Muzzle Blasts, Pt. VII

Kudos to the folks who correctly identified the subject of Muzzle Blasts Pt. VI as a Garand, better known as the U.S. Rifle Caliber .30 M1. It's pretty hard to mistake the profile of the M1 Garand, with the gas system sitting so close to the muzzle, and the gas tube right there out in front for all to see.

Here's a better view of same, doing a wonderful job of sending 168gr MatchKings into nice groups at the rifle range:

For the next unknown muzzle, I give you a rarity, although the origin should be visible when viewed in finer detail:

Muzzle Blasts, Pt. IV

Folks are indeed pretty darned sharp around these parts! The subject of the previous Muzzle Blasts teaser is indeed a No5Mk1 Lee-Enfield Jungle Carbine. The one in my inventory as pictured is a 1944-dated BSA Shirley (M47C) specimen, imported into the U.S. during the last decade from a cache of said carbines found in Malaysia. They sold out rather quickly, by the way.


I solved the fabled "wandering zero" problem with this example by free-floating the barrel and glass-bedding the action plus first inch of the barrel into the forestock. Make no mistakes, shooting full-patch MKVII ball ammo will really remind you that you're firing a lightweight carbine, but 123-150gr handloads in the same .303 British brass are a real delight in this particular Lee-Enfield variant. This is one of the few mil-surp firearms that I have no qualms carrying into the Wisconsin whitetail woods each fall - lightweight, quick-handling, fast reloads, and decent power. What's not to like?

Now, for the next "Name That Muzzle", I give you this seriously abbreviated image, with some extra hardware thrown in for good measure:

Muzzle Blasts, Pt. II

Kudos to all who guessed the make of the rifle from last week's episode of Name That Muzzle! I've got some sharp readers, it was indeed a SMLE, more precisely a NoIMkIII* produced at RSAF Enfield in 1917, with plenty of history I'm sure between then and when I acquired it in 1999. Here's the complete rifle image, taken on the first day the snow melted here in our part of Wisconsin:





Here's the next installment. This one might be a bit more difficult, but I'm sure someone will get it right. I've left considerably more than just the muzzle in the picture to help out: