An Armourer’s Perspective .303 No 4 (T) Sniper Rifle and the Holland and Holland Connection.
An Armourer’s Perspective .303 No 4 (T) Sniper Rifle and the Holland and Holland Connection.
An Armourer’s Perspective .303 No 4 (T) Sniper Rifle and the Holland and Holland Connection. by Peter Laidler with Ian Skennerton.
FOREWORD from
Major (Retd) Dougie T MABER, MBE Small Arms School Corps
This is an excellent, well-researched and accurate account of the Holland and Holland commitment to the development and manufacture of the British Sniper Rifle and its sight.Whilst this book is an historical textbook of great interest to all past, present and would-be snipers, it traces and reflects the persons involved from 1940 to the present day. I say 1940 because it was from that year, when as a young learner sniper on the Hythe Ranges, I learned to avoid cutting the eyebrow on the recoiling telescopic sight. I also recall going to Pendine shortly after the Experimental Wing moved there on 6th June 1940. It was as part of a shooting trial which included firing the new ex-Bren No.32 sight at night without lights, engaging a Huns head target at 200 yards. We achieved 90% hits. The sight made it possible. Holland and Holland’s work made possible a weapon of sniping excellence.
The book is a unique contribution to the annals of Military marksmanship manuals and Peter Laidler’s work deserves a place on the shelf of every sniping buff and historian.
I enjoyed every page and lived through most of it.
Dougie Maber.
Managing Director
Holland and Holland Ltd.
33 Bruton Street
London WIX 8JS
The sporting weapons archives of Holland and Holland have been carefully preserved throughout this century and there has been continuity in numbering sequences, order procedures and manufacturing methods which makes it relatively easy to trace and compare guns and rifles in the present condition with their specification when completed seventy or eighty years ago.
Records of military work done by Holland and Holland during the World War years are however fairly sparse and difficult to interpret as the oldest current full-time employee at our factory started work with us in 1954. It has therefore been very refreshing to meet such an enthusiast as Peter Laidler who has taken so much care in researching the origins and production of the No. 4 (T) sniper rifle, from Monday 17th November 1942, when our first converted rifle was completed, until 30th April 1946 when the last rifle was sent to Ordnance stores at Weedon.
I commend this book, which will have a very special interest to collectors, as it covers an important area of 2nd World War military small-arms and is an invaluable reference for our own library. I am glad to say that as a result of Peter’s research, we have not before time decided to include a prime example of a No. 4 (T) rifle, complete with the full equipment schedule, in our own historical collection held at 33 Bruton Street, London.
Roger Mitchell.
$33.00
plus Australia Wide Poatage $6.00
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