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A curious tiny tool

SuzieAtherton

Plastic
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
Hi, can anyone assist with identifying this tiny tool found in my dear old Dad’s collection please? It is approx 94mm long; appears to be a hollow copper casing with a threaded scoop-like applicator that neatly screws in. Any suggestions are appreciated. Suzie in Oz
 

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It MIGHT be the oil bottle that used to live in the butt of the stock of a SMLE .303 rifle .. WW1 & WW2 standard issue in Oz. It would be brass not copper but age & imperfect storage may have dezincified the surface.
 
is there any visible marking the base of the container? We are looking for a "D" marking or an arrow marking "->", usually vertical which would point towards government department of defence origin.
 
I second the suggestion that the 'device' in the photo is an oiler. I recall this type of device was made to be kept in a 'trap' in the wooden stock of Enfield rifles. The 'trap' (if I am using the correct term) was a hinged/detented 'trap door' in the butt plate of a rifle. This trap door covered a hole drilled into the butt stock of a rifle. It was used on military rifles to contain a cleaning kit and oiler of the sort shown in this photo.

Since Ms Atherton is located in Australia, it is a country where the Enfield service rifles were used in their military during WWII and sometime thereafter. Handy little oiler made in the days before plastic containers and spray lubricants came along.
 
I also would say a military rifle oil container/application dauber. The US Army had similar oilers for the early M1 and I think all M1 Carbines. Later M1 containers were plastic.

Bob
 
Wow Joe Michaels, interesting comment re WW11; in this area of our country during activities in the Pacific, thousands of US troops were stationed awaiting active service, so this item could very well have a connection.
Thank you all for your insight!
 
That's for grease. The military used them as well gun manufacturers and fishing reel manufacturers (and others more than likely).
There is an almost identical example that was for oil, but instead of the small spoon on the end of the applicator, there was just a similar length wire designed to apply a drop of oil where you needed it.
CWC(4)
 
Thank you so much! Your comments concur with others re its use in armaments. Now suspect it is a relic from the presence of stationed troops here during WW11.
 








 
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