A History of Drill and Training Rifles Part 26

CURRENT PRODUCTION, CONTINUED

“Plastic-Rubber” Training Models

Wellington Surplus Stores in Perth Australia sell a series of black training rifles. At this time it is unknown who actually manufactures these training rifles. They are made of a plastic material but are sold under the name of “Plastic-Rubber”. These rifles have no moving parts. They are currently selling the following training rifle models.

Daisy 1903 Replica Drill Rifle

In 2003 Daisy Outdoor Products introduced a non-firing drill rifle patterned after the 1903 Springfield Rifle. This rifle was designed specifically for drill purposes and is extremely strong. The black stock is made from a high density plastic material and all other parts are made from steel. It also has an operating bolt and functional sights. It can be purchased with a padded rubber butt plate to prevent floor damage. Although the company identifies this model as a drill rifle it is probably best described as a training rifle. In 2008 the US Navy let contract number N68836-08-P-1833 in the amount of $140,288 for an unknown number of these drill rifles. They are also being used by Navy ROTC units. The Daisy Replica Drill Rifles are among the most durable and functional rifles of this type. They can be purchased directly from Daisy Outdoor Products.

Recently while doing research on the internet, John Spangler located a US Navy document relating to the Navy supply sole search order to purchase 600 Daisy 1903 drill rifles and related replacement parts. This document is dated in 2009 and also it had other relevant information relating to the Navy Contract for Daisy drill rifles. NAVEDTRA 37123-B mandates that all of the Navy drill rifles will be replaced by the Daisy 1903 drill rifle. The Navy has over 18,000 Daisy 1903 drill rifles currently in use. These were procured under contract N00140-02-C-G605 at a cost of $3.7 million. The current purchase request for additional 600 Daisy 1903 drill rifles and related replacement parts is estimated at $269,622.

Singapore Print Dummy Rifles

Singapore Print is a division of Sean Shauna Enterprise. Singapore Print is a large printing company that has a wide range of printing specialties. Little is known about the design or production of these dummy rifles. Their dummy rifles are made of a plastic material and have little detail. They are advertised to be “near to realistic architecture and weight”. The M16 is 34″ long and the Mark IV is 35 3/4″ long. Singapore has a National Defense Corps. This is a paramilitary organization that also deals with social and cultural aspects of the lives of their young people. There are about 20,000 young people active in this government sponsored group. The following illustration shows a young man holding one of these dummy drill rifles.

From the paper, Non-Firing Drill and Training Rifles, by By Malcolm MacPherson

Malcolm MacPherson is a retired school teacher who started collecting drill and training rifles over 40 years ago.