Thread: Military marked .22lr rifle?

Got a remington 22 which has broad arrows and S/S marks, as well as an S SP and serial number which doesn't look like the original type. Any info on these? Google isn't being overly helpful. Cheers

The SS and double broad arrow means 'Sold out of Service'. The SPS means 'Special Precautions Scheme' which ran during WW2 when .22 and .303 rifles were impressed by the Government for Home Guard training (.22's for practice and .303's for issue). After the war they were offered back to the original owners first. The unclaimed rifles were then sold to the public and got the SS stamp to signify official disposal. A piece of NZ history!

come on ,you know the rules...show photo of whole firearm....Im guessing its a model 33??? regret selling mine many years ago...it was very accurate,even with crude wide rear sight.had naasty habit if I spent afternoon plinking,after 50 or so rounds the unburnt powder would touch off giving me a blasting...used to run the action area well oiled after wards and didnt get issue again.

I have, what seems to be, another war-time requisitioned .22. This rifle was my father's and I thought he had sold it many years ago (he's been dead 20 years) but discovered it a week ago when helping my step-mother move to a retirement village. It's an FN Browning pump action .22 and I came across this thread while researching the broad arrow markings on top of the receiver. The markings aren't exactly the same but close enough. The gun has a few problems, with a missing inner magazine tube (although I understand that can be resolved) - a locked safety (I think that can also be sorted) and a badly cracked stock around the bottom early model square tang (with a period copper wire binding repair incised into the stock).

Thanks all, I was happy to find this thread, it answered a few questions.

Originally Posted by gundoc

The SS and double broad arrow means 'Sold out of Service'. The SPS means 'Special Precautions Scheme' which ran during WW2 when .22 and .303 rifles were impressed by the Government for Home Guard training (.22's for practice and .303's for issue). After the war they were offered back to the original owners first. The unclaimed rifles were then sold to the public and got the SS stamp to signify official disposal. A piece of NZ history!

My father had a BSA 303 (P14 sporterised) that the govt "requisitioned". He received it back at the war's end but the barrel was then in very poor condition, not as he had surrendered it. Surprising as I thought the Home Guard had virtually no ammo to practise with. Although I guess it would only have taken a few rounds followed up by a lack of cleaning to bugger it.

And here is the complete FN Browning rifle with 1940s schoolboy name tag and sling additions plus stock repair.