My Rifle - Aussie clone.

I don't post much here, but I do read a lot: This is my Aussie parts kit built on an Imbel receiver.
Arizona Response Systems did the build.
I sourced the wood and small parts, which is becoming trickier.

I own a number of FN FAL in metric, so I chose to keep this in metric configuration to only require one type of magazine in storage.

This one is one of my favorite rifles to shoot, and I have shot several thousand rounds through it, I do not baby it. It just keeps ticking and makes that wonderful metallic ka-ching when you shoot it.

I have ARS doing an NZ in black plastic currently.
(I look for unloved CAI thumbhole's with Imbel receivers.)

Anyway, it's nothing textbook, but, a is an appreciated shooter that I thought might be interesting.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...uVWRejKh-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...WcpFWOhh-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...TF4vo8Nh-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...gHvZ3lPh-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...9uscOTeh-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...mMKYzbhh-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...ZcnxHnch-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...MAGMn4gh-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...gCresJ0h-1.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dcollector

It just keeps ticking and makes that wonderful metallic ka-ching when you shoot it.

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One thing that you can hear from a bit of distance, the distinct ring of the steel when it fires.

Very nice piece, I carried one of those many miles through thick and thin.

I found the 30 round magazine works well up to the point where jams are common. The cartridged move in the magazine when shooint and the bullets dent the front of the magazine, making them catch in the dents. Small hammer rectifies that but it happens again.

Check the locking bar/shoulder in the receiver regularly for movement. Mine shot loose after about 10 000 or more rounds, severe flame cutting in the gas cylinder too.

Very nice, I assume Mark removed the AD serial from the TMH and engraved the master from the receiver?

Does anyone make inch pattern cut receivers in the US?

Very nice, thank you for sharing.
I like FALs a lot, but due to space restrictions, I decided to only have bolt-action rifles 1900-1945.
The only exception I made is my Garand (for which I reloaded yesterday evening, after a looooong time).

That locking shoulder is supposed to be installed with the assistance of a small hydraulic press.

The factory made a bewildering array ,(SIXTY), of shoulder sizes; both the headspace setting, and fit / retention press-fit-wise. Use the issued tapered gauge to establish correct headspace, then select the shoulder to be an "interference" fit into the body. This process of removal and replacement of locking shoulders is NOT infinitely repeatable, because of "wear and metal displacement in the body (which is softer than the shoulders), will eventually render the body "beyond repair". In service, this should take several decades of abuse from the "rough and licentious soldiery". Get it right, NOW and the rifle will probably outlive you.

There is a reference table either in the EMEIs and / or the "Factory Handbook". The "taper" of the recess in the body will USUALLY handle the job of retaining 'tolerance" in the interference fit for several shoulder changes. Basically, the primary variable id Headspace, If you can swap out the shoulder to provide acceptable headspace AND the new "standard-fit" shoulder passes the "center-punch test" all is good.

The shoulder should NEVER be a "racing fit". and wander out in normal use. Per the "instructions, a "fifty-pound" strike from an automatic center punch MUST NOT dislodge the shoulder. If it does, the rifle should be shunted from "unit" workshop responsibility to a more serious establishment; (Field, Base or Factory). If the locking shoulder is not secure, there is every likelihood that other "issues" will also become apparent.

I have never tried to use "FAL" shoulders in an L1A1, and never had the requirement to "re-shoulder" a FAL.

In Oz service, there WAS an armourer "test" of the "security" of the shoulder in the body. This involved an "automatic" centre-punch set to a VERY specific "force", 50 Pounds).

Is this an "aftermarket" receiver / body? There appear to be some "interesting" (in that Chinese Curse sort of way) hybrid bodies being offered.

Here in the penal colonies, all we have are the memories and the notebooks.

Made in South Africa R1. Doubt if they are supposed to shoot that many rounds but when I handed it back after some more thousands it still shot better than I could.

Did Australia ever produce a wooden carry handle for their version of the SLR? My understanding is that they didn't.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Flying10uk

Did Australia ever produce a wooden carry handle for their version of the SLR

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I HAVE seen them in picture, even here on forum. Here's the thread... https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=39578

Re: Wooden Handles on Aussie SLR's - Sure did, in the 'Bad Old Days' when we were trusted to actually possess these firearms, I had two. First was built as an early, 1969 model - With Wooden Handle (1), and the second as a late production with Plastic Handle (2).
Can't find 'photos on a quick look, I'll persist.

