Boys Anti-tank Rifle

[cantankrs]

Hi All,

Found this video on U-tube about the Boys AT Rifle. I knew zip about it before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov4lOcD7O5c.

Regards

Alex
--
M3 Grant, Val, Ferrets, WM20, CMPs

[rob love]

Those films do tend to over-exaggerate the effects of the Boys ATR. But they are a fun rifle to shoot, and your adrenaline will compensate for the pain you feel shooting it.

Here is a shot of mine along with some accessories and an Enfield no4T for comparison:



The last shot is a couple Boys along with a PTRS ATR

[matilda IIA]

Mine is not as flash....But it certinaly go's Bang.........

I had to remove the pistol grip for public display...??? Its all a bit over the top sometimes.

Kind Regards

[David Dunlop]

Is there any evidence out there to indicate, that inspite of the Boys becoming outdated as an anti tank weapon during the war, some units still found it useful as a 'sniping' weapon? Not necessarily equipped with a scope, but used to disable soft skin vehicles on a regular basis.

I would think the Boys round could be quite devastating to an unprotected engine block.

David

[rob love]

If you read Denis Whitaker's book on Dieppe, the boys rifles were mentioned as being useful as antipers when the enemy was behind cover.

There is also a photo of one in Vietnam which was crudely re-barrelled to 50BMG by the US. They would use it for harrasing fire against enemy bathing in the river a mile and a half away.

[cletrac (RIP)]

I read that the US used them in the Pacific against the light Jap tanks.
Also they could stop a pretty good tank if you shot the track and broke it.
My 1940 AAAT cab 11 used a Bren for the anti aircraft and a Boys for the anti tank.

[derk derin]

I just watched the Cuba Libre story on Netflix which showed an historic video of Bautista looking over a cache of captured weapons they took off of a band of guerrella's they captured and there he is holding a boys anti tank rifle with the harmonica flash suppressor. Would like to know the story on that rifles travels through history!
Derk

[Douglas Greville]

Rob

Believe it or not, where I live in NSW they are classed as a pistol due to having
the pistol grip.

Never underestimate the stupidity of officialdom.

Thus they are in the same category for licencing.

Regards
Doug

[Lynn Eades]

Doug, it is the changes they make in the dead of night that worries me about your second statement.
Over here, I think the Boyes rifle is just a rifle. (not sure at all) They would be a fortune and nearly never seen for sale. I wouldn't even tease myself with the idea.

[Douglas Greville]

Lynn

They come on the market occasionally here. As you say, never cheap. But the hassle of owning one is not worth it. Having something 5' long that is classed as a pistol and has to be stored in a pistol safe that complies with the law is just sheer lunacy. For starters, the safe has to be specially made, because, surprise surprise you can't buy a 5' long pistol safe.... nor for that matter normally a 5' long rifle safe. Pistols are a special category as they are classed as a "concealable weapon", I have yet to see anyone who can conceal a 5' long anti-tank rifle up their shirt!

Regards
Doug

[Lynn Eades]

Doug, in an ideal world you would petition your local M.P. about it, and he / (she?) would go into bat for you to tidy up a stupid unworkable law.
(on that note, Is it law or policy? because policy is often put forward as law)
The police firearms people should also be embarrassed by the stupidity of the law and support the idea of sensible change.
The politicians should see that good people proud to be Australians would want sensible laws for good Australians to live by and also support change.....

Sorry Doug, my wife must have put something in my coffee.

[Petr Brezina]

Uff, I was a bit worried about you at first, Lynn

[Douglas Greville]

Lynn

You had probably not fully awoken for the day and faced the reality of the being
a "citizen" in a "democratic" society......

I have photos of my dad, riding his WW2 Indian around the South Island in
1946 with a .22 on a sling over his shoulder. He and his mate would stop
at a farm every night, ask permission to shoot rabbits etc for dinner. He said
they always got permission usually with the caution not to shoot towards the
house. Often they would be invited in for dinner.
Not once did anyone ever phone the police or react badly to 2 armed men
on motorcycles riding up to a house.
Amazing how much common sense and civility people used to have.

I often say to my son, we have the least worst political system, not the
best. Looking at the current circus and the ones that have gone before
it in NA, the alternatives don't seem real attractive.

