Help with Rifle Badge ID

[nimrod1897]

Can any anyone help identifying this badge - I'm familiar with the marksman's cross rifles, but this is just a single one? It is approximately 6cm long and has two lug fittings to the rear.

[FROGSMILE]

Could it have been cut from a crossed rifles badge?

[nimrod1897]

No I'd say definitely not - it came with a brass backing plate and red felt background all the right size. I'm wondering if it was some sort of pre-WW1 rifleman proficiency badge?

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, nimrod1897 said:

No I'd say definitely not - it came with a brass backing plate and red felt background all the right size. I'm wondering if it was some sort of pre-WW1 rifleman proficiency badge?

 

Volunteers and cadets had a marksmanship badge that comprised a horizontal rifle on the cuff, but it was in cloth and from memory incorporated a series of stars according to grade.  I’ve never seen a GM one but perhaps some units organised them privately.

[nimrod1897]

Yes, that's along the lines of what I was thinking - I've seen images of cloth, and, if memory serves bullion wire ones, but not metal before. Would this be pre-WW1, pre 1908 reforms do you think, or more recent?

[daggers]

The rifle’s bolt is on the left. Odd but not related to the origina question.

[FROGSMILE]

49 minutes ago, nimrod1897 said:

Yes, that's along the lines of what I was thinking - I've seen images of cloth, and, if memory serves bullion wire ones, but not metal before. Would this be pre-WW1, pre 1908 reforms do you think, or more recent?

 

Daggers makes a really good point, all the single rifle badges I’ve seen point to the right and show the bolt on the right side.  I think your rifle has been cut from a crossed pair and the break then concealed by smoothing, assuming that there were matching pairs, or some means of modification.

Edited 5 March , 2019 by FROGSMILE

[nimrod1897]

Here's a picture of my badge as found. It does look very similar to the bottom rifle in the crossed pair. That then prompts the question why was it cut down?

[Muerrisch]

I have never seen the like. Of course the design of the rifle provides a "not earlier than" date.

 

If it were mine it would go in the curios box.

[FROGSMILE]

35 minutes ago, nimrod1897 said:

Here's a picture of my badge as found. It does look very similar to the bottom rifle in the crossed pair. That then prompts the question why was it cut down?

 

My guess, and it is only that, is that someone wanted to create a prize badge for someone to encourage their shooting.  A whim at the time perhaps, and now a curio.  I don’t think it has any official status.