Update 25th April 2013— 

• ANZAC DAY is of special significance to Australians and New Zealanders, it is encouraging to see more youngsters embrace the tradition each year.

• New www.sparrowforce.com website is up now and will be updated as more photographs come to hand. DVD & computer CD sets 'Footsteps of Sparrow Force' and 'Guns & Gear of Sparrow Force' are out now, see top left of our home page. Our dear friend Dr. Harry Medlin, ex. Lieut., 2-i-c 2/1st Fortress Engineers in Sparrow Force, passed away 6th March. R.i.p. Harry.

• 
  'Never Meant to be Heroes' by Maj. Neville Noakes, A.A. Intel. Rtd.
  Privately published, new. This is the personal story of Sgt. Brown of the 2/1st Heavy Battery on Timor, a member of Sparrow Force, researched and penned by his son who was adopted out during the war years, and never knew about his blood father until more recent times. A touching story... 113pp with colour pages too. $29.50 incl. post. We have copies.

• Our 'Enfield Pattern Room' DVD is available now. With its specialised content, the copy run is limited. $19.50 plus $5 p&p in Australia, $8 p&p to N.Z. and $10 p&p to America & Europe.

• Emu Gully Land & Air Spectacular annual show and re-enactments is on again, 18-189 May. Go to www.airandlandshow.com.au for details of the venue where hundreds of re-enactors, vehicles and aircraft go on show each year with special displays for the public. Take the family and don't forget your cameras. Helidon is about an hours west of Brisbane. 

• The Singleton Infantry Centre Museum has re-opened after a multi-million dollar, double-storey rebuild. Situated at the Singleton army base, it is open to the public on Thursday thru' Sunday from 9am to 4pm, except for public holidays. There is an Infantry Corps shop and Lone Pine Kiosk and entry is $8 for adults, $5 for pensioners and children under 16 are $3. Ankle-biters (nippers under 5) are free. A discount family rate is $20 and groups of 20+ are discounted to $4 each however groups need to make a booking. Their website is found at www.infantrymuseum.com.au and e-mail is info@infantrymuseum.com.au Their telephone number is (02) 6575 0257, fax (02) 6575 0239. Revamped displays and worth a visit.  

• See the Lithgow SAF Museum new pages at www.lithgowsafmuseum.org.au Quoted as the premier on-display military small arms museum in Oz today.

• More websites for gun shops and dealers in Oz. The latest is Barry's Firearms in Perth, West Australia; check it out at www.barrysfirearms.com.au

• New book: Barrack Hill, A History of Anglesea Barracks 1811-2011 by John Lennox & John Wadsley celebrating the 200th anniversary of this Hobart institution. 258-page hard cover, 180+ images. Funds to Legacy and Australian Army Museum Tasmania. $50 ea. plus p&p, e-mail John at jolona@netspace.net.au for orders. Pack & post is $11.20 within Australia.

• Collector & Sporting arms, edged weapons & militaria are available online locally for SE Queenslanders. The long-established Toowoomba gunshop Shoesmiths are offering this new service at www.shoesmitharmsauction.com.au  Because of its location at the top of the Darling Downs, many collector have scored desirable items in Toowoomba over the years. 

• Another new website close to our heart... www.birminghamgunmuseum.com 

• Queensland floods & cyclone. Many insurance companies refused to pay out on flash/river flood, water overflow get-outs. Regarding government aid, in 2010-2011 Australia allocated $458.7 million to Indonesia, $457.2 million to PNG, $225.7 million to Solomon Is., $123.1 million to Afghanistan, $119.8 million to Vietnam, $118.1 million to Philippines, $102.7 million to East Timor, $64.2 million to Cambodia, &c. Total $1.669 billion giveaway this year, but only $17 million for tens of thousands of taxpayers who had homes, businesses and livelihoods ruined. But PM Gillard plans to give nearly $500 million to Indonesian schools to moderate radical Muslim teaching. Remember from our observations after the Indon and Thai tsunami, $ millions to those countries did not filter (money and aid) down past the political elite. We spoke to fishermen who lost boats, vehicles and houses, but they got NOTHING.

