What rifles would a Down Under 12-16 y/o have in 1940?

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kBob

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Australia and the US are in many ways alike and I was wondering what a Australian Youth might have had as a knock about rifle in 1940.

I suspect the rifles that were common here were less common there. So with the threat of being absorbed into the Greater Asian Co Prosparity Sphere what was Johnny Down Under slaying small critters, rocks, and trash as well as targets with?

-kBob
 
A 22 rifle of some description. Probably relatively inexpensive for the day. High likelihood it was single shot. Similar to what Stevens produced in the US at the time.
 
Basic .22 rimfire bolt actions would be pretty common, I'd expect. One rifle that was a particular favorite in Australia is the Cadet Martini in the original .310 Cadet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martini_Cadet

I follow these two contemporary Aussie shooters on YouTube -- try emailing them with your question and see what they come up with: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCniBFVEIMbcMofxb1huR9Dg/videos

They follow the local auction and gunshop scene and would likely have observed quite a bit from what's on the current used market.
 
The Martini Cadets appear not to have been released to the public until "after WWII" and the program they were bought for vontinued to use them until 1955....something like US JROTC in high school and like in the US only a small percentage of boys were enrolled something like 24 percent in good years.

I could find no non modern info on Boy Scouts in Austrailia other than that they existed so no info on shooting programs there.

Got to say that .310 cartridge sure reminds one of .327 Magnum and makes one wonder how that would work in a nice single shot.

Back on topic though, Yes I figured something like a .22 or .32 but which rifles?

-kBob
 
I don't think Australia had a sporting arms industry in those days, everything imported.
Winchesters were popular, a boy might have had anything from a Model 67 single shot to a Model 61 or 62 pump.
BSA had a full line of "miniatures" bolt action and Martini and I bet they got to the Antipodes.
There were probably some old Belgian Floberts around.

Savage .22s were sold in England, likely some got to Australia.
 
I'm sure there were some local manufacturers in that Nation, just nowhere as many as the US. .22 rimfire rifle.should have been fairly common for boys living in rural areas.
 
I asked a friend of mine who grew up in New Zealand in the 50's and early 60's. He said his was a Cooey bolt action single shot .22. Canadian made.
 
Phrog Driver said:
I asked a friend of mine who grew up in New Zealand in the 50's and early 60's. He said his was a Cooey bolt action single shot .22. Canadian made.
Click to expand...
So that company did export their products... I thought they only sold them in Canada.
 
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