Save the No.8s!

[Gaz]

https://ukshootingnews.wordpress.com/20 ... -too-late/

Basically, if we step in now I reckon there's a chance we might be able to save the .22 No.8s from the scrapman. They don't look like some evil modern military-style rifle (I deliberately use the antis' words here) and there's an awful lot of people out there, shooters and non-shooters, who have fond memories of them.

Am I barking up the wrong tree?

[Demonic69]

So where do we start?

[Maggot]

Go for it

First firearm I ever used and built like a truck with a great heritage.

[Rburro2]

The stocks would make fantastic Chair legs

[Rearlugs]

IIRC its now MoD policy never to sell surplus weapons into the civilian market. UK has signed and ratified the UN Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), and considers that this absolutely forbids sale of military small arms. The ATT very nearly banned all trade even in historic small arms, let alone weapons that are in current use. There was never any attempt to differentiate by calibre, so even .22" training rifles are included.


Sadly, I think there is not the slightest chance that any No8s will be released, nor any of the remaining spares packs....

[Dangermouse]

My cadet unit has 7 x No 8's (possibly more as we inherited some). Sadly they are not used much such is the difficulty in doing any shooting. My initial enquieries at local level were met with the expected response.

I do wonder as to who actually owns them. The cadets are not a branch of the armed forces, they are a charity. However I will accept this is not my area of expertise.
If the No8's are owned by the charity I would have thought that they would be easier to deal with than the MOD.

DM

[ovenpaa]

One of our local schools still shoot with No 8's

[Gundoc]

I can ask on Tuesday, I'll go direct to the horses mouth so to speak.
Unfortunately I feel that we'll be met with the same answer as the L96's that went into the crusher.

[SevenSixTwo]

Hey, we could always start an epetition......

[Rearlugs]

My cadet unit has 7 x No 8's (possibly more as we inherited some). Sadly they are not used much such is the difficulty in doing any shooting. My initial enquieries at local level were met with the expected response.

I do wonder as to who actually owns them. The cadets are not a branch of the armed forces, they are a charity. However I will accept this is not my area of expertise.
If the No8's are owned by the charity I would have thought that they would be easier to deal with than the MOD.

DM

Which cadets are you?

IIRC it used to be that CCF and ACF received weapons and armourers' support direct from the MoD, whereas Sea Cadets were a private charity and tended to own their weapons. Some schools with CCFs also owned their entire stock of rifles for historic reasons (normally No1 rifles, which were sold cheaply to schools under some scheme post WW1).

I guess it has all changed now, especially with all the changes to cadet funding.

As far as I know, all No8s are MoD property and were never sold privately (unlike, for example, the "7.62mmCONV" version of the L39A1, which was produced for private sale to the ARA and other clubs).