< Previous\ ' 77/Hi/4129. . ) \ ""Y:: / lt I .,.- , jr, , r t VI The Secretary, (A. 4 .) ~uno, 2100. In c ont i :Hl.i~ tion of this Offic e let u~:r of the add.i.1..ion to tl>os u a~_ ru ady notific:ct to you - T!: t: Woblt~y & f>cot.t R~volver & Ar.ns C(, ., T.td., I ':•rYJ to eu.y th:.,t tJ:o cost of' ins};cction and per rifl e . Sir, Your obedient Servwn t, Dirt:ctor of Artillery. Na tiona l Ri f l e Aesociation, Bisl0.J 8 EJ.~:11J , T\ r·o < > k .io (> d, Su rro:". I I tb. . From J' () THE SECHE'l1A lt Y, The secretary of the Army Council ,tlntionnl l'tifl£ 1\ssorintion. BISLEY CAMP, BROOKWOOD, SURREY. Sir, War 0 ffi ce, LonJon. s. w. June 12th. 1906. / I should be obliged if you would brin~ this letter direct to the notice of the Army cow1cil witl1 reference to the !Uniature Ri:fle appro,red by the War Office. 77/15/42 19 (A. 3) By a l e tt e r dateJ 1rd. March 190 6, si~eJ by yoursel:f as Secretary, the Army council hande J over to the National RiDe Associotion t h e arrangements for tlle supply anJ issue . of this Ri .fle, but up to the present d ate not wi ths t ru1Jinf; repeated applications they have been ( . ' \ ; unable to obtain from the War Office a pattern o.r the Rifle. 0 ! ) , ' ' .· ~. Shortly after the receipt o.f this letter the National Rifle Association being anxious to expedite the issue, in vi ew of havi n g an offici al ly recognis ed ri.fle .for b oys in time for t h e Camp which they are hoping to hold at Bisley at the end of July, invited the seven followin g firms to t en der f or t he mnnu f a ctu r e of the ri f l e :- The Birmingh am Small Arms Co. Ltd. The London Small Arms Co. Ltd. The Peddle Small · Arms Corpor at ion Ltd. Mr w. w. Greener !"'\~ "' Me ssrs Co gswel l & Ilarri son I . ,- • ·· ··· · ··· -----------~ Messr s West l ey Richards & Co . ;. . -,,,. Mes s r s Webley & Scott / Th e se ( These firms were selected owinG to their having submitted patterns and assisted the War Office Coi:lllnittee and their f names were duly fOrwarded to the war, 0 ffice to be licensed, but as yet the National Rifle Associat~n ha1re not .been informed whether they hpve all been approved, notwithstanding the~r must all be 'fell-known to the War Office and are perfectly qualified to undertake the manufacture • In connection with this, it is necessary for me to call tl1e attention of the Army Council to what seems an unusual procedure on the part of a department of the War O.f.fice, the present unsat1sf~ctory position regarding the issue o.r the rifle appearing to me to be entirely attributable to this action. It has transpired that, while the Committee was I still sitting, before the rifle was even decided u't)on or any report made, without the knOwledge of the Chairman or of the Comrndttee, t~o firms were given authority to manufacture ;the rifle and to these two :firms alone has since been given-what are stated to be the only two available patterns of the rifle, thereby gi v1ng to them an unfair advent age over the other Gunmakers invited by the National Rifle Association to tender. The result has been, 1. To make the decision of the Army Council as to the issue and supply entirely inoperati v3. 2. Tv "?1 ace the National R1 ne Association in a .false po s ition both with the Gunmakers invited by them to tender, and with their affiliated Clubs anct Schools with whom they have been in communication reg arding the issue. 3 .. A monppoly has been given to what is now practically /one one f1rm, who will be cuabled to place what price they like on the rifle, iu proof of which I have mysel:f seen Orders bookeJ in one est abl1shment for the rifle at 50s. OJ., and I was informed that they were obtaining the rifle :from the above favoured firm; this price is :far in adYan~e of its value and that Clubs anl Schools have been led to believe the!r would be able to purchase the rifle for. I res-pect fully subm1 t that the proper course to have taken anJ one that would have been in accordance w1 th the Army council's decision, was to have handed over to the National Tlifle Association the pattern of the rifle with the apec1:f1cations rul -i to ha,re granted at once the licence to manufacture to the seven well-known :firms above mentioned all r I or whom had expressed their willingness to tender; if this course had been pursued the National Rifle Association would have before now arranged :for its issue, it being now three months since the War Office letter was received and favour! tism woulj not have been unduly shown to two firms. I may mention that :for years the National Ri :fle Asaociation has advocated the