. Early models were two Mauser C96s – a ‘Bolo’ and a ‘Broom Handle’ – and an Artillery Luger P08 engraved ‘Erfurt 1917’. The Luger had a replacement rear sight of unknown provenance located on the barrel and graduated to a particularly ambitious 600 metres. The barrel was engraved HALLARMS on the right side and ADELAIDE on the left. This firm is not known to the editors and any information on the company would be appreciated. 5
Produced in more recent times and of a novel design, a Heckler & Koch Model HK4 came in a box complete with barrels chambered for .22, 6.35 mm, 7.65 mm and 9 mm Kurz cartridges and appropriate magazines. Other European semi­automatic pistols included two Berettas, one chambered for the .22 LR cartridge and the other, a Model 1934, for the 9 mm Corto cartridge, a Star pistol in 7.63 mm Mauser fitted with a wooden stock­holster, a Unique in .22 LR and a Margolin .22 LR in a case with accessories. European semi­auto handguns of more recent vintage were a CZ75 in 9 x 19 mm, a Steyr M9 and a Llama ‘Extra’ in the same calibre, and a cased Tanfoglio ‘The Ultra’ chambered for the modern .41 Action Express cartridge. The sole United States semi­automatic pistol on display was a Ruger P85 in 9 mm Parabellum. Also on display was a modern replica stock­holster for the Mauser C96 with a leather harness, complete with cleaning tool and spare spring. Both the stock­holster and the harness were very well made. The three rifles presented attracted considerable interest. On the military side, a Mosin­Nagant lacked the integral bayonet but was otherwise in what appeared to be unissued condition. Two sporting rifles were both impressive 6 – a Mannlicher­Schönauer carbine in 8 x 57S with full­length stock and fitted with a Zeiss Diavari­Z telescopic sight in 1.5–6 x 42 and a CZ 550 ‘Safari Magnum’ made in the United States and chambered for the .458 Lott wildcat cartridge. A free­lanced .41 calibre, breech­loading, black­powder cannon gave evidence of considerable skill in metal­working and no lack of ingenuity. A .44 Magnum case was used but ignition was by percussion cap. A bomb for the British 3­inch mortar manufactured in 1945 was complete with a transit plug. Also in the ordnance line were a fired 105 mm shell and two igniters for the current Army 155 mm Howitzer artillery piece. Two pistol holsters, one of leather and the other synthetic, rounded off the display. The $25 award for the most interesting or unusual display went to the Heckler & Koch HK4 pistol for its choice of four calibres. December: Sniper Rifles The theme of ‘Sniper Rifles’ produced an excellent display of four examples of the genre. Most outstanding was a 7.62 x 51 calibre Rifle, L42A1 D71 complete with Sight, Telescopic, No. 32 and Case, Sight, Telescopic, No. 8 Mk 1; all contained in a Chest, Rifle 762 mm, L42A1. Two No. 4 Rifles 7
were representative of British .303 calibre sniper rifles. One was a Mark I of Long Branch manufacture fitted with a Canadian No. 32, Mk II telescopic sight and the other was of 1943 manufacture complete with a No. 32, Mk III scope. A Mosin­Nagant sniper and a Swedish m/41B, both in very good condition, have been review previously in the Newsletter. Three modern rifles shown were not military sniping rifles but were certainly designed for accurate shooting. Two were based on Remington M700 actions and the other was a Sako Mk III. One Remington was chambered for the .308 WCF cartridge and carried a Leupold 3­9x40 scope and a bipod. The other Remington was much modified with a heavy stainless steel barrel and an alloy skeleton stock. It was chambered for the wildcat 6 mm cartridge based on the Winchester .284 case. The Sako .308 had a fluted stainless­steel barrel and a bipod and was complete with accessories. A Ludwig Loewe Mauser 1896 rifle was of particular interest in that the butt was carved with details of the owner. He was S. C. Bekker of Kwariefontein (?) in the Zuid­Afrikaansche Repub­ liek (ZAR) of the Transvaal. It is assumed that Bekker served with the Boer forces against the British. Two other rifles were excellent examples of their type. A Mannlicher­ Schönauer M1910 take­down rifle was chambered for the 9.5 x 56 MS cartridge. In very good condition, it was unusual in that the stock had no chequering. A commercial Snider by J. C. and A. Lord and in very good condition was particularly unusual in that it was 'in the white' and fitted with 8 sling swivels. It was allegedly one of a consignment sent from Nepal to Canada and they are said to have been an issue to the Nepalese Royal Guard. Chambering was for the customary .577 Snider cartridge. The only pistol displayed was a DWM Luger P08 of 1918 manufacture in rather good condition for its age. A Holloway & Co. 12 gauge double­barrel, hammer shotgun had a poor bore but very neat engraving. Other items on show were an interesting collection of 12 gauge slugs and a shell for the 6­pdr anti­tank gun. The 6­pdr replaced