(1) These had a deep phosphate finish, oiled/varnished timber work, triangular forend;
(2) Phosphated and painted(black) finish, creosoted timber work, rounder/fatter and heat-shield lined forend [I also had a 'Hythe' dual-aperture rear sight fitted].

Interesting to note that the illustrations in the Technical Brochures issued by SAF show both the Wooden and Plastic Handles, randomly.

Attachment 131957
When the Aussie-made L1A1's first came out in 1959 they were fitted with a non-rotating wooden carry handle, followed by the rotating version, and finally the moulded green plastic version. As a matter of interest, the NZ Army eventually removed all the carry handles from the Infantry rifles as a rifle carried by the handle was too slow to bring into action. The attached photo is my 1959 first issue ex-NZ L1A1 in original condition.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WGB-762

Re: Wooden Handles on Aussie SLR's - Sure did, in the 'Bad Old Days' when we were trusted to actually possess these firearms, I had two. First was built as an early, 1969 model - With Wooden Handle (1), and the second as a late production with Plastic Handle (2).
Can't find 'photos on a quick look, I'll persist.

(1) These had a deep phosphate finish, oiled/varnished timber work, triangular forend;
(2) Phosphated and painted(black) finish, creosoted timber work, rounder/fatter and heat-shield lined forend [I also had a 'Hythe' dual-aperture rear sight fitted].

Interesting to note that the illustrations in the Technical Brochures issued by SAF show both the Wooden and Plastic Handles, randomly.

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What an absolute stunner, I've got an NZ pattern plastic example on my ex NZ L1, I don't think they saw a lot of use.

The great bulk of the NZ L1A1's were used by the Army and saw a lot of use (Borneo, Vietnam, etc) and many were rebuilt at Base Ordnance Depot, Trentham. It was the other unit issues (Logistics, Artillery, Air Force and Navy) that survived in good order but not very big numbers of them. I bought 1,000 off the Government Stores Board in 1988 and only about 6 good originals among them (my one pictured being the best, and lowest number NZ^43. Only the first 1,000 rifles were NZ numbered on the left side of the mag well). There were about 10 tidy refurbished examples and the rest were well used with about 10 suitable for parts only. Original finish examples are identified by the serial numbers being bright from being engraved after finishing. Many were reparkerised at Trentham and their numbers are black.

Troops on patrol hooked the carrying handle in their webbing and couldn't get the rifle into action when necessary. Result, all in SA inventory had the carrying handles cut off.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Woodsy

The great bulk of the NZ L1A1's were used by the Army and saw a lot of use (Borneo, Vietnam, etc) and many were rebuilt at Base Ordnance Depot, Trentham. It was the other unit issues (Logistics, Artillery, Air Force and Navy) that survived in good order but not very big numbers of them. I bought 1,000 off the Government Stores Board in 1988 and only about 6 good originals among them (my one pictured being the best, and lowest number NZ^43. Only the first 1,000 rifles were NZ numbered on the left side of the mag well). There were about 10 tidy refurbished examples and the rest were well used with about 10 suitable for parts only. Original finish examples are identified by the serial numbers being bright from being engraved after finishing. Many were reparkerised at Trentham and their numbers are black.

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Mine was one of the batch sold to the UK and ended up with Helston Gunsmiths, subsequently being broken down to parts, the Bolt group, receiver and TMH stored together as a parts kit.

I bought mine a while back now (AD64) and had it rebuilt with a new barrel, the three prong FE is wrong, but only us anoraks would know!

She had a rather battered suncorite finish, so I repainted her.

She represents a later date service example in her current guise.

Lithgow wooden carrying handles?

Yep. "Non-rotating" type on early trials versions and into early production.

There were TWO types: The early one was "non-rotating", the later, rotated..

Several pages of the Skennerton 1989 book, "S.L.R, Australia's F.A.L" refer to and show photos of the development of the carrying handles. This includes conversion of non-rotating types to "rotating". The classic "green plastic" handles came on line in 1965

The entire point of the handle was for "odd-job" carry. Stretcher bearer's for a start. Anybody else who had to carry / operate with a toolbox, ammo carrier, etc in a "hot" zone.. "Battlefield clearance", (cleaning up the two-way range after an engagement). Armourers lacking a suitable "cart" taking several rifles from the armoury to the workshop.

