Updated 24th May, 2009—  

• We are now printing the 2009 'Collector', SAIS #23 (Lee-Enfield Parts Catalogue), 6 new Handbooks (Carcano, MAS 36, US Krag, Beretta Pistols, High Standard Pistols & Glock Pistols) along with Graeme Wright's 3rd edition of 'Shooting the British Double Rifle' and 'Australian Antique Arms - The Best of John Swinfield'. Ongoing details will be posted here when the new books become available, regarding sizes, page numbers & pricing.

• New book... 'Military Sun Helmets of the World' - www.militarysunhelmets.com by Peter Suciu in the USA and Stuart Bates in Australia. A full-size A4 hard cover of 93 pages in full colour, this makes a welcome addition for the uniform collector. The British issue is well enough known, but Suciu & Bates add the French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Belgian, Spanich, American, Japanese, South American and Vietnamese models too! Reasonably priced at AUD$45 and $35 in the USA. To order, go to their website, although we have purchased some stock ourselves for Australia. Contact Ian at idskennerton@hotmail.com

• Another new book of interest to many of us, even though it is not specifically about collecting... Ron Owen's 'The Range Officers Handbook' is much more than the title.
  On shooting, reloading, safe handling and general history of British guns. Over 530 pages with 1000 drawings & photos, full size A4 had cover. It is $75 Aust. and an enjoyable read because of Ron's renowned political bias and wry English humour. A great gift too. Check out the Owen Guns site at www.owenguns.com which offers much more too!

• Bushfires in Victoria, with hundreds of deaths and 1,000+ homes destroyed. This sad loss can be attributed as much to 'greenies' and environmentalists as to weather and arson. People are fined for clearing firebreaks. A home-owner with the only house standing in the village now, was fined for clearing a firebreak months ago; it cost him $100,000 in fines and legal fees. His house was spared. To clear undergrowth and timber, Victorians need an 'environmental impact study' done, to certify that no tree frog, rare insect or marsupial will be harmed or lose its home! And this costs so much time and money. Like everywhere else in the civilised world, 'greenies' are pushing their weird agenda. 'Save the forests'... for bushfires! And regarding the 'carbon footprint', we've heard that the Victorian bushfires burnt as much as a whole year's industry in Australia. Should 'greenies' be billed for their carbon footprint; people and factories are going to be billed for the amount of carbon they produce.
  We have heard that the Qld. Govt. is funding a study of how much greenhouse gasses are emitted from sheep rectums in this state, to gauge the impact on the environment of their waste gasses (read 'farts'?). And 'save the sharks' - they've killed 8+ swimmers in Oz in 2009. And 'save the crocodiles', they've eaten a few people in Qld. & N.T. this year too. 

• Visit a great Machine Gun Shoot! In northern Arizona, about halfway between Phoenix and Flagstaff, the MG Shooters LLC hold spectacular shoots with everything from sniper rifles to full-auto pistols, SMGs and MGs, .50 cals, 20mm and even field guns and AFVs participating in a long weekend of fun. See Collector #23 for a 2-page spread of their inaugural shoot in October of 2004... with a firing line over a mile long, shooting at explosive charges, model airplanes and other targets. You now have an opportunity to visit and participate at the Wagonbow Ranch on 16-19th Oct. 2009; we have been asked to conduct a tour with interested collectors and shooters. E-mail Ian at idskennerton@hotmail.com   

• New website of interest... www.karkeeweb.com for webbing, bandoliers, &c.

• Another great new website on Aussie manufacture firearms... www.sportco.org.au 

• New listing of SALE items, remainders from GI Services and others, are being uploaded. 

• John Wray, former Army inspection officer at Lithgow SAF and more recent curator of the Lithgow SmalI Arms Museum, passed away in early January. A keen ammunition, bayonet and militaria collector, his contribution towards keeping much of the SAF history alive will be an everlasting memorial. John died after a long battle with a brain tumor.

• Another new website is Medals Gone Missing... useful for anyone buying medals.

