To the untrained, or inexperienced eye, the two objects below look completely different. In fact an inexperienced person would probably not be able to find any similarities beyond the fact that both of these items are, very clearly, firearms.
Which one looks more dangerous? Please don't say the assault rifle at the bottom...That would be wrong. Not because it's less dangerous, but because it is not an assault rifle.
Both of these rifles are quite literally the same thing, firearms yes, but both also magazine-fed bolt action rifles. They may look different, one being made of wood and steel and the other steel and alloys, but they are indeed one and the same as far as their true nature goes. Which one is more dangerous? The answer is neither; Or maybe equally is more accurate depending upon the situation.
I was prompted to write this based on a conversation I had with someone at work today. That person made reference to assault rifles without the knowledge that I was a shooter and gun owner. It wasn't long before I realised this person had gained their vast knowledge [sarcasm] from a video game, the nightly 6pm news or the back of a corn flakes box...All three of which amount to the same thing, that is, useless sources of information.
An assault rifle is one that has selective-fire options and uses an intermediate cartridge fed by a magazine that detaches from the rifle.
The term intermediate cartridge refers to one shorter than a full-power cartridge (the 7.62x51 NATO for instance) but one with greater length than a handgun cartridge. This makes the weapon easier to control, through having less recoil, whilst retaining ballistics suitable for ranges out to some 600m or so. This means the rifle can be lighter and shorter, and more ammunition can be carried by the operator due to it's lesser weight per round.
It's a pretty simple concept.
The rifles below are not short, not light, not selective fire and do not use intermediate cartridges. So, are not assault rifles. I needed to get that straight.
These are both my rifles and I love them both. One is for long range, something I'm very good at, and the other is cool because it went to war.
The top one is a SMLE .303 Mk III (Short magazine Lee Enfield). This rifle, the one in the image, was commissioned into the military back in 1916 and was decommissioned in 1918 at the conclusion of the First World War. It saw service and for all I know has killed people. I also have the matching bayonet and I'll do a post on it sometime.
The rifle at the bottom is a modern bolt action rifle in the 6.5mm Creedmoor calibre. Instead of the wooden shroud around the barrel it has an alloy one, both are designed to insulate the hand from the hot barrel. (They run very hot when being fired.) The secondary purpose on the SMLE is to parry bayonet thrusts from the enemy and my rifle has evidence of being used in this manner.
Both are simple bolt action rifles, meaning that once a round is fired the operator must work the bolt to eject the spent case, pick up a new round from the magazine and insert it into the chamber. This action also resets the trigger. Below you can see a closer image of both bolts and where the magazine inserts into the receiver. It takes a second or so.
In effect, both of these rifles are the same. They fire the same way, carry the same amount of rounds in the magazine (although I have a 20 round magazine for the 6.5mm) and will shoot about as far with about the same accuracy. There is a distinct difference though.
The SMLE used iron sights, a sliding rear ramp system*, for aiming and the Ruger uses a scope, which is not mounted on the gun right now obviously.
The sights on the SMLE are quite simple as you can see in the image below. The range is changed by sliding the range selector forward and back on the ramp (left image below). This raises or lowers the rear sight. Forward moves it up and back moves it down. When lined up against the front sight to gain a sight picture on the target the operator can shoot accurately.
So, to shoot at 1000 yards (This rifle sight is old so works in imperial, not metric), one selects that range on the rear sight slider moving the rear sight up. Because it is now higher the rifle muzzle needs to be lifted higher to gain the sight picture using the front sight post. That is the same as dialling elevation into a rifle scope on a more modern gun.
Once this is done the SMLE was a deadly weapon. In fact, this is the same rifle Billy Sing used for his sniper rifle. Billy is Australia's most deadly sniper to date, with hundreds of confirmed kills in World War One. I've posted about him before. Read it here
This image below shows the front sight post up close. That little post in the middle is what one would line up with the rear sight when aiming at the target to form the sight picture.
Both of these rifles are deadly accurate, and are capable of killing at great distance. The Australian Imperial Forces, later to become the Australian Army, have been armed with these SMLE Mk III's since World War One and well into World War Two also. They are both reliable, sturdy and easily maintained in the field. One was designed to kill, to have a bayonet fitted for stabbing purposes, the other as a competition rifle to be used at very great distance, which is exactly what I use it for. Both are incredibly fun to shoot although the SMLE is a little rougher with more recoil as it doesn't have a muzzle brake.
Anyway, that's about it for now. I'm sure I'll be back at some stage, as will you guys to skim my pictures.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
Discord: galenkp#9209
