A Better Rifle at Halloween

A cancelled order
June 15th 1914, London.

Two men looked down at the telegram, their faces showed a mixture of apprehension and concern. “that’s it then, we are dished” said the first, “not dished but perhaps significantly discommoded” said the second.

The two men were the managing partners of the Farquhar-Hill rifle company, the telegram they had received was the cancellation of an order placed by the kingdom of Siam for 5,000 of their new rifles. These rifles had been ordered by the King Rama VI to equip the Wild Tiger Corps, but with the fluctuations of palace politics the order was cancelled.

“What are we to do Moubray” said the first man, “we have finished the first 2,000 rifles and Birmingam Metals have made 250,000 rounds for the rifles, they can’t expect to sell the ammunition, it is a rimless .28 as you know”. “Arthur, let me think for a moment” the second man’s face had already taken on a thoughtful appearance, he managed the finances of the fledgling company and it was his relationship with the King of Siam which had allowed for the contract to be signed in the first place. It was a good contract 5000 rifles, spare parts, gunsmiths’ tools, training cadre and 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition in the first shipment with another 5,000,000 rounds of ammunition to follow over the next 5 years. Farquhar was also aware of the risks they had taken in accepting such a large contract for a small kingdom on the other side of the world. He had ensured that the contract was tightly written and enforceable in Britain, in addition he had insisted that a significant deposit be placed prior to commencing manufacture, likewise their costs for the start of ammunition manufacture had already been covered by deposits paid by the Government of Siam.

As for the rifles themselves when first contacted by the king’s agents in 1911 they had been unable to interest the British Army in the rifles, they had managed to make several different prototypes and had slowly worked out some of the problems. The magazine had been seen as a problem, resolving that had taxed all of Hills considerable capabilities, in the end it was a conventional 12 round magazine but one which by locking open the bolt could be reloaded with 6 round stripper clips.

The Farquhar-Hill Mark IV Semi-Automatic rifle which had been ordered was nothing like the SMLE which was now equipping the British Army. It was in almost every regard a better weapon, a gas operated rifle with an intermediate spring it was smooth to shoot and with the higher velocity .28 calibre round it had better ballistics as well. To cap it all off the rifle was equipped with a sophisticated sight system which would allow the trained rifleman to extract the best performance from the system. Overall length was slightly longer than the SMLE but as Wild Tigers were an infantry only force this was not seen as a hinderance.

Farquhar and Hill both knew the rifle was excellent, everyone who had used it agreed, but the British Army was not interested, they had no need for and were in the midst of planning to re-equip themselves with a new rifle which had learnt the lessons of the Boer War.

Britain was not interested, who had the money to take over the order? The substantial deposit was of course forfeit but Hill and Farquhar still needed to sell the rifles to someone.
 
Britain was not interested, who had the money to take over the order? The substantial deposit was of course forfeit but Hill and Farquhar still needed to sell the rifles to someone.

Oh, intresting. I wonder where their joint semi-auto rifle would take them... perhaps in the Far East?
 
Bisley Triumph
22nd July 1914, London

“New Rifle Shocks at Bisley” “Windrum Dominates”

The Farquhar-Hill rifle which equipped the riflemen of Guernsey shocked the shooting fraternity as they outshot the Australian’s to clinch the Kolapore cup with a score of 785 to Australia’s 776. Team Captain Windrum also won the Barlow cup for rapid fire and snap shooting, further demonstrating the versatility of the rifles which the Farquhar hill company had provided to the island team.
 
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The lamps dim
1st August 1914, London

“The Serbs are interested” announced Moubray Farquhar, his partner Arthur Hill was still coming to terms with the cancellation of the order for his new rifle by the kingdom of Siam, he had modified the design and worked with a Birmingham Ammunition maker to develop a new cartridge for the rifle. But the cancellation had been a crushing blow just as they stood at the cusp of success and even glory, a wholly new design of rifle which would harness some of the power of the expanding gas to operate the bolt via a gas cylinder and intermediate spring, the resulting rifle had a restrained recoil and a smooth action, when .

