End of an era

[pneps]

Guess it had to happen after the untimely death of Mark Bitting, but it looks like britishguns.net may be finally gone for good. Shame really, that board is what got me interested in those old Enfields. I had thought they were total wierd looking crap guns before I bought my first one. His site was probably one of the first websites that focused on the Enfield, among others. I wonder how many posters from there will eventually wash up on these shores?

[dromia]

That is bad news, I hadn't heard.

Just tried to log in and the site has gone.

That was the site that had the old threads, not forums wasn't it?

I didn't go there much as my time is limited and I spend most of it here.

But such a loss is a loss to us all, shame no one picked it up and ran with it.

I know that it was popular with a few British Enfield collectors of some note, as you say it was one of the first and as such had a very strong knowledge base.

Just goes to show the need for multiple sites of interest on the web, its transient nature means that it is unwise to have all the eggs in one basket.

[Niner]

I used to look at it once in a while. Got tired of clicking on the old fashioned , by now standards, one post at a time. But, as Adam stated, there were a number of posters there that were very much into Enfields and knew a lot of things that they shared with those of us, like me, who aren't very knowledgeable about much of anything.

And also , as Adam stated, it's good to have multiple sites on the internet considering how fragile it all is. I would add also that each site tends to take on its own flavor too, so even though the subject headers can be the same, the content is often very different in the directions strings take and the degree of expertise that is conjured up from those passing by.

This site, unlike the late lamented one, has been good with pictures from the very start, and it has been lucky to have attracted a mix of people from all over the world, particularly including some Brits and Australians who are particuarly fond of, and knowlegeable about, their native arms.

[bradtx]

There may be interest in picking up the site, according to it's thread at the 1903 Springfield forum.

I also found the format cumbersome and only visited a handful of times, but as always there are a few enthusiasts that are 'forum specific' that shared their knowledge.

Niner, This site has matured very well indeed! Truth be told, I was much more worried about this site after the EZBoard hack...thanks for everyone's hard work to bring 'er back!!!

Take Care, Brad

[Strangely Brown]

I cut my teeth on that site but like everything in life we all move on, I still used to log in and read the posts but have rarely posted much in recent times.

[dbm]

Between a couple of us asking Mark he had introduced a forum for the muzzle loading Enfield which generated some interesting discussion. We also got some interest going in Volunteer Infantry. Sad to see all those good postings gone now!

David