Coll 7/37 'Afghanistan: sale of 25,000 1914 pattern rifles from War Office stocks and 7 million rounds of ammunition from Government of India stocks; negotiations with Afghan Government' [‎244v] (488/1201)

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forehand guards were damaged out of the remaining 9,980 rifles or about 4-2 per
cent, and many of these were packed in large boxes. The 1,550 rifles packed in
boxes of ten sustained, as reported in Katodon-84, damage to forehand guards of
i approximately one per cent. ^
7. These figures tend to show that extra attention to packing and the reducticm
in the size of boxes in some consignments caused a reduction in the number of broken
forehand guards from 725 out of 9,000, or 8 per cent, to 15 out of 1,550 or one per
cent. This will not have escaped the notice of the Afghan Government to whom
the Afghan Ordnance officers have made their reports, and I hope it will be possible
for His Majesty’s Government to agree to replace the wood-work of 725 rifles as
requested by the Afghan Government at present and to take similar action in
regard to future consignments, in which, if small boxes have been used, the damage
should be much less.
8. I am sending a copy of this despatch to the Secretary of State for India and
the Government of India.
Translation of a j)ersonal letter from. Aqai Abdul Hamid Khan, Aziz, for the Minister
for Foreign Affairs to His Majesty s Charge d'Affaires, dated; the 30th Asad, 1316
(22nd August, 1937).
With reference to His Majesty’s Minister’s letter No. 73-P., dated the 25th
March, I have the honour to state that according to information given by the officials
concerned, out of the total number of 9,000 rifles received in the first and second
batches which were inspected by Afghan officials and the Military Attache of his
Majesty's Legation, the hand guards of 725 rifles were split and broken during
transportation. The Military Attache noted their numbers with details of other
breakages at the time of inspection. It was also noticed at the detailed inspection
by Ordnance officials that 2,200 rifles were corroded, and serious damage had
resulted in some cases. The Ministry of War is willing to overlook such damage
to rifles as may be due to slight rust and is sending herewith a list of 45 rifles which
have been seriously damaged. It is requested that necessary steps may be taken
to replace the defective parts of these rifles, make up deficiencies and replace the
broken wood-work of the 725 rifles referred to above, which are not at present in a
serviceable condition. Kindly issue instructions to the quarters concerned that
in view of the above defects proper care may be taken in future when examining
and despatching further batches of rifles. Any other defects and deficiencies in
the 9,000 rifles which may come to notice and in the rifles of other batches will be
reported in due course.
Translation.
No.
Number of rifle.
Details.
1
703847
Muzzle of tbe rifle corroded.
2
630551
Extractor and muzzle of the rifle corroded.
3
336022
Bolt and muzzle of the rifle corroded.
4
686719
Do. do.
5
666305
Do. do.
6
659083
Do. do.
7
685889
Muzzle corroded.
8
617271
Do.
9
697049
Do.
10
642118
Bolt and muzzle corroded.
11
241100
Do. do.
12
660980
Do. do.
13
341128
Do. do.
14
675559
Do. do.
15
643590
Muzzle corroded.
16
695590
Do.
Remarks.