12 SHOOTING SPORTS MAGAZINE
GENERAL | SHOOTING STORY
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off a handkerchief (clean I think) and chewed
them to get them wet and stuffed them in
our ears. There was also some debate about
whether we should stick our berets inside
our shirts to try and absorb some of the
recoil. The consensus of opinion was; though
it was a good idea, only a cissy would do
such a thing... real men shot with their hats
on. God we were stupid and so full of BS
back then.
“So who wants to go fi rst” Captain
Bishop asked? He’d done it a 1000 times
and probably for real too, as the war wasn’t
that far behind us in terms of history, as he
must have been 50-years old at the time. I
stepped up to the plate, something I have
always done, not so much due to bravery, but
with a need to get it over with. As there’s
nothing worse than being last in the line and
watching your mates suffer knowing you are
going to get it soon. What’s that expression-
‘a coward dies a thousand times’?
LOAD!
Going prone I fl icked open the bolt and with
hopefully steady hands placed the charger in
the guide and pushed down with my thumb
on the top cartridge. That distinctive
clicking/sliding noise told me that the fi rst
fi ve had gone in. Flick out the empty withyour thumb and load the second clip, close
the bolt and set the safety catch. The range
was 25 yards so just peer through the battle
sight and roll the safety forward. Heart
pounding, mouth dry, sweat starting to form,
this is it, ready or not here I go. Taking up
the fi rst pressure just left the release,
concentrate on the sights and BANG! The
rifl e leaped back into my shoulder and that
big old brass plate really hurt. But then again
today the No 4 with Service ammo is no
pussy cat to shoot either and I’m
considerably larger, but probably just as daft.
Automatically I worked the action and was
coming up for my second shot and then in no
time the mag was empty and I was showing
clear.
Amazing and just so much fun. All of us
that day shot the rifl es and no one bottled
out, though some of the lads left the unit not
long after, obviously it wasn’t for them, but if
it doesn’t turn your crank fi nd something that
does! Hot and with already bruising
shoulders and budding headaches we had
the mandatory declaration: “I HAVE NO LIVE
ROUNDS OR EMPTY CASES IN MY
POSSESION SIR!” A litany I must havechanted hundreds of times in my service
career. Adjourning to the Surrey Hut we drank
cider to fi nish the job. I got my rifl eman
badge and ammo box and shot whenever
possible and in early 1968 joined the Army
as a Junior Soldier. Over the years I’ve shot
some exotic kit, which includes 175mm
artillery, anti tank guns and all sorts of
full-auto stuff. A lot of it was decidedly more
fun than the old No 4 but none can hold a
candle to my fi rst time!
Sadly we never took any pictures on the
day and I doubt if they would have lasted, so
I apologise and have put in a few generic
pictures to illustrate this story.“The No 4 was a fi ne military
bolt-action and for a young Cadet
quite a handful, but what a rush”
LOAD! Para re-enactors using the No 4, it does
not take long to get fast with the charger-loading
system!