War Memorial/Museum

[Norbrat]

SWMBO and I spent the weekend in Canberra, our national capital, and spent most of one day wandering around the Australian War Memorial and Museum.

Drives home the absolute stupidity and futility of war! :mad:

One of the items on display was this modified rifle.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/109144f39d865682a1.jpg

Now I'm sure any true blue Aussie or Kiwi would know what this is and why it was modified, so how about letting our mates on the other side of the Pacific have a stab at working out what, why, where and when.

[oneokie]

SWMBO and I spent the weekend in Canberra, our national capital, and spent most of one day wandering around the Australian War Memorial and Museum.

Drives home the absolute stupidity and futility of war! :mad:

One of the items on display was this modified rifle.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/109144f39d865682a1.jpg

Now I'm sure any true blue Aussie or Kiwi would know what this is and why it was modified, so how about letting our mates on the other side of the Pacific have a stab at working out what, why, where and when.

Counter sniper rifle, trench warfare, Europe, WWI.

[DIRT Farmer]

Also known as a periscope sniper rig.

[gmsharps]

I may miss the mark here a bit but the first thing to come to mind would be the Gallipoli Campaign during the first world war. It beats sticking your head up over the trench.

gmsharps

[Norbrat]

Righto, maybe that was a bit easy.

Yep, a periscope rifle, invented by an Aussie during the Gallipoli campaign (debacle might be a better word) in WW1, 1915.

http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/gallipoli/periscope_rifle.asp

A google search of images of periscope rifles brings up some weird and wonderful contraptions.