Whilst Farquhar’s acumen had ensured that they had sufficient money available to complete the order, but to make a profit, the rifles had to find a buyer, they had been contacted by the Serbs who thanks to a madman had a sudden need for more small arms. But would they be able to pay.
 
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Strike Sure
1st August 1914, London.

“Fall in, at the Double” with that sharp command from Regimental Sergeant Major the whole battalion which had been milling around by the train they had just disembarked from formed up. The battalion commander, Colonel Malcolm projected his voice loudly enough that he could be clearly heard over the noise of the station, “Men our training camp has been cancelled, you are to hold yourselves prepared for mobilisation at any time.” “As you are all aware the European Powers are either at war or will shortly be at war, whatever comes the London Scottish will be ready.”
 
Pro rege et patria
1st August 1914, Kyle of Lochalsh.

The train pulled into the Kyle of Lochalsh and men of D and H companies the 4th Battalion, Queens Own Cameron Highlanders disembarked, they had just finished annual camp at Kingussie and it had been a success with the men practising fieldcraft, musketry and all the other skills required by the Territorial Army. Their battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Campbell was pleased with their training and the men were pleased with their new commander. Rumours of war had reached the Highlands and the men were ready should they be called.
 
Mk VII
2nd August 1914, London

“Sir my men have been called back from camp by the War Office, before we got any chance to train, you are aware that my men have the MK I SMLE and we need to train with the new round we have been issued with.” Colonel Malcolm was at his club and speaking to his Brigade commander Brigadier General Heyworth by telephone. “Colonel Malcolm, I am aware of your battalion’s equipment, at the moment no one knows what will happen, we must hold ourselves ready.” “Thank you, sir, I await your orders” with that Colonel Malcolm returned the telephone to its cradle.
 
War and preparations for War
2nd August 1914, London.

The reading room in the club was crowded with men smoking and reading telegrams and newspapers, the Daily Telegraph had broken with tradition and published an unusual Sunday edition with the headline on page 5 “Germany has drawn the sword. Last night she formally declared war on Russia”, much of the paper was given over to details of the mobilisations of various European nations. An edition of The Scotsman which had come down on the mornings train, was busy attacking British Socialists for advocating peace at any price.
 
A steamer sinks
8:00 am 3rd August 1914, Folkstone

The channel steamer was heading east south east with a bone in her teeth, she had only just made the sailing window due to a problem with her boiler and now the typical channel fog was thickening. The British Agent for Egypt was aboard, travelling back to Cairo after a period of home leave and he was frustrated by the delay and by the fog, he had already sent his ADC to speak to the Captain. If the ferry was late, he would miss his train and then his carefully constructed itinerary would collapse, and he would have to cool his heels in Marseilles waiting for the next vessel.

As it was, he was not sure if he should even return to Egypt, since the Curragh Mutiny the Army was in turmoil and he was worried. With every sign that war coming he wanted to be in London. Asquith was a good man but indecisive and all too likely to give the French and Russians a free hand, Britain had no reserves to speak off, he had seen territorials fight in France in 1870 and he was not confident that Britain’s would do any better.

Suddenly there was a scream from the lookout on the bridge, “ship on the port bow”, a merchant ship on a nearly reciprocal course had loomed out of the fog and was bearing down on the smaller steamer. The collision when it came was massive, the bow of the merchantman cutting into the hull of the more lightly built steamer almost to the bridge, rolling her over as she absorbed the impact and was crushed by the other vessel. Then the other ship did the worst thing possible, stunned, and shocked by the collision her master reversed her propellors pulling her back opening the gaping wounds in the steamer to the hungry sea.

The steamer immediately began taking on water, her passengers and crew rushing the lifeboats, the list was immediate and severe, the lifeboats sufficient in number since the Titanic and other disasters, had hung up on their davits and could not be launched. The next part was inevitable, with the delay imposed and the need for speed that had led to the disaster, the list became a roll and almost without any hesitation the steamer sank beneath the glassy sea, the fog returned and nothing remained but a few forlorn swimmers splashing in the gloom.

The merchantman launched her one boat, and with mounting despair they began to haul first the hale into the boat but soon it was nothing but the drowned.