• New titles from International Military Antiques NJ, are available in Oz as well as from Grants Pass. Guns of the Gurkhas, German Makers Codes, Hotchkiss manual, German Bayonets (Carter), Treasures of Nepal, &c. See our Reprints & Miscellaneous pages.

• Victoria Cross & George Cross theft from N.Z. Waiouru museum. Nine VCs and 2 GCs were stolen Monday morning 3rd Dec. 2007 at 1am, including the Capt. Charles Upham VC & bar, only soldier to win the VC twice in its 150-odd year history. Total of 96 medals. VC's stolen were: Samuel Frickleton; Leslie Andrew; Reginald Judson; John Grant; Harry Laurent (all WWI); Jack Hinton; Clive Hulme; Keith Elliott & Charles Upham (all WW2). Also taken were George Crosses. All medals were returned in February 2008 and two men aged 37 and 39 were charged in October 15. A reward of $300,000 helped resolve the case and the medals on display again come with much better security now!

• Sizeable display of Lee-Enfields at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center at Cody, Wyoming. Two floors of firearms exhibits display 3,000 rifles & handguns, near the Buffalo Bill, Plains Indian and Draper Museum of Natural History. Near Yellowstone National Park and south of I-90 and I-25, the Cody Museum is certainly a reason to take a short detour to pay a visit. We saw a Marlin Model 1893 Musket fitted with British Patt. 1888 bayonet, Winchester Mod. 1904 musket and bayonet attributed to Australian Boy Scouts in 1912, and .351 Model 1907 Winchester self-loader with Springfield bayonet sold to France after the war.

• A.I.A.'s new website home page is now at www.AustralianInternationalArms.com.au
  For Canadians, see the A.I.A.s on Marstar's site at www.marstar.ca/gf-AIA/index.shtm 
  A Polish importer has been appointed for the EEC and New Zealand as well as the USA will join availability soon too. Acacia Firearms is selling to Nioa Trading, agency will change.

• Another new internet gun auction site, this time it is in Australia. Organizers, Michael & Nathan King, are offering an initial 'free-of-charge' setup. Go to http://gunauction.com.au and see what is on offer. You might even want to sell some of your own firearms or militaria.

• New book  'Blue Berg- Britain Takes the Cape', 207 pages of action-packed history, 18 colour illust. including battlefield map, early 1800s. Quality production, leather-bound edition also available. Inquiries: dominique@awsolutions.co.za or PO Box 11133, Blaauwbergrant Cape, Rep. of South Africa 7443. Tel. +27-21-557-6438 (work).

• New sites worth saving to your favorites list... www.rifleman.org.uk/Site_Menu.htm  and www.thegarrison.org.uk  Thanks to Alan Carriveau and Dennis Darmanin for the tips.

• For handgun enthusiasts, check out Hans Horst's site at www.horstheld.com

• New pix of the wartime Long Branch factory are now posted on the internet. Just go to
  www.pbase.com/mrclark/long_branch_factory_production_photos : post a message to say thanks to Mr. Clark for posting them too!  And from Afghanistan, another hoard of guns... http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p296/rlanicek/CFD%2002-13-2008/?start=all

• Brian Labudda, myself and a former SAS regiment sniper did a shake-down in a range test of A.I.A. rifles on the long weekend, with some surprising results. In comparison, we used my .308 Savage Mod.10 FLP (tactical, heavy barrel, left hand action). Check out the Field Test page at www.australianinternationalarms.com.au  More out on video soon too...

• New website for collectors arms on the east coast of the U.S.A.... David Prawdzik's new www.antiquegunroom.net is up and running now. Check it out for goodies.

• BSA Shirley FTR'd and converted No.4 rifles after the end of WW2, utilising new parts dated 1954-58. Recently noted in the US, a keen observer logged a number of Mk 1/2 'hung trigger' rifles. The broad arrow mark and finish is a little different to WW2 and immediate post-war production, likely a War Office contract for another country, possibly in Africa.

