Behind the scenes at the RCR Museum - Guns! *PICS*

skirsons

skirsons

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 99.4%
178   1   1
Location
Ontario
Today I had a unique opportunity. I am a graduate student at UWO and our class was touring the RCR to see their operations and we got to go to the basement where they store their firearms not on display. It was phenomenal.

They don't have the biggest collection and they are only a medium size museum but they had some nice pieces in there. I wish I had brought my camera. I thought we were just going to see a bunch of stacked boxes. Not true! There were guns sitting in racks just begging to be fired!

There was an anti-tank rifle in there, THREE German MP40's, Mosin-Nagants, AK-47's, old Mausers, a STEN, all patterns of Lee Enfield including a NZ Carbine, an M1 Carbine, a Thompson 1928A1, a Beretta SMG, some sporterized rifles (I am assuming for parts!), Sniders, Jungle Carbines, and lots of guns I didn't get to inspect close enough to recognize.

I also took a walk through the public part of the museum where they have some other very interesting firearms. There were some minor errors in display - the description of a FN FAL as a semi-automatic rifle, an improperly assembled K98, a sporterized Ross Rifle (there were other complete ones).

A good trip with lots of guns even in the public sections! I recommend a visit.



I went back and took some pics at least of the weapons on display:

http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd20/skirsons/Travel/RCR%20Museum/?albumview=slideshow

Nothing says Royal Canadian Regiment quite like Ak-47s:

RCRMuseum38.jpg


German case

RCRMuseum30.jpg


Grease gun:

RCRMuseum22.jpg


Boer War Enfield (the Soldiers were allowed to keep their whole kit including rifle when they returned). Soldier was the "bubba":

RCRMuseum0.jpg


RCRMuseum1.jpg


RCRMuseum2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back in the 60s, they sold off a number of firearms that they considered surplus to their needs. Included were some Chinese and Soviet PPSh 41s.
During that same period, there was quite a collection of guns, swords, etc. on display in Middlesex College. There were some fine, rare, exceptional pieces. Unfortunately, political correctness struck, and they were transferred elsewhere. I know some were subsequently stolen.
 
The RCR also had a Mauser WWI anti-tank rifle captured by Canadians in battle. It is amazing how much the action looks like a regular mauser only much bigger.

Fortunately not all their displays look as pathetic as this:

15inf09.JPG
 
skirsons said:
The RCR also had a Mauser WWI anti-tank rifle captured by Canadians in battle. It is amazing how much the action looks like a regular mauser only much bigger.

I understood they just scaled the action up to make that ATR. Must have been a brute to fire!!
Click to expand...
 
The museum is in London, ON, next to Woolsley Barracks.

And the Mauser ATR looked like the stock was basically a hollowed out walnut tree trunk... you could have crossed the Rhine in it.
 
I suspect lots of the sporters are just donated to the museum by little old ladies that really only know that their husband had some old army rifles before he died.

Better to see them at the museum then in the scrap yard chopped up :(
 
It is only a matter of time before they are melted down to make a fountain for the human rights museum that the government is spending millions not just making but advertising. All that funding sucked out of more deserving projects as a feel good project to show how it is politicians who are really defending our rights.

I better stop or I will start ranting.
 
skirsons said:
Oh... were they prohib'd because they looked scary?
Click to expand...

As a former FN slogger, that rifle would SOOooo be a great hunting rifle......

However, the wankers that be said it was to scary for the public.. so, it was prohibed. that and its 20 round mags.....

If only I could have gotten one before the stupid laws went in place. I see them in the museums and wish I'd been able to have one in my collection. Such a shame... :(

Great rifles they were..........

HEAVY as CRAP...... but great rifles... LOL
 
SKIRSONS
Thank You for sharing this.
I am especially impressed with the engraved enfield.
What a piece of Canadian History.
However if I was his Senior NCO
I would have #### all over him for doing that and probably made his life miserable for a short period of time simple to make an example out of him. You can't afford to allow troops to make their rifles into an artistic statement.

RCRMuseum2.jpg
 
Y'know what? If that guy carried that rifle through the Boer war, and was at the spots, with that rifle, where those battle honours were earned, he's entitled to do whatever the heck he wants to his rifle. He's EARNED that right.

I'm not going to sit here and say he ruined a piece of history....you know all the guys that say "I wish my rifle could talk, so it could tell me where it's been..." Well, this is one rifle that IS talking, and it's saying EXACTLY where it's been, and who carried it there.

NS
 
Right on NavyShooter.
Not to mention back in those days if you had the money you could supply your own kit or parts of it with better stuff then was standard issue at the time.
Like lot of Martini Henry rifles were used in Bore war, so above rifle could have been privately purchased.
RCR museum is located one block east of Oxford and Adelaide, it is on Oxford
south side.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom