< Previous' I r 77/15/41~0. (A.~~ .). Tl~o;, Ghairr::n n, ,, ~>ir, I E.~:f1 co:::: ·:~~.nd e d 1>~' the Arr.!y Couno11 to inf'orm you rer~st.crc d) of' nininture rif'lo ror bo;;·~, t.o be ca.1 !ed tn ,.: h ~.2-r Di'!'ice : .. ininture hif'"to". '.L,he s1')ccit'ica tion ot' the ri 1"1 e will bo f'or-;r:-trdcd ~G s oon ~a i t is rendy. In ~ ocordanco with tho nroposal Qada by you to to lv:md ov er Uw r.ic cir-n to your /\!.1 ~ocietion to r:w.:\e nuch ~rrn..nP:cn<.mt:,; ror t~c, nu "inly and is~!Ue ~s you :r.ny ~ 1\ !:ubj o ct, ho ·:cv'2r, to the proviso t.l'!P..t tho ·.~;r.r Of'fico t o oth ur AGsoc i ~t ion s sh ould oc~GGion arise. ;~o tiorw.l !:if'lc .:<:.s~:,; ociation wi 11 not in any WC.'/ prevent individul'll tl'lG ::ibo:·s o·:· the public fro::J pur(!has in~ rifles The Ar !JY Council i s nre pnrod to nrrrm(.l'e to r. . ...:1. r~ th e ri Cle h ~~s b c(·n :::n dc by ~.n nuthorioed f' ir::1, 'md your Na ti onql fi i?1e Associ Ation. .. ~· : I 1 I J. • • Association ahould sub::.'li t to the War Of!'ioe !'or njjproval tl1o nemes or thooe fi 1':1B ·;-:-i th whor:t it is desired to place oontr::tcta for rif'l c a which it ia d c Gired ::;nould b o so ··;:)u'!. d not b · borr. c by th :;· '/.' ~r Office but shoulci bs R rr~nt~ed I nm , Sir, Your obedient Servant, a f I I -------L..--·!Oi&oi·'£ --~ ! I . I : \\"( . ('. ' r Proce edings of tho Hini a ture Rifle Co mmittee 12th February, l90G. Pres ent. ~-.f~'l.jor Go n (~ ral W.H. liJTackinnon, O.V.O., C.B. Director of Auxiliary Forces. Chairman. Major General Lord OhoylGemore ••••• N.R.A. Brigadier General C.F.Haddan, C.B •• D. of A. Colonel J.D.Hopton ••••••••••••••••• o.I.s.A. Major Hon: T.F.Fremantle ••••••••••• N.R.A. Mr. R. Martin Holland •••••••••••• $M.R.~ Absent. Major General C.E.Luard ••••••••• ~.M.R.~ The Superintendent, Royal Small Arms Factory, attended and aubnitted 2 miniature rifles, one with - a.nd the other without magazine, which embodied the s li ght modifications in height of s1ght!l&c. asked for a t the last mee ting. The Committee approved the alterations. The rifle recomme nded for adoption to be as in these modele, but with an ljs• groator travel ot bolt · ;I " ; ' i ·I ~ '· . t'\.:· .. •;,.,. . r.; . " .-.>-1 bolt · the rifling to have a t wist of 1/16 and otherwise J b a ~3 in the 3 rd model submitted on the 8th inotant. It w· a 0 decidod thc:. ... t th~ butt tri.tp should be u.n integral po rt1on of the rifle but tha t tho m~gazine should be ;,.;.n o_p tion""l feature. At the req_ueat of the Committee (sac the proco odings of the 8th inatant) the Secret~ry ot State received thom ~;;~.t 3.:30 p.m. • the )laater General ot Ordn~noe bo1ng present. In reply to General Uackinnon, who reprosentecl tho desirability of the War Office supplying and iesu.1ng the ap~roved rifle to Clubs and Cadet Corps at a fixed r a tu, the Seorethry of state stated thr.t he thought there would be inauperable difficult ies in the way of this being done. Lord Cheylesmore on behalf of the National Rifle Associat ion offered to taka over the wholo quoution of eup~ly and i s aue. The National Rifle As s oci a tion would ;llera~y a.sk tha t the Government should aa s iat them by r ogist e ring t he design of the rifl£3 s o th~t it mia;ht be called a Gove:rmnent design and further by a rra n3 ing to mark rifles made by approved fir Hts, not with a vio w to gua r s::.ntae1ng their quality but in ordor eo vouch for