Australian Wood Carrying Handles
Top to Bottom
Mark 1 (Non-Rotating)
Mark 2 (Rotating)
Modified Mark 1 to Rotating
Armourer Repaired

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../gC210VK-1.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bruce_in_Oz

"odd-job" carry

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Sling the rifle would suffice for most of these, I would think.

Sometimes.

There was a definite "dislike" of Diggers using slings, except on "parade"; in which case the fabric of the sling was polished and black and the brass fittings were also polished. RAEME workshops / detachments did a roaring trade, professionally polishing brass fittings on belts and slings. We also went to "leather lacquer" for the fabric of the belt and sling. No boot-polish to rub off and stain uniforms and after the big day, it was all packed away in a plastic bag for the next big outing.

Also, because the sling was essentially a SMLE sling "blackened", it lacked the Gucci functionality of the H&K G3 sling. Other than parade-ground appearances, see also: "Catafalque parties", Funeral escorts, etc, the only other time slings were in use was as a "shooting aid" in serious rifle competitions, something the "average' Digger never experienced. And the "target sling" variations are a whole other story. Think; "Bren slings with a "twist".

These days it is a bit less obsessive; with black synthetic fabric slings and belts. I can't say I miss that aspect of the "job"; especially years after "pulling the plug"..

Inch pattern receivers have been made intermittently (and of varying quality) by several American manufacturers.

DSA is probably the best known; their early Australian-pattern examples (made by a subcontractor called LMT) were of excellent quality, while their in-house examples (both Australian and British pattern) have been hit and miss.

Two now-defunct companies, Entreprise Arms of California and Coonan Arms of Minnesota, also made inch pattern receivers in the past. Outside of early Entreprise examples (also made by a subcontractor, also excellent), they tended to be problematic, ranging from "minor issues" to "blatantly unsafe".

IMBEL of Brazil (a legitimate FAL manufacturer) produced semi-automatic versions of metric Type 3 receivers for the US market in the 1980s. Century Arms had some of them cut to accept inch pattern mags for their "R1A1" rifles (assembled in Canada from a mixture of inch and metric parts), and some have machined the British-pattern profile cuts into those receivers. Many consider that the best option for building a proper-looking British rifle today,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by enbloc8

Inch pattern receivers have been made intermittently (and of varying quality) by several American manufacturers.

DSA is probably the best known; their early Australian-pattern examples (made by a subcontractor called LMT) were of excellent quality, while their in-house examples (both Australian and British pattern) have been hit and miss.

Two now-defunct companies, Entreprise Arms of California and Coonan Arms of Minnesota, also made inch pattern receivers in the past. Outside of early Entreprise examples (also made by a subcontractor, also excellent), they tended to be problematic, ranging from "minor issues" to "blatantly unsafe".

IMBEL of Brazil (a legitimate FAL manufacturer) produced semi-automatic versions of metric Type 3 receivers for the US market in the 1980s. Century Arms had some of them cut to accept inch pattern mags for their "R1A1" rifles (assembled in Canada from a mixture of inch and metric parts), and some have machined the British-pattern profile cuts into those receivers. Many consider that the best option for building a proper-looking British rifle today,

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I have two Imbels built as L1A1's (The Aussie clone in the OP, and an NZ clone with black plastic furniture.) and one DSA made up as an STG58.

I went hunting for the Imbel receivers as they were recommended to me as the best ones to build a kit on.
The old DSA STG is a great rifle, it's 20 years old, but apparently DSA receivers are no longer to be trusted.

I chose to have these built to accept metric magazines, as I own a supply of metric magazines.

All personal choice.