Lacking a radio, the first the authorities knew of the disaster was when the merchantman slowly made her way into Dover. A search was organised and doubled when it was realised who was aboard. But it was too late for him, eleven survived but Earl Kitchener of Khartoum was not one of them.
 
Britain isn't going to convert wholesale to an SLR with a major war starting. It will first go to training units and possibly the RFC. Later with trench warfare firmly established it may be issued as a squad support weapon, if it's action is able to survive in the Flanders muck. Even then that's only because BSA has a production line up and running already. The Army will probably push to have it built in .303 though if it does make it to the trenches.
 
Britain isn't going to convert wholesale to an SLR with a major war starting. It will first go to training units and possibly the RFC. Later with trench warfare firmly established it may be issued as a squad support weapon, if it's action is able to survive in the Flanders muck. Even then that's only because BSA has a production line up and running already. The Army will probably push to have it built in .303 though if it does make it to the trenches.

If there's already a battalion or regiment equipped with it I could see the Brits desperately sending said unit in the first days of the war. But when things calm down a little (Meaning more Lee Enfields become available) they end up getting transferred to rear area/training uses. Or perhaps mounted on aircraft before they get interrupter gears ready.

I think at least one nation did send Mondragon semi auto's for aircraft observers.
 
If there's already a battalion or regiment equipped with it I could see the Brits desperately sending said unit in the first days of the war. But when things calm down a little (Meaning more Lee Enfields become available) they end up getting transferred to rear area/training uses. Or perhaps mounted on aircraft before they get interrupter gears ready.

I think at least one nation did send Mondragon semi auto's for aircraft observers.
No Army would send a single unit to the front with a rifle that used unique ammunition, except to use it as a raiding unit that's in and out quickly only needing the ammunition the men can carry with them. As the unit in question is a Territorial unit they'd be used as headquarters guards until they could be issued with standard Lee Enfields.

It was the Germans that issued the Mondragon to observers.
 
An ultimatum issued
4:00pm 3rd August 1914, London

The cabinet meeting was in turmoil, the first cause of the disorder was the note from the Belgian government that had informed Sir Edward Grey of the German demands for entry into Belgium and of Belgium’s intent to defy them. Whilst the appropriate response was being debated in the cabinet office a messenger came in, he handed the Prime Minister a short message. The telegram informed him of the death of Kitchener in the brutal shorthand of the medium. When he announced it to the assembled ministers disorder became despair and confusion.

It was expected that shortly Britain would be at war with Germany, but who would be the Secretary of State for War? They all demanded to know, with a war but without Kitchener he would have to give the role to someone. He needed to remain above the fray, he could not continue to combine the role with being Prime Minister. Then it struck him, perhaps the restless energy of Churchill would be suited to the task, he had previous military experience and was a popular First Lord, he could rally the Empire to the coming war and the defeat of the Germans. Some thought the war would be over quickly, but the Prime Minister was not confident, the power of 5 empires would grind each other down, this would be a war won in the factories and fields as much as in the marching and counter marching of Armies.

The war would be expensive and demand the full capacity of the industrial might of Britain, who better to marshal that money and ensure that the factories produced what was needed than Lloyd George. The other advantage of elevating both Churchill and Lloyd George, was that although friends, they were also sometime rivals, they would keep each other in check. He was pleased with the symmetry of his decision. The common purpose and unity that would come from combining both the Army and Navy under a single master, would be matched by a minister who directed the power of British Industry and Finance. Even better he did not have to sack or displace anyone from their current roles, he would not be sowing any dragon’s teeth, of stifled ambition and ill feeling.
 
Not your old Bundook
10:00 am 4th August 1914 London.

Hill and Farquhar were aware that with the coming of the war their factory would likely be making armaments, but they wanted to make sure the arms being manufactured were of their design. They also knew that their 1914 model rifle was substantially more advanced than the SMLE which equipped the British army, both Britain with its improved P13 Rifle and Canada with the Ross had experimented with alternative rifles to the venerable design. Their rifle was no longer experimental, they had an order for a production quantity, and manufacturing had continued whilst they shopped around for a new customer. They currently had 2475 of the rifles completed with production running at approximately 15 rifles per day with the factory only running a single shift.

