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Just a thought while looking at the lower pic in thread 81 and before it gets pushed right back into the dim and distant past. But if you have one of the L96/L115 AI rifle boxes that is in a colour called 'WOODPECKER', a greeny/sandy/puke sort of shade then this was the colour that the chests were painted before going off to 'the desert'. There was/is a BS spec for the paint that we had to paint them in prior to being shipped out. If you happen to acquire one such in the future, then you'll know where it's been. The paint was sup[posed to be a satin finish but they all seemed to come out shiny when they were stood outside drying off!
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M85 Case
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That looks a bit sandier than the woodpecker colour. It has a tinge of green in it. Maybe it's the photo........
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That is a fabulous looking m85 and it looks in fantastic condition. I would love to own one one day ( i wish) your a lucky man Chris.:cheers:
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I am nearing the end of transcribing the trials report for the PH sniper v the AI, BSA, Interarm and a couple of others. All labouriously hand written from old microfische
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Well Done Peter. It will be worth it, because generations will continuously ask the same questions over and over again, and if, we between us keep the Parker Hale records accurate and safe everyone will benefit.
I would like to think that from your records, that I have been right for many years when I wrote the piece about the M85 losing the MOD contract to the L96, insofar that the M85 was the better proven weapon.
So much was not written about by the trials team when they evaluated the L96, and perhaps one day, history will show the hard slog it had.
Hey ho, I suppose that has been the British Army for decades!!;)
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