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Old 11-30-2008, 03:55 AM
Nyles Nyles is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 921
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Now some long guns.



I'm sure this needs no introduction - a Winchester M97 Trench Shotgun (officially referred to as an "M97 riot shotgun with heat shield and bayonet adaptor"). This is not a Norinco, but rather a genuine Winchester-made US Army trench gun. This is actually a WWII production gun, with the takedown frame and parkerised heat shield. It's definately used, but in great mechanical shape and with all the markings intact. Looks absolutely wicked with a 16" M1917 bayonet on the end of it.



This is a Canadian Ross Mk.III rifle, as used by CEF troops during the first half of WWI. The Ross introduced by Canada after the Boer War, during which the British had refused to supply us with enough of the new Lee-Enfields and we decided to go our own way. Unfortunately, the Ross was much better suited to use as a target rifle and proved a disaster in service, proving finnicky and unreliable in the trenches using wartime ammo. It was replaced in service with the Lee-Enfield and relegated to use in training and by snipers, who loved it for its reknowned accuracy.



Speaking of which, this is a Boer War era Lee-Enfield Mk.I*, this one made by Birmingham Small Arms in 1896. This is actually one of about 1000 purchased by Canada before the Brits refused to sell us more, although given that its in nearly mint condition its unlikely that it actually went to South Africa. Also pictured is the extremely hard to find P88 bayonet, complete with original scabbard.



This a French Lebel mle 1886/93, made by St. Etienne in 1893 and rearsenalled by Chattelerault in 1934, so it was used by French troops in both world wars. The Lebel was the first modern rifle, ring a small-caliber smokeless powder cartridge, although it used an 8-round tube magazine under the barrel which necessitated loading it one round at a time. It provoked an arms race when it was introduced, so that by the turn of the century every major and most minor powers had something similar.
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