Milsurp After Hours

Strangely Brown and I spent a very pleasant couple of hours this lunchtime in an old coaching inn in the centre of Salisbury in the company of a surprise visitor from across the pond.

By coincidence Mick and I had been planning a meeting this week to swap some gear so when Doug unexpectedly made contact we naturally invited him to join us. Mick and I brought some rifles from our collections for Doug to examine.

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Mick, Doug, Brian

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Five of our rifles. From top to bottom: my 45-90 Sharps/Henry; Mick's BSA Snider; My ex Nepal Mk II Martini- Henry; Mick's ex Nepal Mk IV Martini-Henry and my Lee-Metford Cavalry Carbine.

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Snider action

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The two Martinis

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LMCC action

You will be horrified to learn that:

1. Although Mick has both the Snider and the Martini-Henry on-ticket, he has never shot either!

2. Doug, an expert on Martinis, Lee Metford/Enfield carbines and Long Lees, compiler of the legendary Coggansfield's Martini and Lee auction price guides, has not shot a rifle for ten years!

I trust that you will all now join me in condemning this appalling behaviour and apply pressure to have it rectified?

Our meeting was also memorable for the fact that the Strangely Brown wallet made one of its extremely rare appearances when he paid for the lunch!

Doug, being a true Anglo-American gentleman bought the drinks and I, being a native of God's own county, paid for nowt.

Thanks, Guys!

Brian

Mick's MkIV is very similar to mine, which is also an '87. Condition looks about the same, though it's hard to be certain, working from a photograph.

She's fairly begging to be shot, that's clear...Mick shouldn't allow her to languish, she'll turn sour.

It would be something if I could beat him to the firing line----it's going to take awhile for me, gathering the equipment and supplies. Mick might be able to talk you out of a few loaded rounds, Brian...I wouldn't be able to match that.

Surely he's man enough? Isn't he?

-----krinko

Bloody hell 10 years without firing one, old Coggansfield has more will power than I have.

Still if he was shooting he would have no time for the price analysis work which always fills me with respect, research and number crunching work that that is just that its work, I leave it in the office or subcontract it out.

Nice showing there gentlemen, although it is unforgiveable for Mick not shooting those rifles especially when they are occupying a couple of slots I have every sympathy with him. I daren't tell you those which I've still got unshot and some of those have factory ammo available!!!

Looks like another good day for all concerned with freindships made and renewed through the brotherhood of firearms collecting and shooting.

Aren't we a fortunate lot.

Well it did come as bit of a shock when Doug came into my shop and introduced himself, I have known "Coggansfield" for a few years now via differant forums and he was the last person I expected to see.

He mentioned talking to Brian a few months earlier and coming to Salisbury so it was lucky that Brian and myself had decided to do a deal over lunch on some pistol Pyrodex I no longer use in exchange for two old scruffy library books that Brian had long forgotten to take back to his local library and was now intent on getting capital gain for them.

I do have a couple of pictures taken over the lunch that for some reason I can not seem to post, hence my delay in replying to this. I may well send them to Robert to see if he can link them to this thread.

Do I detect just the merest hint of Bear Baiting from my dear old mate Krinko?

You sir are a scoundrel of the worst kind and when my Martini is up and running there may be yet a tripart transatlantic grudge match envolving the three of us, all though it's a known quantity in these parts that a certain Brian the Brit still owes me a burger for thrashing him in the Long Lee stakes a couple of years ago so if either of us win we may have to wait for our prize!

Apart from Brian forgetting his wallet (again!) it was a very enjoyable lunch and meeting Doug was like meeting an old mate you haven't seen for a few years.

There is something so very satisfying about looking at firearms, everytime I look at mine or even somebody elses I come away with more knowledge than when I last looked at one, be it an inspection stamp or the wording on a butt roundel.

We must do it again sometime!

_________________

Nice posts lads, isnt it nice to meet other milsurpers from these boards

I must admit to lusting after Brians LMCChttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v14/j ... rool02.gif[/pic] And the old cold burners gave me a bit of a h****n too

Nice to put a face to coggansfield also, looks like a good day was had by all, thanks for the pics chaps

Joe

Give me about a year to get the ammunition and dies together----

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Notice is is sitting on a Bank's money bag----stuffed with the cash I will need to supply her with ammunition.

Butt rondel says "Rawul Pindi" and the 1908 sale mark is "R.P./1908".

None of the marks will photograph worth a Tinker's Damn, but it DOES say "Enfield 1887" under Vickie's Cypher.

-----krinko

To echo a common theme looks like a good day - good food, good company, good firearms.

Having been the recipient of hospitality and generosity from firearms collectors and shooters in a foreign (to me) country I can only say the bond of firearms collecting and shooting (or not shooting - 10 years!!!, You are kidding aren't you ?) is a strong one and to be encouraged at every opportunity.

25 Apr. 2006

10:30pm

Yikes, credibility busted beyond repair! If I drag myself off to a range, will everyone be my friend again? Just to set the record straight, I’m not weird or anything. It’s not that I don’t like plinking, it’s just that two nippers leave me no time for anything at-bloody-all!

Anyway, this is my first chance to post after the trip from hell to get back to the U.S. a couple of days ago — by trip from hell, I refer, of course, to a transatlantic flight with a two-year-old and a seven-year-old. If any of you have failed to try this exquisite torture, I recommend it highly. The Inquisition doesn’t have a look in.

Seriously though, I can’t thank Mick and Brian enough for their hospitality. When I first walked into Mick’s shop (a camera store in Salisbury, where my mother lives), he did a masterful job of covering up the fact that he hadn’t the slightest idea who I was. Nonetheless, both he and Brian tolerated — and with good humour, no less — my shamelessly self-issued invitation to their lunch gig a couple of days later.

We had an excellent couple of hours perusing firearms though, sadly, I could conjure up no feasible means of filching Brian’s LMC mk. I and its really great leather carrying bucket. (It’s got a rod too; you don’t see that very often.)

Finally, I think it needs to be pointed out that, while Brian’s and Mick’s photos may make me appear to be the fattest person in the room, this is all an illusion resulting from the horizontal stripes on my shirt. (I believe this is the excuse used by disproportionately busty women, so it can serve just as well for my frightening midriff.)

Best regards to all,

Doug M.

(Coggansfield)