They had to convince the Army, they needed someone to understand what an advantage a self-loading rifle would bring to the battlefield. Their rifle had improved on the older design that they had demonstrated in 1911, it was more robust, simpler to manufacture and more tolerant of ammunition variability. The Kingdom of Siam and their development liaison had pushed for the rifle to be able to cope with mud and rain. New alloys had gone into the intermediate spring and the seals on the gas piston were of a new design using a pair of wiper seals to protect the main seal.

The design was ready for action, their ammunition manufacturer had also continued to work, the contract had paid all their costs up front, and they wanted to be able to put the new round into operation somewhere.
 
Sir John please sit down.
10:00 am 4th August 1914 London.

Winston Churchill was sitting in his office in the Admiralty with General Sir John French, “I know you have been promised the BEF but I want you here, we need to get our war plan’s into shape. This will be a long war, fighting the Boers took half a million men and nearly 3 years, anyone who thinks we can defeat Germany and Austro-Hungary in less than that is delusional. Lloyd George and I have to have the best advice, we need to build an army that uses the strength of the empire to smash the huns flat. What do you say to that Sir John?”
 
They had to convince the Army, they needed someone to understand what an advantage a self-loading rifle would bring to the battlefield. Their rifle had improved on the older design that they had demonstrated in 1911, it was more robust, simpler to manufacture and more tolerant of ammunition variability. The Kingdom of Siam and their development liaison had pushed for the rifle to be able to cope with mud and rain. New alloys had gone into the intermediate spring and the seals on the gas piston were of a new design using a pair of wiper seals to protect the main seal.
Interesting timeline so far, if you will permit me some technical questions:

Does the F-H rifle still use that roller above the bolt to unlock the bolt head? I have always been a little uneasy of that system in a military rifle.

I assume the triple spring system (2 recoil, one bolt return) is still in place since you mention ammunition variability? I understand that was the original point of the dual recoil spring, to allow non-standard ammunition loads to be handled safely.

Does it still have the detachable rod so that it can be worked like a bolt action or is it Self-Loading only?

So, IIUC, the FH has a 12 round detachable box magazine in .28. Not knowing the dimensions of the case, I assume a Lee style 10 round Magazine in .303 would be possible? Shame to lose the 19 round feed capacity, particularly as they apparently worked out a way to feed them from chargers, but a box magazine would likely be much easier to work with and 10/12 rounds is still better than the sporter version that they trialed in 1913 with a 5 round integral (https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/1145-369/). Maybe a later option would be to develop a 19/20 round drum with actual integral feed lips to avoid the tap system that allowed you to dump all the rounds out of the chamber.

10:00 am 4th August 1914 London.

Winston Churchill was sitting in his office in the Admiralty with General Sir John French, “I know you have been promised the BEF but I want you here, we need to get our war plan’s into shape. This will be a long war, fighting the Boers took half a million men and nearly 3 years, anyone who thinks we can defeat Germany and Austro-Hungary in less than that is delusional. Lloyd George and I have to have the best advice, we need to build an army that uses the strength of the empire to smash the huns flat. What do you say to that Sir John?”
Huh, well that is probably a step up. French was probably of more use in his years as commander of the Home Front than in France. The only down side was that his maneuvering against Haig and Robertson gave Lloyd-George exactly what he needed to try and take over the General Staff. Though to be honest, I am not sure if either system was intrinsically better for the war effort.

Personally, I will be rooting for Smith-Dorrien to replace French with the BEF. IOTL it was Kitchener who put him in command of 2nd Corps, which is obviously not an option here, but Churchill may make the same choice. Or he may be drawn more to Haig. Not sure to be honest. I don't think Plumer is quite senior enough yet.

I will be interested in where this goes.
 
Does the F-H rifle still use that roller above the bolt to unlock the bolt head? I have always been a little uneasy of that system in a military rifle.
Yes, I rewatched gun Jesus this morning and I think it should be ok.
I assume the triple spring system (2 recoil, one bolt return) is still in place since you mention ammunition variability?
Yes overloads are less of a problem.
Does it still have the detachable rod so that it can be worked like a bolt action or is it Self-Loading only?
It’s a charger handle on a hinge so it can fold forward out of the way
 
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