• New 7.62 NATO Sharpshooter rifle for the British Army? The L129A1 made by Lewis Machine & Tool Co., Milan, IL has been purchased to meet current requirements. As knowledgeable gun nuts (and soldiers too!) have said all along, 5.56mm is a poodle shooter. The first batch of 500 Stoner type rifles was delivered and more are likely to follow, if not already acquired. One piece upper with full-length Picatinny rails, quick change stainless steel barrel in 305, 406 & 508mm lengths on a one-piece upper. It looks like an AR10 with M16 shorty butt. So the wheel has turned back fifty years. We told you so... 

• Milsurps ... go to http://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=25606 to check out updates on our Sparrow Force project. The Milsurps site from Canada has forums, information and posted pages of interest to all collectors and historical shooters with keen members and posts from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

• New sniper record. British army member of the Household Cavalry in Helmund province, taking out two Taliban machine-gunners at 8,120 feet (2.47 km) with consecutive shots from an Accuracy International L115A3 in .338 Lapua. Craig Harrison had returned from hospital in the UK after earlier being hit by a roadside IED, breaking both arms. Likely had a score to settle? This surpasses the Canadian record in March 2002; an Al-Queda gunman at 7,972 ft.

• The Lee-Enfield's superiority as a battle rifle: British Sgt. Snoxall recorded 38 hits on a 12-in. bull at 300 yards in only sixty seconds. Proficiency... the rifle was rapidly loaded in order to fire as many rounds as possible in one minute, dubbed by participants, 'the mad minute'. No other hand-operated bolt action service rifle can claim such a record. Enfields rule!

• 40 Handbooks now: US Krag, Carcano, MAS 36, Beretta Pistols, Hi-Standard Pistols, Glock Pistols, .303 SMLE, British No.4, M17/P14, Mauser Rifles, Winchester Mod. 97, Winchester Mod. 12, M1 Carbine, M1 Garand, 1903 Springfield, FN FAL, M14, AR15/M16, Browning Hi-Power, C'96 Mauser pistol, .45 M1911, Luger, P-38, Makarov, AK47, SKS, Mosin-Nagant, Mod. 70 Winchester, Mod. 94 Winchester, .22 Mod 61 Winchester, Jap Service Pistols, 6.5mm T'38 Arisaka, 7.7mm T'99 Arisaka, S&W Revolvers, Walther PP & PPK, .22 Ruger Mk I & II, Schmidt Rubin, Ruger Mini-14. New: Ruger 10/22 and the Model 1892 Winchester as these new titles have been requested by customers and dealers.

• Check our site www.enfieldcollector.com site; there will eventually be pages on .577 Enfield, Snider-Enfield, Martini, MLM & MLE, SMLE, Rifle No.4, &c.

• Proofed Action Assembly numbers confirm the original fitting of a breech bolt & body on many SMLE actions, especially Lithgows. This number was stamped prior to the serial number, upon the body, barrel and bolt groups being proof fired. The PAA (Proofed Action Assembly) number was stamped in small engineers stamps underneath the bolt handle and on the corresponding area at the rear, right of the action body. However, not all SMLEs are PAA marked; this is yet another indicator for an overall picture in the markings scene.

DVD & CD

DVD & CD

Sten Mk V, VI & II(S)

WinM1892

Ruger10/22

SchmidtRubin

Mini-14

US Krag

NOW ~~~  Small Arms Identification Series   last releases ... US$10.00 ea.
SAIS #22 British Empire Sniper Rifles with parts, line drawings, mounts & scopes.
New information on the Canadian, Australian & Indian conversions.
SAIS #23 Lee-Enfield Parts Catalogue shows MLM, MLE, SMLE, No.4, No.5 & .22 rifle parts by items. Side by side comparisons: bodies, bolts, sights, nosecaps, furniture, &c.
SAIS #24 9mm Sten Mk V, VI & II(S) to complement SAIS #11 on the Mk I, II & III Sten models. This is the final booklet in our Small Arms Identification Series manuals.