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I just stumbled across this,What a story !
http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/1 ... in_Bushey/

Fascinating but is it me or does it look like about 18 inches is missing from the barrel???

Alan

An interesting find, I would think the shortened look is down to the angle of the image.

20series wrote:Fascinating but is it me or does it look like about 18 inches is missing from the barrel???

Alan

Yes, and that cardboard box the rounds are in looks strangely pristine.

Cool story. The only time I've seen something like that was from the film "Beneath Hill 60" where some Aus tunnelers had short barrelled/sawn off Lee Enfields in order to fight in the restricted space should they encounter any German's. Historically, I'm not entirely sure if this actually happened or not.

WelshShooter wrote:Cool story. The only time I've seen something like that was from the film "Beneath Hill 60" where some Aus tunnelers had short barrelled/sawn off Lee Enfields in order to fight in the restricted space should they encounter any German's. Historically, I'm not entirely sure if this actually happened or not.

I have spent a while researching shortened SMLE's and a few did exist, the South African police certainly used one and there are a few other examples however the vast majority you can read about on the internet are fantasy rifles at best. My view is this is about as short as you can go with an SMLE and this one will need an express rear sight fitting at some point to compliment the rear target sight (Not shown)

Looks shortened to me, I certainly cannot see the front sight ears anyway.

Wonder if this was an auxiliary home guard piece?

I love that the police have taken it away to 'make it safe' like it's a bomb or something - or were they thinking that, if left alone, it might run off and bite someone?

Tommygunn, looking closely I do agree it appears shortened. Strange and interesting, I wonder what will happen to it eventually.

[quote=I love that the police have taken it away to 'make it safe' like it's a bomb or something - or were they thinking that, if left alone, it might run off and bite someone?[/quote]

ovenpaa wrote: I wonder what will happen to it eventually.

I'm sure that there will be someone in the force who collects military rifles and can have this one added to his ticket once it has been "made safe".

Redcat