ARmy Rumour SErvice

**jinxy** · 12-06-2012, 20:57

Originally Posted by Nimbus

Whimper... I could do inch groups @25m with that when I was 13...

Me too, as long as it was 22...............I had my cadet marksman a swell

**Tommy_Sun** · 12-06-2012, 21:17

Ex Cadet Walt here (Scouts). Fired one of them a few times at the friendly local cadet range. Kicked like a mule.
Well, I was only ten years old. Got my Master At Arms badge though. But if I remember correctly that was using .22 on the range.

**hedgehog64** · 12-06-2012, 21:36

Originally Posted by Tommy_Sun

Ex Cadet Walt here (Scouts). Fired one of them a few times at the friendly local cadet range. Kicked like a mule.
Well, I was only ten years old. Got my Master At Arms badge though. But if I remember correctly that was using .22 on the range.

Empire test?.Green badge 2nd class, 1st class or marksman for .22 red badge for .303 wasn't it?.

**Chunkie** · 12-06-2012, 21:47

Got my cadet marksman badge the first weekend at Kibworth ranges on a .303. I also hit a worm 5 foot in front of me with my very first shot. Well it was raining at that time and the furnature on the rifle was a bit wet and slippy!

**Tommy_Sun** · 12-06-2012, 21:48

Originally Posted by hedgehog64

Empire test?.Green badge 2nd class, 1st class or marksman for .22 red badge for .303 wasn't it?.

It's a bit hazy. Deffo wasn't shooting .303 on the range - pretty sure it was .22 - final 'exam' that is.
The .303 was just a little 'treat' to get us warmed up. Or it was probably part of the program of the 'commitment' and 'training' that was necessary for getting the badge as a whole.

I don't think we had more than two or three visits there (cadets) but I would have been up for a whole lot more. Loved it.
I think I was too young to join the cadets, but I could be wrong about that too. It's a little while ago

I was quite proud of my little badge - it was Green I remember that, because I was a crap scout and only got about three of the feckers.

**AlienFTM** · 12-06-2012, 21:55

Originally Posted by hedgehog64

What lovely eye's and a comingly smile.Whats a mag?.

Probably where he found the pic and thrapped on it.

**hedgehog64** · 12-06-2012, 21:56

Just googled empire test and this came up.Love the vergers name.

BBC - WW2 People's War - Time in the Army Cadet Force and Other Memories.

**Tommy_Sun** · 12-06-2012, 22:21

Seeing as this is the SLR thread, I might be able to ask this here without getting shot down in flames.
(See what I did there?)

Does anybody remember those plastic toy SLRs they used to sell? I used to get one every xmas - never got old.

They were pretty decent replicas for a toy gun and they even had a mag you could load with little silver bullets.
A particularly nice touch was the carrying handle (not sure of correct term for this) and I can't remember whether they came with a bipod or not.

By the sounds of it a few of you ex-cadets would be around the same age as me then and I would have imagined the .303 would have been fairly standard issue and you wouldn't have been firing the SLR. Or am I wrong?

Were there any around for you to have a 'play' with? If so, did it kick more or less than the .303?
Or were they considered big boys toys and off limits? Lack of funding? Just curious.

Coz if you didn't get a chance to have a go on the mighty SLR for real, I bet you did have one of those black plastic toy ones that were doing the rounds didn't you? Go on - admit it!

I've never fired one, but for what it's worth, I think the SLR is the most beautiful rifle ever. If rifles can be 'beautiful'. Then again I see a few other people on this thread feel the same way. Interesting read.

**hedgehog64** · 12-06-2012, 22:40

**JT0475** · 12-06-2012, 22:53

If in the cadets in the .303 era, you got to fire 'THAT RIFLE' whilst on weekend or annual camps under the guidance of the county Cadet Training Teams. Otherwise, it was the mighty No4 on most range days.

And yes, I did have one or two of the Airfix SLR's when I was a kid - the bayonet is a particularly nice touch don't you think, for sticking it to the Queens enemies even at a young age.