• L42A1 update... Seen in Iraq in both wars, some carried by security contractors now. The 6x power L13 Schmidt & Bender scoped L42A1 is confirmed at Bisley, courtesy of Fultons. Also confirmed, the 7.62mm Palma match 155gn bullet rather than 144gn service 7.62mm L1, L2, &c. & F4 cartridge. Ammunition is applied with L-prefix designations as are sights & other items. A recent 7.62mm L42A3 RG round is dated 2007. NATO packet and headstamp shown above is RG 19 May 2004, with special bullet for sniper rifles. The L42A1 was issued in the 1st Gulf War; a UK collector has a chest with Marines Commando tags and regimental details, more proof of active service during the 1990s.

• The Lee-Enfield remains in service after nearly 120 years... longer than any other service arm in history.. the best battle rifle of all time. Many also remain in service with Indian police and the Enforcer is being used by Thai Marine snipers. The Lee-Enfield still rules!

• Simpson Ltd. at Galesburg IL now have one of the busiest websites and some Enfields are often on offer too. So list the www.simpsonltd.com site as a favourite.

• The Lee-Enfield's superiority as a battle rifle: British Sgt. Snoxall recorded 38 hits on a 12-in. bull at 300 yards in the space of sixty seconds. Tests where the rifle was rapidly loaded in order to fire as many rounds as possible in one minute, dubbed by participants, 'the mad minute'. No other hand-operated bolt action service rifle can claim such a record.

• Bisley shoot with Lee-Enfield Rifle Association in late June was named 'The Skennerton'. Others by the LERA include 'The Fulton' in recognition of the family's competition record and their gunshop at Bisley, along with 'The Reynolds' to honour Major E.G.B. Reynolds for the first 'Lee-Enfield' book way back in 1960. The new historical Skennerton shoot is held at 300m & 500m, restricted to No.1 and No.4 rifles. It is planned that ranges will be expanded to 1000m later. Ian is planning to present prizes at Bisley in the summer of 2008.

• Enfield rifle threads? Check out http://freespace.virgin.net/j.franklin/toys/thread-table.htm

• Our new 30 Handbooks ... .303 SMLE, British No.4 Rifle, M17/P14, Mauser Rifles & Carbines, Winchester 12 ga Mod. 97, Winchester 12ga Mod. 12, M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, 1903 Springfield, FN FAL, M14, AR15/M16, 9mm Browning Hi-Power, C'96 Mauser pistol, .45 Colt ACP, 9mm Luger, Walther P-38, 9mm Makarov, AK47, SKS, Mosin-Nagant, Mod. 70 Winchester, Mod. 94 Winchester, .22 Mod 61 Winchester, Jap Service Pistols, 6.5mm T38 Arisaka, 7.7mm T99 Arisaka, S&W Revolvers, Walther PP & PPK, .22 Ruger Mk I & II.

• Check our website at www.enfieldcollector.com site; it will eventually have specific pages on .577 Enfield, Snider-Enfield, Martini, MLM & MLE, SMLE, Rifle No.4, &c.

• Proofed Action Assembly numbers confirm the original fitting of a breech bolt & body on many SMLE actions, especially Lithgows. This number was stamped prior to the serial number, upon the body, barrel and bolt groups being proof fired. The PAA (Proofed Action Assembly) number was stamped in small engineers stamps underneath the bolt handle and on the corresponding area at the rear, right of the action body. However, not all SMLEs are PAA marked; this is yet another indicator for an overall picture in the markings scene.

SniperRifles

Buyer'sGuide

S&WRevolver

Type38Arisaka

Type99Arisaka

JapanesePistols

WaltherPP&PPK

RugerMkI&MkII

NOW ~~~  Small Arms Identification Series   new releases ... $9.95 ea.
SAIS #21 .30 Browning Model 1919A4 covers US and Commonwealth issues of the Model 1919, L3A3 & L3A4 series from US, British, Canadian & Australian sources.
SAIS #22 British Empire Sniper Rifles with parts, line drawings, mounts & scopes.
New information on the Canadian, Australian & Indian conversions.

'MP-The First In'...  $15.00