the 2­pdr in British and Commonwealth service during the 1939­1945 War, and was in turn replaced by the 17­pdr gun. Throughout the war, British anti­tank ordnance was challenged by improvements to German tank armour and it came down to designing shells with more effective penetrating characteristics. As may be seen from the foregoing, it is becoming more and more difficult to select the most interesting or unusual item displayed. This is to the credit of members who are presenting a diverse range of items. In the end, the Snider attracted the award ($50 for Christmas) for both its condition and putative history. Members are reminded that while each Monthly Meeting has a theme, displays are not limited to that theme and all items that might be considered to be of interest are most welcome. CHRISTMAS PARTY 2008 The December meeting was a short one, as is becoming something of an ACANT tradition, to make way for the Christmas Party. Nevertheless, we found time to present Karel Zeeman with his life membership! All in all, arms collectors collectively had had a good year, with no looming 9
ARTICLES The feature articles this month describe interesting items from members’ collections: a well­used .22 rifle with Territory provenance, and an under­ lever hammer shotgun retailed by a well­known Australian gunsmith. Part 1 of an introductory article on military small arms evolution is also included. Winchester Model 1902 ‘Boys’ Rifle from the collection of political issues or perceived threats to our chosen pursuits. Consequently the mood during the evening was buoyant and convivial, a fitting start to the festive season! Thanks are due to Craig, Steve and Ellen for supplying the wonderful spread of nibblies, and to Brian for the wine selection. Thanks also to those who contributed to the success of the evening in other ways, especially by helping to decimate the nibblies and wine! A fine time was had by all. Jared Archibald This little rifle came into my possession in a strange way. I was in Alice Springs last year and an older work colleague said to come around to his place as he had some bits and pieces he wanted to dispose of. I duly It wasn’t attended and was given a steel opened until I ammo crate and told returned home. When “that should keep I did I found all sorts of you quiet!” gear:­ WW11 water bottles, geodes, .410 ammo, stone tools, an air pump for bait, a cut­down hooked quillon bayonet, lots of other bits and pieces, and this little rifle in pieces. It took a little while to realise what it was and that all the bits were there, and then I put it together. Earlier this year I saw him again and asked about it. He told me the following:­ The rifle was purchased new in Adelaide in the 1920s by Tom Gorey, a young bloke who was visiting ‘the big­smoke’ from Alice Springs. It spent its entire working life on Allambi Station – a cattle run situated about 120 km southeast of Alice Springs. Due to its handy size, it became the ‘homestead gun’ – left around the single­mens quarters and other places loaded with ratshot – ready to deal with snakes, rats, and other vermin. It was never cleaned – just used on an as­needed basis. Tom sold Allambi in 1970­71 and during the cleanup my colleague was given the gun for old time’s sake. As an aside, Tom Gorey purchased a new Ford Falcon GTHO with part of the proceeds of the sale! The Winchester Model 1902 is a single shot, .22 calibre bolt action rifle with a pull­back type cocking mechanism. It was an improved version of the Model 1900 – a John Browning design. They were built between 1902 and 1931 with over 600,000 being produced. They were aimed squarely at the youth (boys) market, and gave boys a small, light­weight, but accurate rifle with which they could learn firearm skills and hone them as they grew. 10 11
Winchester even began the Winchester Junior Rifle Corps which encouraged youth marksmanship com­ petitions and provided medals, certificates and other items as incentives and prizes. At its height in the 1920s, there were over 300,000 members of the WJRC. It was an inspired marketing strategy which introduced generations of young men to the joys and skills of hunting and target shooting. This particular rifle was produced somewhere between 1904 and 1913 as proven by its hard rubber butt plate and being chambered for .22 Short and .22 Long rounds. A more accurate build date cannot be determined due to these rifles not being stamped with serial numbers. From 1914, these rifles were also chambered for .22 Extra Long (what we now know as .22 Long Rifle). Although in fairly poor condition this rifle is none­the­less an interesting piece with an NT provenance. A Shotgun with Connections to W. E. Ekins, Adelaide Gunsmith from the collection of Bruce Keeley A few years back I entered a postal tender in an Arms and Antiques sale. I had an interest in obtaining an under lever hammer shotgun and much to my surprise, I had a win. The gun in question