The historical past of Small Arms Restricted
Small Arms Restricted (SAL) broke floor close to Lengthy Department (now a part of Mississauga) in late August 1940. Inside 10 months, it constructed and geared up a 212,000-square foot plant.
It handed Lee-Enfield’s rigorous trials and commenced introducing the Lengthy Department No.4 Mk I .303. Over the subsequent 4 years, SAL produced virtually one million rifles, different firearms, equipment, and ammunition, with a predominantly feminine workforce. Now coveted, these Lengthy Department rifles have fun these wartime home-front accomplishments.
Paradoxically, the SAL plant was not within the village of Lengthy Department. It was a number of kilometres west.
The Lengthy Department moniker most likely stems from the Lengthy Department Rifle Ranges and the Lengthy Department Aerodrome positioned close by.
Small Arms Restricted
As soon as the Second World Battle began, the Canadian authorities determined to construct an arms manufacturing plant east of the aerodrome. It appointed Colonel Malcolm P. Jolley, a former engineer within the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corp, as mission lead.
Small Arms Restricted was created as a non-profit Crown company on Aug. 7, 1940. Geared up by American suppliers and the Ross Rifle manufacturing facility in Quebec, SAL produced 5 No. 4, Mk I rifles for Lee-Enfield’s approval in June 1941. SAL despatched their first 200 rifles to Europe that September.
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I
My .303 Lee-Enfield (see the April 2020 difficulty) traces the gun’s evolution. The No. 4 Mk I has a cutout on the bolt observe close to the receiver bridge. It changed the bolt-release button on the British No. 4 Mk I. This made the Lengthy Department and American-made Savage/Stevens Mk I simpler and cheaper to mass produce. The Lengthy Department model grew to become the usual infantry rifle for Canadian troops within the WWII, the Korean Battle, and for Canadian Rangers on Arctic patrols from 1947 to 2018.
“I carried mine for about 30 years within the service of Canada, with little coaching, and it nonetheless amazes me what it’s able to,” gun afficionado Steve Pederson mirrored.
Girls dominate line
Ron Craig, who has written extensively on Lengthy Department’s historical past, says extra credit score ought to be given to the ladies who labored there. Throughout SAL’s peak employment of 5,500 employees, almost two-thirds have been ladies, “who took nice delight in assisting the battle effort,” he wrote.
In 1939, most girls labored as homemakers or in low-paying service and administrative jobs for $12-$13 per week. Wartime industries like SAL recruited ladies throughout Canada to interchange males who enlisted. They focused single ladies aged 18-35 and married ladies with out youngsters however with enlisted husbands. The federal government supplied free practice fare to Toronto. Then, SAL buses took them to the YWCA’s Rooms Registry Service.
Right here, they discovered appropriate lodging in native properties, in one of many 200 new prefabricated items, or in Wartime Housing Ltd.’s enormous dormitory throughout the road.
By 1943, SAL had three shifts of expert workers. They labored eight hours a day, six days every week, for $20-$30 and produced greater than 30,000 items per 30 days. With suggestion incentives, manufacturing bonuses, Blue Cross Hospital Plan, and after-hours leisure packages, SAL grew to become often known as “The plant the place you get a sq. deal.”
“I grew up in Lengthy Department. So many individuals from the group labored there. For me, it’s a reminder of how our group contributed to the largest change of the battle and permitting the Allied Forces to take cost,” historical past buff Sean Ratcliffe stated. “Till our rifle was launched, we weren’t successful the battle. Our rifle and the sniper variations gave the troopers a bonus.”
Different firearms made
SAL additionally made different firearms. Employees cherry-picked greater than 1,000 rifles discovered with superior accuracy throughout testing. They modified the receivers and rear sights; and added beechwood cheek items, third sling swivels, and scopes to transform them to No. 4 Mk I (T) Sniper rifles. SAL additionally made CNo. 7 .22 calibre Lee-Enfield Coaching Rifles. Additionally they produced greater than 100,000 Sten Mk II submachine weapons.
SAL winds down
After the 1944 D-Day invasion, SAL obtained order cancellations. Regardless of the ensuing layoffs, many ladies stayed within the space. Col. Jolley inspired the federal government to transform the plant to post-war use. He beneficial that 20% of the house be retained for small arms upkeep and that 80% be leased to personal trade. When SAL ceased operations on Dec. 31, 1945, its remaining 200 employees cleaned up and arranged tools for disposal.
New company created
The federal government transferred SAL’s belongings to a brand new Crown Company, Canadian Arsenals Restricted, Small Arms Division (CAL). CAL manufactured and repaired firearms and supplied army technical coaching. To remain afloat, CAL additionally made elements for Harrington & Richardson M48 Topper shotguns and for Browning .50- and .30-calibre machine weapons. Their subsidiary, Important Businesses Restricted, made Airforce survival rifles from surplus elements.
And eventually, from 1955 till its dissolution in 1974, CAL produced 80,000- 90,000 FN C1 7.62mm self-loading rifles for the Canadian army. “Canadian LB’s are the most effective product of all different nations. Submit battle fashions even higher,” fan Stephen Rogers wrote.
Tragedy averted
The power served as a Canada Submit distribution centre for the subsequent twenty years. After it left, the authorities demolished the manufacturing plant and all however one of many assist buildings in 1996.
Constructing No. 12, the previous SAL Inspection Constructing and adjoining Administration Wing, remained leased as coaching amenities for Ontario Energy Company and for the RCMP’s Cadet Group Police Faculty till 2008. As soon as the lease expired, the brand new homeowners, the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority, utilized for a demolition allow.
The encircling group rapidly rallied below the Lakeview Legacy Neighborhood Basis and the Small Arms Society. The Metropolis of Mississauga subsequently designated the Small Arms Inspection constructing and the Water Tower below the Ontario Heritage Act.
Legacy stays
By all accounts, the Lengthy Department No. 4 Mk I used to be effectively constructed, rugged, dependable, and correct. You possibly can discover them at present, however at premium costs: intact No. 4 Mk 1s, go for $2,000; a Sporter, $500; Lengthy Department C NO. 7 .22 Coaching rifles, for $3,500; and the uncommon Lengthy Department Sniper No. 4 Mk I (T), for extra than $10,000.
Should you’re pondering of promoting, please think about donating your Lengthy Department firearm to your native regimental or a group museum for a tax receipt. They’re way more than a army rifle, in any case. “They’re an emblem of Canada coming of age through the Second World Battle,” historian Matthew Wilkinson stated.
“My Lengthy Department is the capstone of my Enfield assortment, as a result of … it completes my love of high quality rifles,” wrote Frank Mullen.
In 2017, the Metropolis of Mississauga acquired the property and now operates it as a historic multi-function group hub.
Initially printed within the August 2024 of Ontario OUT of DOORS