the ir having been made by a. recognised firm. The The Diractor of Artillery statod th~t he did not think thoro vtould be t.2.ny difficulty in meeting the viewo of tho National Rifle Association. The s~oretary of State in reply said he would be glud to help as f~r ~s was in his power without committing the War Office in any way financially. He v;as in sympathy with ths obj oct the National Rifle Association had in view, viz: ot training the youth of the country in the use of the rifle and would be glad to agree in principle to the proposals put forward by the Association; tho detailo could be arranged sub£3equ~ntly. A.ft ur t he int~rview the Oommitteo decided to make the following recoL~endationa to the Secretary of ~tate. ··. ., ~ I Recommendations of the Committee appointed to consider the pattern of Miniature Rifle best suited for use on miniature ranges and for drill purposes in the case of Cadets and lads. _______________ The Committee recomend the adoption of the rifle submitted by them, which should be known as the War Office Miniature Rifle. The magazine should be an optional feature. They recommend that the War Office register the design of the rifle, which should be handed over to the National Rifle Association who would make arrangements for the supply and issue of the rifle to Clubs , Cadet Corps., etc. The War Office to arrange to mark with a special mark all rifles made by firms approved by them, this mark to be a guarantee only that the rifle has been made by an authorised firm. The National Rifle Association to submit to the War Office the names of those firms with whom they desire to place contracts for the rilfes which they wish to have marked. Contd.~- /4._ ~~.(CL _ _._ ~.~. !emU<-/~ n-.~ K-~~ t ···lk: ~~ 1$~~(~--d~ ;/~~ 1~~/~~ ~)~~ ~~- ~~- • Contd. Any expense involved in such Government marking not to be borne by the War Office but to be arranged for ny the National Rifle Association. Signed Mackinnon, Chairman Cheylesmore Maj. Gen. Chairman N.R.A, Haddow D.of.A. Hopton C.I.S.A. T.F. Fremantle R. Martin Holland I concur generally in the recommendations of the other members of this Committee, but submit for the decision of the Secretary of State for War the point referred to in the attached rider. C. Luard Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs 1 I .f I I/ I !· . v··· Proceedings of the Jli niaturtl Rifle Committee 12th Febz·ue.ry, 1906. Prt: sent :- I·:~ ajor Gt: nernl W.H. l.~a.ckinnon, c.v.o., r..n., n.A.v ••....•.•.•••• Ch a irrn rm. 1"\ rice.~.ier General C.F.Hadr: en, C.B ••••••• D. Of A.. r.olone l J.n.Hopton •.••..•••••••••••••••• c.r.s.A. t: ajor Hon: T. T,'.1~,remantle ................ l~.R.A • . 'i r R. 1.:i artin Hollr::nd ............... ••••• l!f.~.~. 1. 11l . /? l~ Abu t= nt :- .,_ .. "' J' 0 , . r. ·' ) .. r ·· l c .1, Lu r rd • '···· ...... . . ..:.. st. ·f1..•. K·'? (; .' ' '. ... ' . ' .... ! . ...; i.J. • ., • '" • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • -" . ... The Snp{j rintundent Royal Small Arms 'Factory ~t tend~d end fitl_ l:Jmi t tt:d 2 ~ini at ure rifl e s, uno w1 th :md tho other without mar:azine, wh ich e r.1bOdi ed the s li p;ht l.!lOcJ ifico.tion, ; in hair;ht of Bif\ht &c aEked :ror c:..t the l ur,t meetine. Th~ rifle rucom1r·Jnded for ador,t ion will be as in th0~e ~~o del s, bu t with a n 18" greater travel of <ind with rifling hu7ing a twiot of l/16 and otharwiae 1 I Next >