Update 25th January 2012—

• Our Sparrow Force documentary is in post-production, final editing. The project grew in scope and size to 2-disc sets. It will be DVD & Resource CD sets for 'Footsteps of Sparrow Force' and 'Guns & Gear of Sparrow Force'. With so much diverse material, the 100+ minute DVD could not possibly show it all. Info CDs contain lists and spreadsheets, photos & maps. The info CD for 'Guns & Gear' contains pdf files of manuals, pams, articles and photos. With hours of high definition video, re-enactments and original film, it needs to be available in full colour rather than rendered b&w like 'Sparrows', so the 'Guns & Gear' DVD shows rifles, machine guns, equipment, vehicles and aircraft with lots of live action. Release dates will be announced here, likely mid-February. Each set of 2 discs (DVD & CD) will be $35 plus post for 'Footsteps of Sparrow Force' and 'Guns & Gear'.

• 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

• Updated website links... Changes to web addresses, inoperative ones deleted and some new ones added. And one website posting biased articles and misinformation has been deleted. Check the revised listing at our websites page

• New book soon- Barrack Hill, A History of Anglesea Barracks 1811-2011 by John Lennox & John Wadsley to celebrate the 200th anniversary of this Hobart institution. 258-page hard cover with 180+ images, available at the Barracks on 2 Dec. 2011 at the ceremony. Funds go to Legacy and Australian Army Museum Tasmania. $50 ea. plus p&p, e-mail John Lennox at jolona@netspace.net.au for orders. Pack & post will be $11.20 within Australia.

• Japanese atrocities during WW2 continue to pop up in our Sparrow Force research. Excuses are offered today, events are expunged from the Japanese school curriculum. Any doubters should visit: http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/massacres_pacific.html  

• New titles: SAIS #24 (9mm Sten Mk V, VI & IIS) & Handboooks Winchester Mod.1892 and Ruger 10/22 are now available along with some previously out-of-print SAIS and Handbooks. The 'Collector' annual #29 has just been posted out to subscribers.

• 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. 

• On our trip south we found some desirable L-E parts... early 1-piece .22 Enfield striker & bolt-head, new unused! For sale... $89 Striker & breechbolt; $45 Mk III cut-off; $65 MLM/MLE h/guard (no cracks); $30 for trials .402 E-M rear sight, graduated on right side only.
   

• 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.

• Greg Young's new Enfield site is www.britishbitsnbobs.com  Check it out.

• 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... 

• Today's travel experience at our farcical www.enfieldcollector.com/furfies page...

• Our Sparrow Force documentary is nearing the end of filming. After post-production is under way, we will offer the RSAF Enfield Pattern Room DVD too. Estimated availability late 2011.

• 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.

• South Africa is certainly a firearms collectors' dream with an abundance of 19th century surplus but many have had long, hard use. Our visit was hosted by Alan Raves, Karl Schlager and Terry Willson for rifles in the South African section of 'Rule Britannia'. The next 'Collector' issue features War & Peace with Johannesburg War Museum and Boer War sites. 

• Representing firearms owners in Queensland; LAFO, the Law Abiding Firearms Owners, website www.lafo.com.au ...

• 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.

• John Swinfield's book launch was at the AACSA meet in late August. Ian Cummins, MC at the meeting, introduces John, seated beside Shooters Party MP, Roy Smith, far left. Since then, Ray Smith has passed away, a real loss to shooters in NSW.
  
   

• Another new website is Medals Gone Missing... for anyone buying medals.

• New internet gun auction site, this time in Australia. Organizers, Michael & Nathan King are offering an initial 'free-of-charge' setup. Go to http://gunauction.com.au and see what is on offer. You might even want to sell some of your own firearms or militaria.

• 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 many 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.
  

Sten Mk V, VI & II(S)

WinM1892

Ruger10/22

SchmidtRubin

Mini-14

US Krag

CarcanoRifle

7.5MAS 36

HiStandard

BerettaPistol 

GlockPistols

NOW ~~~  Small Arms Identification Series   new 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.