Collecting British Sniper gear can be fun and fulfilling. Also a little bewildering at first if your new to the subject matter, the Brits have a lot of special terminology. There are 4 or so major levels of kit definition and collecting interests that I would roughly describe as: The base rifle and sights, The Transport Chest contents, The basic Sniper field gear and then finally the complete Sniper field gear.
The base rifles and sights are clearly the most distinctive and definitive section of materials, over 30,000 Sniper rifles produced in WW2, 4 major manufacturers for rifles, 3 conversion locations, 5 manufacturers of telescopic sights in 4 major derivatives, 2 manufacturers of scope brackets. All are considered investment collectibles, so save your money and have fun!
Transport Chest Contents: There is only one type of chest, unless you count the early Bren examples also, within these then you put the rifle and sights and then add: 3 versions of the scope tin, the adjusting tool for the early scope derivatives, the 1907 pattern leather sling, or the long Bren web sling (sniper preference) or a rare / repro experimental webbing / target shooting sling. Cleaning cloths. A couple of versions of spotting telescopes and storage tubes.
Basic Sniper Gear features all of the above and adds a Denison smock and scrim scarves, many versions of service time piece, a few makers of the magnetic compass and case, a pair of observation binoculars.
The complete sniper gear would add a map case with protractor and was pencils, a "tabby" night vision device, rifle cleaning kit, ammunition - Ball, Armour Piercing, Tracer, a Sten with sling and ammunition, ground cloths, rations.
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