adoption of an officially approved Miniature R1 :fle, and it was mainly due to the Association that the Comm1 t tee was appointed; it is pract1c- -ally eight months since this Comraittee :first met and had it not been appointed it was the intention o:f the National Rifle Association to have selected Md adopted a rifle of their own :for use in Clubs and Schools which they could easily have done in the time that has elapsed, and the uni versa! disappointment consequent on the unnecessary delay would hnve been avoided. I have the honour to be Sir, Your obed1 ent Servant, Major General Oh airman - N. R. A. I I I I I ! I I r I I 7 7/l 1)/•· 1 ''l\' . -' 1- ~" ,, • (A.4.) :\ \_'. \I '. I " 1 .•. ' ' "- "' .~ ·. ~. ' };arm:u~r~ion t.o m<·.nufn.c:tura tho rifJ.o, slwuld al>J>ly to this '.i'h~: J.ond{·n S~£.11 A~rJB Cc1., T.t 0 .• f.h; ;~ro t n.rf , lL.t ionc: .... l hif l~: Aom ; c i ~.t. J.on , P is.h::; C:c-."-: j) ' Bn•l•b/0\ld , Surrr~y . 'l'ho I '· . I ' \ n.s J.(.; e Bib J. ,: • J: 8-!!l to ~·del th <tt tb.i cost of inapoction and I ::,:..,' Sir, ~ir i: C I. or· C•f Artlllui.)' . I / I lt. ! J . I I I / ~- I .. 1 ~ ·;I • • fH C . -·-·· -~-- ..:::..:-..;..::..,...-._.~.- -TELE G R A PHIC A D DRES S: ' •· RIFLOIRS, BROOKWOOD . '' No __lL ___ _ From To THE SECRETARY, ,tllationnl ~ifle J\,ssorintion. BISLEY CAMP, BROOKWOOD, SURREY. Sir, The S$-Cretaey, War O:ff'1ce, . Lonlo~. s.w~ April '37th. : ' With reference to your letter of the 15th ulto: on the subject of' the War Oi'fice Miniature R1f'le, I beg to inform you that the matter, so :far as the National Rifle Association is concerned, now st anJs as :fOllows:- A circular letter was .rr' ,; issued to a selected list o:r rifle makers, and a copy of the +- War Office sl)ecification was sent to the firms named in the attached list, who expressej tl1eir wish to tender. Many Of these firms have asked for further information, and for forms of tender • The latter, however, the National Rifle Association are not in a position to sup-ply, as they cto not know to what firms the War Office proposes to grant licences to make the rifle~ They underst mlJ, for instance, that Messrs Greener, who submitted a miniature rifle to the War Office, have been refUsed permission to see the War Office riflet: and it would therefore be useless to encourage them to tender for making it. My Council direct me to ask what :further assistance :lrt is desired that they should give in the matter. If itl is . . ,., I 2. Jesired thnt they ~houLl io;.;ue a rorra or tender, it will b.e necessary that the;, ~oull..i ha~re a list Of the ~rms to which licences would be eranted. The~r would be glad of instructions whether the form of tende.r should Provide for the supply of ~ifles either singly or in small quantities to i~d1vi~1als or Associations direct from the makers, anJ be coupled with an undert *ing not to sell to retail dealers at any less price than that at which pr1 vate customers are . suppli~d direct. The form of tender would of course be submitted for War Office approval before beins issueJ. My Council would also be gl9d to know the estimate<.l cost Of the 'Upright view anj marking" re :fer !'ed to in your , 1_,-/·' letter of March .15th, as a definite sum for this must be included in any price quoted to applicants or the public. I am, Sir, Your obeJ1ent Servant, Lt-Colonel S~cretary - N.R.A. The Lon ,lon Small Arms Company, :.Jt J. The PeJJ1e Small Arms Corpor13.t1on, tt-ct. Messrs West ley E1charJs & C:o. Mr w. w. ~reener. ' ' ' Messrs Cogswell & Harr1son The Webley & Scott Re·-rolver & Arms Company • .- . .-.' The Birmingham Small Arma Company. ,---. \ I n '· . ' J· ~ ·. r I ~ ~' • / / .-;- t #.0 2)-r A1)r11, l 906. Sir, With referenc e to your letter of tho lOth int.1.~nt on trl '-1 uubj (~et of the V'ar Offic<~ pattern of l .1 ,j -1 ' thiu -~ ~' iniu.t.ura Rifle; I am d inlcted to fcrward for ;your infor-mCl.tion tht: u.ccomru.nying form .o:t' tender UBed by Th .. : f)cc ret L.r'J' Th •: l ' rinted fonn nnc\ 1 t s enc1 osure would ' .. .. rt:,!'·•ire r-:odif 1c ;.-..t1on in det&.il to make them suitable tendorn for the SU1-.f ·1Y of the }'iniaturo P1flt, and th '"re sent to you only a:s H. eo~: eraJ. gu id a as to tho I v.m to ::tdd thc~t H wiJl be necessary to stat·:• on th~:: rcrm ot' tender dn,.wn up th,OI.t u.ll contracts wilJ. be ~;ubjtJct to u. licsnao to rJU1U1'1::4cturtt being gru.ntod by the W;;~r Of.fice. I wn • Sir, You c obedient survunt 11 ~~~~-- ' : I '/ J .' Nu.t i on ~l Rifle A3 uoci a tion, p. hi l t:J y c <.illlJi • n rookwood. . . ( ·. '·, Director ot Art111ory. , ~ - I Next >