Bidspirit auction | Flash Spotter Bolt Action Pattern

Flash Spotter Bolt Action Pattern Training Rifle - An early 20th-century British marksmanship training device designed to emulate the weight and feel of a standard service rifle for dry-fire practice. The device is constructed with a blued steel barrel assembly mounted within a full-length wooden stock. Rather than firing live ammunition, this device was engineered to facilitate point-of-aim feedback through an electrical flash system. Key markings on the barrel include the stamped designation FLASH SPOTTER and the patent information BRITISH PATENTS NOS. 248249 & 273998. The barrel assembly features a wooden plug at the breech with an integrated metal contact point, intended to interface with an internal electrical circuit triggered by the firing mechanism. This example exhibits a crude modification consisting of heavy-gauge wire wrapped around the wrist of the stock and secured to the rear of the action, likely serving as a field repair or improvised electrical lead. Both front and rear sights are missing from the barrel. The one-piece stock is made of a plain hardwood and ends in a flat butt with no recoil pad.