< Previous·,>·.'··jt··Hl· I •• (' ) PHIC ADDRESS : RIFLOIRS, BROOKWOOO ." F rom To THE SECRETARY, .tllntional ~ifle Asso.cintion. BISLEY CAMP, BROOKWOOD, S~RREY. Sir, The secretary War Office London. S.-W' .. April lOth. 1906. With reference to your letter o:r 4th instant (77/15/4129(~.3.) respecting the Specification ror the War Office Miniature Rifle, I am directed to request th~t you will kindly supply me with a Form o~ Tender which would be suitable for circulation among those Gunsmiths wh\1! have signified their wish to tender for the manufacture of the Rifle. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, l) n ~ Lt-Colonel L . I Z. U!J.7~ - Secretary - N. n. A. .. ,·, /~ ( . 7 7 /l t /41~9. ( A. 3 .). MJ.Q. 4th Apr1l,l906 • .3ir , :,:, t l:1 r efo rence to your letter of E1e f~•i t h ul ti~no relntiv0 to t~~ 2 pocification for th e ~a r Office Yinioture ai..I' le; 1 <.:.::! d ).roo ct ~.:!d to ir. i'o r!:':! you t h:::t t a t~rp ed copy of t hiu Spe ciricRtior. wcs forwarded to Lord Cheyleo ~cr e on ~)!). turday h :. st. Further copiae will be ror~arded to you us soon ~a th e y e a~ be printed. I a m, Your obedient ServHnt, Bisley Camp. f Director o!' Artillery, ~e tional Rifle Association, Brool~wood. I .. r I l I • ~: I r I 40D R f:S S : •IR S, B R OOKWOQD. " THE SECRETARY, J)!ntion nl 3!\.ifle As s odntio n. BISLEY CAMP, BROOKWOOD, SURREY . Sir, '/'o The Secret ary War Office, London. s. W. March 24th. 1906. I beg to acknowledge your letter 77/15/4129 (A. 3) of' 15th instant ad-lress.ed to the Chairman o-r the National Rli'le Association relative to the manufacture Of the War Office Mini.ature Rifle, and I am directed to request that the Speci:fication o:f the rifle may be forwarded to me as soon as possible in order that I .may send them to those t'irma who have signified their "illingnesa to tender f'or t h e manufacture o:f the rifle. I am, Sir, · Your obedient Servant, t./1 . 6z~TU.-V Lt-Colonel Secretary - N. R. A. •, . ' ~"l ) . ' • I e.l'\ comm anded by the Army Council to int'orm ;ou, that after consid0r·~. ti on of your lett e r of t i1e 7th in a tant, they deeire to retain tho ri ght to rr<.·.nt licence~ for the rns.nufacture ot' the new \\c.r C·ff'ice !.:iniature rifle to cmch :t'irrna as tl1ey consider s ui t ab le, ::-.nd capable ot' producint: the weapon. The e;rant of rmch liconco will bo conditional on the quality boing up to the approved pattern and epe cificatlon and on the firm paying the ~ expenses of an upright view end m6rk1ng by the Wa.r Office. ·, It will then be open t c thv National Hifle Asuociat1on to I I I place their orders ~ith any ot the licensed firm~, with whom they 1 . can mcl.l·~e sui tv l1le contracts. ln the o{inion of' the Army council thin o.rra.nc:,ement f;hould obvin.te the dif icul ties which your ·; A I r letter under reply a ppears to &ntic1pat 0 . 1 1 SM 11 Eir, Your obedient Servant. ;.,t. ti cne.l i~ i !' l c A: e ocl c. ticm. \~ j j I ' \ I' ,.._ /6 /~ . ./-'~ K~ c~r k....c.- Jnad ~ ~ '?- ~"-'"c.< s~1r6 ! ro & ~~ 7 .le.%.~~ ~~"'·~.I ~d r~ /~ ~ z..x~ ~ . ~ ~A ./~ !---d 7- /~Qr-~__!_~ ~:__._·~ ~ ../n.. / .J/ -<fa..... u..rc ~.AA-~dL_d ~ k ~~~ ~o.A. . ; ~u.~ 7 h-.<.. 1 .,..,. ~ .. /c rt...~d~ ! 1 £_ ~ I '7 .u..._.·~ /:(;: ~a.-v '11'-'c.<.. ~ _£... n..;r-c C r-~t:;' I ~ ~ '<- ·~ ~~ o--/" n r t:L..-.:1 . ~ c h..;:: ~ a.« d . ~ 7. /;(Z ha.- "lr u. h~ ~ r;zy~ ·~ cr-... :c-~d. k~d- ~a(_ h. ~~ h-£" c /):;._ c.n..4 a ~ CL« d /c £. A · C[ · CZ. - /a I£: erz,..L;.~ he~ k ~oC ,la.-rt. '"'-" LA.~·tj- ~ ~ ~ ... ve ~-d. ~r-e-_ A t<.<.-6:..,-r c/ ~ ;4( ? ~ fi-t o.-<4.. 7 ,/<f7....A.<_ () -re: ~~ i:r;.-.:/ ,( ~ « ~ ri~L /n' £..:, ~o-t_ ~< -~- Z/-._L ~/ ··- ~:- A ~~-J4 ~ /"j' , / / ' • 1 1 /~ n . t/2 ·a_. rcC'C!IL....,, .L-A_ ~ ~ ~ e>. ~e-.d.- ~ .~d 6......~~ A a--d..u.d. k' ~ ./<rh ....c.. ,1-<.<.