Sub Calibre adaptors.............

[Peter Laidler]

Does anyone out there own one of the KIT, sub calibre, L12 A1 or Conversion kit .22" sub calibre L12A1 depending on where you are? You know, the boxed conversion kit for converting the L1A1 to fire .22". The same kit was also available for the FN, using FN formatted magazines of course

Would there be any demand for a thread on these things?

[A square 10]

id very much like to have one for my FAL , but ive been told they are very rare here in the states ,

[Amatikulu]

me too :)

[stencollector]

I have had a few of the Canadian kits over the years. Not easy to come by but they do turn up from time to time.

[WallyG.]

Yes... I was lucky enough to obtain one each of these sets before they all went into hiding...:thup: Have FAL and L1A1 sets. Have not used either... operational helpful hints are most appreciated. :bow:

[Sunray]

"...Canadian kits..." Few, far between and stolen.

[stencollector]

"...Canadian kits..." Few, far between and stolen.

Not so. A friend got two as part of the scrap metal contract in Saskatchewan about a decade back. Complete kits, but one with the Cdn identified barrel and the other with a HK marked replacement barrel.

[Sunray]

"...as part of the scrap metal contract..." He got lucky. Scrap metal contract being the key. Sell or keep one and it's considered stolen. As sad a thing as it is.
Never saw the Regm't use 'em once, in 6 years. Mind you, I owned the indoor range at Denison Armoury. Booked it for every weekend during the school year. Had 20 C1A1's on my MIU. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have made a deal with the Colonel.

[Will M]

If you do get a sub cal and fire alot of ammo through it, be prepared to have trouble removing the barrel afterward. Due to the thin barrel wall necessary to fit in the .308 bore, bulging occurs in the .22 barrel which enters the rifling.
Once had to weld a threaded rod to the breech end of the .22 barrel and with a nut, turn it slowly out. You only get so far and have to cut and reweld and repeat procedure until it wants out.

[browningautorifle]

You must have had a problematic sub cal. I used them extensivley in the reg force and never had problems. Except running out of ammo. I would go through 500 rounds a day without a problem. I also converted my C1's to full auto as a habit, and no one ever seemed to get wise to it. Or they didn't care. This WAS back in the mid 80's in the praries. Used them to sort out the golper population as best we could during field exercise. The sub cals worked perfectly, with minimum stoppages. Now I didn't check to see if I had the HK or Cdn barrel but as I said, I used all kinds. On the other hand the rifle would get regular cleaning after use. All parts carefuly oiled and so on.

[Will M]

Yes, they can be alright for some time, but we saw them when they came in for repair, much more than a few thousand rounds. If buying a used one look for a dark ring foerward of the chamber, you maybe able to see a bulge or markings on the outside of the subcal barrel as well.

[Trilux]

Does anyone out there own one of the KIT, sub calibre, L12 A1 or Conversion kit .22" sub calibre L12A1 depending on where you are? You know, the boxed conversion kit for converting the L1A1 to fire .22". The same kit was also available for the FN, using FN formatted magazines of course

Would there be any demand for a thread on these things?

I have an L12A1 made by H&K and dated 1973.
I use it more than anything else in my L1A1, and its certainly accurate enough to hunt rabbits with.

I only have two problems with it, I get alot of stoppages where the bolt rides over the top of the next round in the mag on its way forward and pushes the rim of the cartridge down and the front up.
The second problem is I run out of ammo way to quickly. I can go through 500 rounds in a session easily switching between iron sights, SUIT sight and the PVS-2 which is much fun at night :p

[browningautorifle]

That's what I was talking about, post ammo let down. Check mag springs and mag lips for servicability.

[Trilux]

That's what I was talking about, post ammo let down. Check mag springs and mag lips for servicability.

I stripped the mag down and found the feed lips were quite rough, a little bending and some polishing seems to have cured the problem.
I got through two full mags with only two misfires from dicky primers.

[browningautorifle]

Now if you could only run them in full auto...You'll have to believe me, that was priceless. The golpher population never knew what happened. When I actually hit them!

[Trilux]

Now if you could only run them in full auto...You'll have to believe me, that was priceless. The golpher population never knew what happened. When I actually hit them!

Its certainly on the list of thigs to try now its running well. ;)
We can own SLRs with original recievers over here.

[Peter Laidler]

Barrels that were bulged in place were certainly a way of life for us Armourers in the UK. There were special instructions regarding this in the EMER's. But that apart, good little plinkers.

Who'se got all the sub-cal magazines though?

[browningautorifle]

Towards the end of the F.N. service life, (1987) the parts that went unserviceable tended to be gashbinned and in some cases rifles or kits were cannibalised. Therefore the disappearing act. That was the way they ran it in the praries anyway. What say you Will?

[Peter Laidler]

Just a thought about the little L12 SLR sub calibre kits. We had a period with a niggling problem where there were hundreds of reports of mis-fires to the ICI ammunition supplied. This was put down to everything, from the winter equinox to the greasy ammo etc etc.

Eventually it was decided to increase the firing pin protrusion to between .035 and .039". This was a bit of a bugger because no gauge was ever provided. BUT, the criteria for the No7 and No8 (and I resume the No9 too.....) was between .034"low and .038" high. So that gauge was used by all!

There. If you do get mis-fires or light strikes. then you can increase the FPP to this standard. How do you INCREASE the FPP? Easy. Mount the head of the firing pin in the lathe and gently skim back the shoulder immediately behind the parallel firing pin part. It should only need a gnats knacker or a few .001" 's

Do you need a new barrel as a result of your note above Will M

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