Comments for The weekend whatzis answered

The weekend whatzis answered

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:45:18 -0600

Kirk got it right. Given his performance on the 25pdr, he's clearly a brainiac.One day in October, 1914, just as the War to End War was shifting from a war of maneuver to the horror of the trenches that was to be its hallmark, an armourer of the Queen's Own Dorsetshire Yeomanry put away his punch set, picked up his screw driver, screwed in a stock disk and a Short Lee Enfield rifle entered the books as rack number 324. Somewhat later, in 1915, the Birmingham Small Arms company completed and handed over to Commonwealth forces another Short Lee Enfield, and both...

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-07-22

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:32:45 -0600

I think for the same reason they didn't build their own rifles from scratch - they didn't have the wherewithal.

Barrels they could produce, but receivers are tricky things, with lots of steps and gauging and expense compared to barrels.

Plus, I suspect they just didn't feel the need.

Comment from Cannonshop on 2009-07-22

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:29:34 -0600

In that case, it's a wonder they didn't just chuck the Mausers and get rights for production of their Enfield/Mauser mod entirely- a slicker, more ergonomic action that's easier to keep in headspace, with a lower-profile bolt handle giving a superior rate of aimed fire. (the diving-board straight bolt handle might be good if you habitually wear mittens, but a turned-down handle is easier to work in rapid fire, and that's just a fact of ergonomics....)

Comment from BillT on 2009-07-21

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:30:54 -0600

Hmmmmm. Two snarks on two different posts and the Great Hall Echo grabbed both of 'em.

Karma...

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-07-21

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:18:55 -0600

Hey, everybody! Bill got the obvious part of the weekend whatzis!

Which, admittedly, is more than some, and all who were afraid to play.

Comment from BillT on 2009-07-21

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:55:29 -0600

So, do I get a brag for Gallipoli?

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-07-21

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:36:37 -0600

The only thing the mods did to the action regarding the bolt was cause a slot to be milled in the bolt head, which rides on a lip in the stiffening bar on the right side of the action. The action works the same and the bolt doesn't have that wiggle that sometimes makes Mausers seem a little... draggy on closing. Still smooth and crisp.

Comment from Cannonshop on 2009-07-21

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:31:03 -0600

One thing I'm wondering about...

I wonder if the action is as 'slick' as a good Lee-Enfield, or if the mods made it kind of clunky.

I'm wondering this, because one experience I've had with the Lee Enfield is that besides the cock-on-closing, enfields of the same vintage just have a superior ergonomics when working the bolt-it works really smoothly...esp. compared to Turk Mausers.

Comment from Kirk on 2009-07-21

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:27:50 -0600

Not a brainiac, but a military historian and part-time weapons collector. So, when the Whatzis has something to do with an object that goes BANG, BOOM, or perhaps even KAPOW, I take an interest. Also, what is it with Brit troops being associated with either the Queen or King and taking it in the shorts during battle? Not only did the Queen's Own Dorset boys take a beating at Gallipoli, but the men of Sandringham wound up MIA as well.