W. Durose None Training/Drill Gun

This is a rare, British Home Guard / LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) SMLE training rifle used for drill training members of the Home Guard in the early stages of WW2 when Briain was threatened by a Nazi invasion due to the acute shortage of weapons. The rifle has no moving parts and was made by William Durose, a famous art blacksmith and prestige wrought iron gate maker at his works in Tunstall in Staffordshire. The gun is weighted to a standard SMLE rifle and consists of a solid iron barrel with a small hole at the muzzle that has primitive sights, a rifle bolt with safety catch, an iron magazine and trigger guard complete with a stylised trigger. The gun has a cast iron butt plate for added weight. The simple one piece wooden stock is stamped with his stamp W DUROSE TUNSTALL STOKE.ON.TRENT . The right hand side of the butt is stamped with the number 123 which appears to be a production number. The woodwork carries the normal knocks and bumps with service use and the metalwork retains most of its original black painted finish. The price for this piece of British Home Guard memorabilia includes U.K. The price includes U.K. delivery and no licence is needed to own this dummy training rifle. Sn 22008