L42 new purchase

[Roy W]

Nice rifle NWE. I am sure the original serial number was AT prefixed & it got misinterpreted as an AI prefix, probably when it was over engraved, most likely at the time of its conversion or at a FTR at some point.

I think the bottom cross piece that makes the T look like an I, is in fact the top of the old T which was stamped beneath. You can see the remains of the serial number below the current one and the T lines up

[bros]

Nice rifle Paul. You beat me to it as I phoned that dealer to get additional photos before I opened up my wallet! You know who I am.....your friend up the road!😀

[Skwan]

Nice rifle Paul. You beat me to it as I phoned that dealer to get additional photos before I opened up my wallet! You know who I am.....your friend up the road!😀

Thank you! I think we were talking about pricing on a L42 rifle on our last visit and then this one came up for sale.

[Nigel]

Attachment 121182Attachment 121182I remember Steve's original thread on the cases. The correct designation for the Springfield Case is the Model 1918. They were designed for the service rifle competition teams (Springfield 1903A1) and were not general issue. There was an earlier version with a leather flap - Model 1916, again for the same use and not a general issue item. There is no doubt in my mind that the case illustrated in the User Handbook for the Rifles, 7.62mm, L42A1...etc, dated 1971, page 16 is the Model 1918 case. I have heard stories that these appeared in the CES of many RAF Regiment Squadrons but I have no documented evidence. Whether this should be regarded as one of THE issue cases for British Snipers is debatable but it does appear in the Handbook. I can't remember which version of case appears in the very rare 1973 dated Pamphlet No.10 SNIPING - I sold mine to Steve Houghton! I do know that virtually all the photos in that version are different from the those in the 1976 Pamphlet No.4 SNIPING. I would conclude the Model 1918 case's appearance in an official British User Handbook gives it a deserved place in the history of British sniping "literature" and maybe even "equipment".

[waco16]

Attachment 121193

Attachment 121182Attachment 121182I remember Steve's original thread on the cases. The correct designation for the Springfield Case is the Model 1918. They were designed for the service rifle competition teams (Springfield 1903A1) and were not general issue. There was an earlier version with a leather flap - Model 1916, again for the same use and not a general issue item. There is no doubt in my mind that the case illustrated in the User Handbook for the Rifles, 7.62mm, L42A1...etc, dated 1971, page 16 is the Model 1918 case. I have heard stories that these appeared in the CES of many RAF Regiment Squadrons but I have no documented evidence. Whether this should be regarded as one of THE issue cases for British Snipers is debatable but it does appear in the Handbook. I can't remember which version of case appears in the very rare 1973 dated Pamphlet No.10 SNIPING - I sold mine to Steve Houghton! I do know that virtually all the photos in that version are different from the those in the 1976 Pamphlet No.4 SNIPING. I would conclude the Model 1918 case's appearance in an official British User Handbook gives it a deserved place in the history of British sniping "literature" and maybe even "equipment".

The case that's shown in the 1973 pamphlet No10 is actually the old No4 case.........

[Skwan]

I think the bottom cross piece that makes the T look like an I, is in fact the top of the old T which was stamped beneath. You can see the remains of the serial number below the current one and the T lines up

I had a closer look at the T at different angles, you are right. The original T has a thinner line and the re-stamp T has a wider line, stamped on top of each other. Good eye!

[Roger Payne]

Quite. I can't be absolutely sure from the photo - but it looks to me rather like the original serial has been lightly linished before the reapplication of the number. If that is the case, the top horizontal bar of the original T has been pretty much missed by the linisher, unlike most of the rest of the serial, making misinterpretation of the prefix letter all the more likely.......