Canadian Sniper Rifle Camo

definitely not regular.

In fact generally the pictures of 'snipers' (I do use the term lightly) I have seen are just a bit scruffier.

If you are re-enacting that one specific guy at the specific time that photo was taken then it's appropriate.

But usually you see the lovely wood rather than 'orrid paint. The normal soldier had a wooden stocked rifle, that really is the best thing to aim for.

You may as well have a plastic stock if you're going to paint it with camo.

Same thing goes for the ghillie suit to be honest. Yes they existed in WWII. Do they really have a place in WWII airsoft... nah, not really.

Would just the hessian rifle wrap, and the sniper face veil, be the only airsoft mod realistically useable ?

If they existed then they existed so do they then have a place in WW2 airsoft? Yes of course they do, however, the correct materials when making one should be adhered to, i.e. Hessian and not modern fabrics

The usual aim for a WWII airsoft event is to simulate the squad based nature of WWII combat. Snipers when done properly don't fit into that. They're out of scale with it really. Too rare.

It would be like having a whole unit of Shermans or Panthers on the field. Yeah it looks great, but detracts from the overall aim for squad combat.

For a more Open-Day style game they fit in more, but for a squad based game they detract.... Gunman have a whole rule which would stop them being used. Lonewolfing.

A squad might have a designated marksman, but they're quite different from a ghillied-up sniper.

In effect... they're rather "airsofty"... and I thought we were trying to do more than just be "airsofty"...

Who said anything about lone wolfing, this is a thread about the use of the ghillie suit in WW2. As per the film 'Saving Pte Ryan' the sniper was part of a squad, just as both sides did at the last gunman game. Scout sniper in a ghillie suit working ahead of the squad is not lone wolfing but tactics. Also sniping from the flank stopping the enemy flanking is also tactics especially if you cant be seen. I can go on but some peoples opinions wont change on how they perceive WW2 airsoft should be played but the fact ghillie suits existed and were used is fact

Did the scout sniper (actually a properly referred to as a marksman) have a ghillie suit in SPR?

A full-on sniper is quite different. See Enemy at the Gates.

No, he was just a better-than-average shot with a 1903.

No, he was just a better-than-average shot with a 1903.

Exactly . As for 'Enemy at the Gates', urban warfare is somewhat different to that of rural. A ghillie suit was not suitable so they used cloaks and the building contents etc as camouflage and concealment. In WW2 as in the modern army ghillie suits were constructed by the individual and carried with them until the need for its use

My question was rhetorical.

He wasn't wearing a ghillie.

I doubt any squad marksman/sharpshooter would have. It reduces the ability to move. I know... I've tried it... and hated it.

The guys in the photo at the top of this thread are a dedicated sniper/spotter team. (There are two of them) That is a completely different kettle of fish and they'd be potentially expected to stop in the same place for hours/days at a time. They'd not be scouting ahead of a squad and would be more of a company/battalion asset rather than a squad/platoon level one.

The comment on Enemy at the Gates was in reference to the way they worked. In that the other camo replaces the ghillie. They worked completely separately to any assaulting squads and almost all through the film work in pairs.

Yith's point (he edited to clarify after I wrote this: which is surely cheating ) is that a 'sniper', properly defined, and as seen in the photograph, operates completely differently from the 'dedicated marksman' as has been defined in other posts here. The dedicated marksman is someone who does work within a unit, whereas the sniper - as in enemy at the gates - works outside of a unit.

If the aim of a game is to use, and play within, a squad then no, there is no real role for a sniper - and thus no place for such equipment. If that is not the goal, bobs your uncle you will be fine.

In short, to answer the original question - it depends. If it is just the rifle painting you are asking about then, as a general rule of thumb 'no'. Unless you can undo the painting on it then it would change from a 'rifle that can be used at any game' to a 'rifle that would not be allowed at most'.

If it is the Ghilly suit you are asking about, then yes and no. Some games will have no problem, some games you can wear what you want and do what you want. In other games then it would be a problem as it would detract from their purpose and they would not want it (yes, that would include anything I run in case anyone was seriously umming and ahhing over what my views are on it).

2 people posing for a photo does not deduce that they are a dedicated sniper / spotter team, especially when both have scoped rifles. Could be a photo taken of two on a sniper course etc etc. Snipers worked with squads and also as a pair. A ghillie suit was worn when needed and packed when a sniper was with his squad. I am on doing a Springfield Scoped rifle but will not be wearing a ghillie suit as I will be part of the squad, however, if like Wladek has pointed out if the game warrented it then I may just do so, after all they were used. The end

Might I interject at this point and, say that British and Commonwealth doctrine was that snipers (not sharpshooters/marksmen or, whatever the fuck you want to call them), were a company level and above asset? Far too valuable to be squandered at a squad/section or platoon level.

I agree that there can be a place for "proper" snipers in WW2 airsoft, as long as it's not an excuse for some jack wannabe to piss off lonewolfing. I have found that the vast majority lack the skill or mindset to play the role correctly anyway.

As an former (real) sniper, I am loving the painted Enfield though! Goes to show that squaddies will always personalise their kit and try to make it more effective.

As an former (real) sniper, I am loving the painted Enfield though! Goes to show that squaddies will always personalise their kit and try to make it more effective.

...If they can get away with it...

(which a company level sniper probably could, but a squad level marksman/sharpshooter possibly couldn't)

In the excellent book "Sniper", Adrian Gilbert writes: "The British sniper rarely adopted the complex personal camoflage schemes popular with the Germans. Ghillie suits were occasionally worn, but a smock, face veils and a few pieces of natural camouflage were more usual" page 103 in chapter 6 titled "The Second World War".

Shame that there is no place for a "Lone Wolf", sort of "Sniper Elite", with personalised kit, and weapons, working along side a team rather than as part of the team, sort of free ranging, but that may not be strictly historically accurate, ....... anyhow, a big part of the job of sniper is to gather intel, and not just popping caps in opposing team members, so wouldn't a ghillie be a very useful piece of kit for that purpose, to see but not be seen.

There certainly is a role for a sniper/sniper team but it has to be written into a scenario and it is best suited for a day/weekend rolling game. I don't know if there are many players capable of spending a couple of hours getting into position, staying in position for a couple of hours then returning alive and without engaging enemy or firing a shot but if that's what floats your boat then great - CiA have included elements of this in previous games so it would be definitely possible to write a full blown role into the right game/site. An ideal use for the much maligned 500fps rifle too - a single shot taken at range then withdraw rather than use high power to out-range other player's in an airsofty way.

To be fair it is only maligned by me, most people love 'em .

Oy!

I maligned them before you did!