was a 12 gauge 2 ½ inch black powder under­lever hammer shotgun with Damascus barrels. Obviously a Birmingham trade gun, it was in good condition with all its original fittings. As can be expected of a gun of this age, there was some pitting in one barrel and a crack in the butt plate from an over­tightened screw, but on the whole it represented good value for money as a collector’s piece and a shooter with care. As to the finer points of the gun, the 30 inch barrels choked modified and full have a nice brown patina with very little exterior rust, and the rib extension supports a dolls head. The butt­stock shows a nice grain and the snap­on fore­end has the obligatory horn insert. The standing breech has a plain grey finish with rebounding hammers, although the firing pins are not bushed. Metal to wood finish is good overall with no cracks in the wood­ work. The butt plate appears to be bakelite with a Germanic­style scene of three dogs bringing a boar to bail. The underside of one barrel is stamped “not for ball”. What makes this gun a little more interesting is the provenance attached to it. On the top rib is engraved “W E Ekins, King William St, Adelaide S A”. The back action locks also have “W E Ekins, Adelaide” engraved on them but this appears to have been done at a later date as the lettering is larger than on the rib. References: Guns and Ammo Magazine “Questions and Answers” ­ January 2006 Miller, MJM, July 2008, Guns Magazine – Article:­ “A young’un’s gun: the Winchester Model 40A single shot .22 rifle” The HighRoad.Org Forum – Rifle Country:­ “Questions & Answers on Winchester 22” <http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=236185> 12 William Emery Ekins was a prominent Adelaide gunsmith born in North Adelaide in 1853 to George and Mary Anne Ekins. William was apprenticed to “The Practical English Gun­maker” R. Marjoram who had a business at 37A King William Street. Ekins became a partner in the business and eventually bought out his partner in 1878. William Emery Ekins died in 1937 but the business was carried on by his son Archie as general manger until his death in 1959. Archie’s son Dennis, together with his son Ashley, carried on until the business was wound up in 1969 after 91 years service to the shooting public. 13
powder was used. This worked fine in a gun around 100 years old and still managed to break a few clays, although the second barrel is always a bit of a challenge as most black powder shooters will know! Reference: “The Ekins Story 1882 – 1969” by Dennis Daley. Introduction to Military Small Arms Evolution by Ron James Before we start, it should be noted that this is an introduction to military small arms, and by no means an exhaustive analysis of the subject. Much has been left out but it is hoped the most relevant and pertinent developments have been included, such that the reader will come to appreciate the role that small arms development has played in human affairs. Emphasis will be placed on shoulder­fired arms for the most part since they have probably played the most important role in deciding the outcomes of battles and wars since the 16th century. It appears William Emery Ekins was a man of many talents, from being considered one of the best shots around Adelaide to winning an Order of Merit at the 1887 Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition for a display of guns, pistols and other implements. He also held patents for an automatic cartridge loading machine, wind gauge, and elevating rifle sight, and produced his own line of shotgun cartridges. From all accounts William was considered not only a fine gunsmith but also a very competent gun maker. A more detailed account of the Ekins business can be found in “The Ekins Story 1882­1969” by Dennis Daley, which was used as a reference for this article. Of course the final test was to try the gun out! Firstly some low­brass compression­formed Winchester cases were trimmed from 2 ¾ to 2 ½ inches. Wads, over­powder and over­shot cards were duly acquired, and in deference to the pitting in the barrel, a reduced load of 2F 14 Part 1: The Handgun That said, the first small arm on record appears to have been a small, metal tube attached to a stock or handle balanced on a forked stick and ignited with a slow burning match. The handgun, or “hand gonne” as it was called by its Germanic inventor, was awkward, inaccurate and slow to reload. In order to fire this contraption, one hand was employed to align the tube with the target, while the other held the match to ignite the powder charge ­ thereby propelling a lead ball or even a small rock towards the intended target. In this sense, it differed very little from the artillery pieces of the era, which were larger tubes of metal or wood wrapped in metal strapping intended to propel large stones against enemy fortifications or swarms of smaller stones against enemy infantry formations. Next Instalment: Part 2: The Matchlock 15