<S-Y~ c t J C /;G_ ~ tfj- t/·~ ~ .. .J~'IF'""L ( .z; ~cC h ~r 77/15/4129 (A3) 16 Princes Gate SW March 7th.1906 To: The Secretary, War Office London SW Sir, I have the honour to inform you that I read your letter of March 5th. 1906 to the Council of the National Rifle Association, and that they took exception to the proviso at the end of paragraph 3. Which proviso I may say was not included in the original proposal made by me, or in the recommendations of the Committee, by which the War Office reserve the right to grant to other associations similar rights as to the supply and issue of the "War Office Miniature Rifle", on the grounds that it would be unfair to both the contractor and to the N.R.A. To the contractor because he would have no security as to his contravt which might be interfererd with by another made by some other association before he had been recouped for his initial outlay which must be considerable. To the N.R.A. because in making a contract they would undoubtedly be asked to give some guarantee as to the number of rifles to besupplied, they would be exposing .....- . ,, ........ . ' ·. VAJ>.••• ,.tcuLf ~Q. r..._c~/._ «-<. ~s CZ· -:r rr---<1--£~, . .;- ~ k<rr. ~ot;- 4_,__.. e, ~ c-4.--~ r~.,. ~'--~o-r n ~ a-., 4;' ~ Y/2 ~o< tJ .t.·c.e. ~c{ ~ ?~~ ~c--;o ~ ~~; U-<-'CA( 74_, k ?~ aC ~ zc ~ ~ . A:;_~ r-~~ ~. c ~4' ~ ~ ~ ~ (A. -< c ( " d - Jr hrr"<4-id. ~·~ ~ h._ C /:c:" ~ ~/L OJ- ~ ~ · /2 ·a . £ o--C_, ~ ~c&./Ca..-A~·'-< :~ /ZL. u · .... ~ ... {...·7 r A: ~ ra£ ~ ,Ju~ ,n.~ "-- ~. v.&vd~ 4 Jnd t JtJ r~ ~ M~;;_ J ~a«.- d- ~ d h ~ ~ cZZ.: I / !Ji" -' ..., - -./-:- --:r- / LCA-<-. d ~ /A.~ /.0.- ~a...c.&Y .J~ ~t.-U. /..c vur rv I ~~er>" ~~~ ~ o.-C £: ~o..c--e- r. (:..(_ CL?-r<v<f'd- M...'£ £.. ~ ·1i . <{ • ~.zi: ~ hc.--y' c ~~~ ~ ../~r~d< ~ /,I .12 p:l..A-<-.. <- 7 a.,_._.~ ~ c /-u_ /C M c~,J~·'7 ~ ~ ~'L<J, Q.«_c(' ~ "T ~~ /.c ~ /tAU r .k ---«« .-:~ /v-fn-Lt:.{ h. ~ ~c( k ~ ~ /rv IG /no.~~·ft:)l.~ or ./,C ~~. ~ . /"-- /. ./,~ . t-l_. a.~ q_ £.0 ~ d /.c-~ ~ (_~ ( . . ~~ f-z_ ~~·4 r~c< a. n..~~--<:e 47 ~ .L-4 ~ ~ ~·d_ ~ /£:' ~o/" ~ sr.. ,6;;_~ ~d ~ .......... ~~ / £;: ! (' tvfK--Y ? £.. A"-"~ c (. • / t ~/~ ~~-~~ ~ ~ · /1. a .I~ k.~, C rz-e.oJ-~ .. < • .~-~d' ~~<:-~ ~~ &" ,(;-....., ;$L< ~e;<: ..... themselves to a great risk in giving any guarantee, if they were subject to the condition that similar rights as to supply and isse could be granted to other associations, which might be given at any time before their guaranteed number had been issued. It would obviously be to the advantage of the N.R.A. that in undertaking the liability for the supply that as many rifles as possible should be sold, so that in making any contract it would be distinctly laid down that the contractor should sell the rifle to any association or individual at the contract price arranged with the N.R.A, With the power to purchase thus safeguarded to the public my Council fail to see the necessity of this proviso, andare of the opinion that few gunmakers would be prepared to tender for the manufacture of the rifle wereit adhered to, and that its issue would be indefinitely postponed, a rsult they are anxious to avoid in the interest of Rifle Shooting and the instruction of the youth of the Nation. I may further point out that the N.R.A. has been the recognised medium between the War Office and .......> .. , 7~./" ~u-u:-c ~ /t:?v~ ~~~r· /2,. tfl.,. ~ ...... Rifle Clubs, vide War Office letter of May 15th. 1901 - which states " I am directed by the Secretary of State for War to inform you that Mr. Broderick agrees that any privileges which are conceded by the War Office to these Clubs should be conferred through the National Rifle Association, and will take steps to ensure thatthis arrangement be carried out" - Signed E. Ward, for Under Secretary of State - and that this proviso is hardly in accordance with this letter - I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Cheylesmore Maj. Gen. Chairman N.R.A.Next >