I once did a shed clearance for an old lady whose husband had died. He was a keen hobbyist, his shed well-kitted out with machinery and gadgets, and on the wall were pictures dating from his service in the Great War. There was a framed certificate of discharge signed by George V.
Hanging behind the frame was a well-preserved .303 rifle, and in a drawer a box of ammunition.
We could see that the rifle was very old, a much older version of the .303s I used to drill with in the school corps. Rather than alarming the very frail old lady with a police raid and all the subsequent questioning etc, we called the local museum. They apparently have a special dispensation to handle firearms, so the gun was handed over and no more questions were asked.
The museum was pleased to get the donation - the rifle was an early 1914 re-issue from the Boer war. It appears the man had simply come home from the war with his rifle and kept it ever since.
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