Regards
Doug

[Lynn Eades]

Yes Doug, I remember those days of young men walking down the road with a rifle, for all the public to see. The thing is that the public has changed. We hid our firearms from them and now the public perception is that if a person is seen with a rifle, they must be up to no good.
Many of N.Z's truly good soldiers of last century developed their survival, personal discipline and independence skills from hunting in the rugged wilds of the country most likely with an ex service rifle, before joining up. It was an important part of the character of the "Kiwi" of the day.
Fortunately our firearms laws are not as draconian as yours, .....yet!
It will sadly take only 1 nutbar because politicians are politicians and a politician with integrity is an oxymoron.
I found it sadly amusing to see at W&P in the U.K. a few years ago, that the British have lost their firearms sense. They point them anywhere and at anybody because they are all deactivated.

My first rifle was presented to my father for me, before I was born.

Over here we can own rifles and shot guns on a standard firearms license.
(A license) (this I believe is what would be required to own a Boyes rifle?)

As a member of a pistol club we can own and shoot pistols under stringent rules. ("B" endosement to the license)

By process of qualification, we can obtain a "C" endorsement. This allows us to own pistols and machine guns (but never to fire either) (only the military can fire machine guns in this country)

A "D" endorsement is a license required if you wish to be a firearms dealer.

And lastly an "E" endorsement allows a person to own and fire military style semi automatics.

The above is all controlled by stringent laws, firstly by vetting and covering use, security (differs for each class), storage of ammunition etc, etc. Another aspect is that anyone contravening the law stands little chance of getting their license back, should the police cancel it.
You cannot obtain a license here for self defence, in fact any hint that that is a reason will negate the issuing of a license.

[Paul Dutton]

Glad to know we are not the only ones with stupid firearms laws.
I remember as a teenager openly carrying one of my rifles in public (in a gun bag tho) through the streets to go shooting at local farms. Made a good bit of business out of it too. Got paid £1.00 off the farmer for every rabbit (vermin controlled as there was the miximitosis outbreak and these were dairy farms)
Guy I knew was in a wild west society and bought all my skins to make clothing etc!
Good times. Never get away with the rifle thing now!
About the deactivated weapons, I'm a 're enactors and own many rifles, machine guns, mortars and an airborne 6 pounder AT gun.
I always treat my weapons as live firearms.
They are all stripped and cleaned, normally during a show for the public.
Use of trigger etiquette also, safety on all the time, point the barrel down and drop the mag and check the chamber if letting the public handle it.

[Douglas Greville]

Paul

Glad to hear about your firearm etiquette.

What I saw at Beltring 1999 made me shudder. Members of the public picking up deac firearms in dealers pitches and tracking members of the public with their finger on the trigger.
I complained to management and the next year all the firearms dealers had to have jute sight screens around their stalls.
Yep I cringed that I caused that expense to the dealers, but it only needed one media to have noted what was going on and published photos of it and W&P would have had a shite storm on their hands.

I do often wonder if re-enactors can be their own worst enemies though. To put it gently, some re-enactors take things to the limit of bad taste. It just invites adverse attention. eg, the Hitler impersonators at Beltring. As always, the ones that do the right thing, such as the detailed cameos and living dioramas (whatever the correct name for that is?) are very impressive.

Regards
Doug

Originally Posted by Paul Dutton

Glad to know we are not the only ones with stupid firearms laws.
I remember as a teenager openly carrying one of my rifles in public (in a gun bag tho) through the streets to go shooting at local farms. Made a good bit of business out of it too. Got paid £1.00 off the farmer for every rabbit (vermin controlled as there was the miximitosis outbreak and these were dairy farms)
Guy I knew was in a wild west society and bought all my skins to make clothing etc!
Good times. Never get away with the rifle thing now!
About the deactivated weapons, I'm a 're enactors and own many rifles, machine guns, mortars and an airborne 6 pounder AT gun.
I always treat my weapons as live firearms.
They are all stripped and cleaned, normally during a show for the public.
Use of trigger etiquette also, safety on all the time, point the barrel down and drop the mag and check the chamber if letting the public handle it.

[tankbarrell]

Originally Posted by Paul Dutton

and an airborne 6 pounder AT gun.

Paul, is it a genuine one?

[Paul Dutton]

No mate, not THAT lucky or THAT rich!! It's a good repro blank firing.