I know I’m late to the game here in this thread but I can’t believe that nobody has pointed this out to you yet. I’m not breaking balls & I do agree that you have a Beautiful riFAL, HOWEVER….. that is NOT an Imbel receiver. It’s an Argy receiver which is every bit as good as an Imbel. I have 2 Argentinian FAL’s both have Argy receivers, both serial numbers are in the exact same place as yours & begin with a “C”. I guarantee you that Mark force matched your Lower with the serial number of the receiver to make the rifle look more original. I currently have 21 FAL’s & Mark has built all but a few of mine. He forced matched my STG 58 the same way. I also have an inch cut Imbel that he added the British lighting cuts to, it accepts inch mags & also has a folding charging handle.
I currently have 8 of the commonwealth SLR’s, 3 Brit, 3 Ausi, 1 Canadian & 1 Indian. I have a NZ kit waiting for a receiver that will be sent to ARS for completion. I do not ( as of yet) have the elusive L2 in my collection. One day

I noticed something on your rifle that's out of spec. You need to check and change out the body locking catch to a longer one. The locking catch lever should not bear on the recoil plate of the trigger mechanism housing when closed. There should be a slight clearance. The catches came in three different sizes if memory serves. I have a few copies left of the EMERs for these rifles if you like to read. It's the bible for working on them. Graham at ARS bought one from me years ago at SAR West in Phoenix if memory serves. He should be paying more attention to detail. I have a few locking catches here. If you tell me what size yours is, I may be able to help.

Brian

---------- Post added at 02:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 PM ----------

I meant Mark not Graham.

Attachment 135639When Lithgow began L1A1 production in 1959, the carry handle was non-rotating wooden (the end of the handle engaged the wire by half the wire diameter). These soon changed to the rotating wood then in the '60's to the green finger-moulded plastic. NZ removed all the carry handles during the mid '60's so the rifles would always be carried in a semi-ready position. The attached photo shows my 1959 NZ first issue SLR with the non-rotating handle.

Sorry guys, traveling and dealing with other broken guns when I got back.
2X Brens, 1XC93, 1XHK91, 1XMP44 that all need repairs, lol.
I just noticed there were quite a few replies here, apologies for my late responses.

Browning auto rifle - yes, the sound is distinctive and pleasantly unique.

Daan Kemp - The 30 round mag I have has worked flawlessly, did several movies on the stg58 I own, so likely in the region of 10K Austrian Hirtenberger blanks without a stoppage. Worked great until an armourer who should have known better accidentally put a Swanson blank through it, 20 years first stoppage. He paid to fix it and it has been retired from film work, lol.

Mrclark303 - Mark does re-engrave to match the registered receiver serial for an extra charge.

Ovidio - I have space restrictions now, and 2 x Bren guns take up four bolt actions so I uam sympathetic to your plight.

Bruce in OZ - The receivers on my 2 L1A1 clones are Brazilian Imbel and Argentinian both are “good to go” - quality-wise. I have an old DSA receiver on my STG58 which has been good for 20+ years of heavy use, too. The receivers are fitted beautifully by ARS and I have no concerns about him using the correct manner to check fit and finish the parts. But I appreciate your words of advice, if he were an amateur home builder it would be very valuable info.

Flying 10 UK - I don’t know, I have a green plastic carry handle on the Aussie clone.

Mrclark 303 - I also bought an NZ plastic example, pictures below. Trying to find a UK kit, but the NZ kit was at the local gun shop and cheap, so I sent it to Mark to do right. See pics.

Enbloc - ref.recievers - yes, the lightening cuts to my Imbel receiver would be great to make this look like the real thing, but, I am OK with it being near enough.

Nearsighted - You are absolutely correct. Thank you for pointing that out, the Aussie has an Argentinian receiver.
Sounds like you went the full hog on your Brit clone, when I find a Brit L1A1 donor or parts kit I will do a UK build and maybe ask for the cuts to be made to the receiver, if Mark is still offering that service. I’m not in a hurry. The Aussie and NZ are fun to shoot and I don’t have much spare time for that anyway, lol.

*I also would love to find an L2 sustained fire variant, have been looking for some time, but, they seem to sell quickly. But it is a fun looking rifle/LMG/support weapon.


Brian Dick - thank you, I am usually at SAR for at least a day, but have been overseas the last two years. I’ll take a look at that part.

Here is the NZ Mark just built for me:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...UcUz8j7l-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...pkbFsopl-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...zM0APEul-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...I27XSF6l-1.jpg

And the Aussie again:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...uVWRejKl-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...9uscOTel-1.jpg

And the MP44 - that now has a new-made barrel on it:
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...G7Ty9r6l-1.jpg