US, British and Allied Reenactment

Hello chaps just interested whats your favourate British post 1945 till 1986 ish, main service small arm (not including sniper and more heavy support weapons) ?

Here's what I can think of so far:

Lee Enfield No 4 Mk 2 (plus the other Mk 1 and Mk 1* converts to the Mk 2 spec)
Lee Enfield No 5 Mk 1
Sten Mk 5
Self Loading Rifle L1A1 (woodern and ABS furniture)
Sterling SMG L2 (all variants) L34 (silenced)
Bren Mk 3 and L4 (all variants)
GPMG L7, L8, L19, L20, L37, L43 and L44
SA80 L85 A1 and A2
LSW L86
Browning Hi Power L9 (all variants)
Webley Service Revolver Mk 4
Enfield Revolver No 2 (all variants)

My favourates are classic Cold War icons are the SLR L1A1 (woodern version), GPMG L7 and the Bren L4.

Danny

I`d have to go with the SLR and L4 Bren as well, although I think the Mk5 Sten is pretty interesting too.

For me, The SLR. A vey nice all purpose weapon.
BUT, the smg has to be the best for burst fire, lightweight, with the shoulderstock folded in, makes a perfect tool for FIBUA/room clearance, where the unweildy SLR fails.

You do get a little bit of travel/lift when firing, but the trick is short bursts (as with any smg). If you use it in a top left to bottom right diagonal cutting motion you can actually slice a man in half!

By far the most disgusting tool for bringing a man down though was the riot gun (as used in NI) I need not here dilate on its effects!

A nice silent kill small arm is the machete, keep it sharp, look after the blade. A good slash with one will lop a head clean off - you can even use it to cut down trees.

I put this, in this way, to draw all re-enactors' attention to what guns are about - they may be fascinating machines or even props, but first and foremost they are the tools used by the "tradesmen of warfare." Please never forget that.

Well put and quite right.

Found an interesting quote yesterday an amourer in Germany remembers having Webley and Enfield revolovers in his store until 1970! But by then they were limited to 2 rounds per revolver lol

Danny

SMLE Mk IV.... I'm not mad... They were used in India for Riots.

They are an SMLE, Removed Rifling, and with a Balistic Blank,that fires a variety of payloads..
Baton Rounds, Tear Gas, etc.

Sounds to me like the .410 converted No.3 SMLE as used by the Home Guard during WWII (fired a single ball projectile) and also used in hot countries by various militia for crowd control certainly well into the 1960's - possibly even early 1970's.

There's one or two re-enactors who have these as you can keep it on a shotgun certificate providing you have a modified (blocked) mag. - It makes a lovely bang when you put blank .410 cartridges through it!

If i remember correctly the mag is physically restricted and can't be removed from the rifle (lots of random metal brackets and welding) to only allow 3 cartridges.

You see alot of de-act WW1 SMLE's now that were sold out of service after WW1. They were re-bored to .410 as a civilian shooter in the inter war period. Talking to a mate of mine he said they had a terrible range and you literly had to have the muzzle a few foot away for it to do any damage.

Danny

Pretty much. These MKIV all have a shitty indian Volley Sight too. Makes it look like a poor man's panzerfaust...

An SMLE on shotgun, is a different kettle of fish.... I would not mund getting one. Different laws for Sec 2 F/A Act. Nice and versitile.

Simon

Now there is an old friend.

For my WW2 impression I have a 1960s Indian SMLE on a shogun ticket. Yes I know there are slight differnences with a WW1 / WW2 model, so I have a de act for close up public work and an SMLE which goes bang for other scenarios.

Or I do when young Edna lets me play



Harry