Well, here's another piece of creative fiction!

I had one and it worked, but that's not to say for an extended period. I did sell it after all. Doubt the next guy used it much. The ones pictured are probably the only ones made. The military takes a dim view of people cutting down rifles for entertainment's sake even in wartime. Mods are prohibited. Ask Peter... The ones that are sold today are re-engineered I'll bet. I've seen the short barrel, short gas model in my hands and it looked good. They must work or they wouldn't be able to sell them. Personally, I'd still rather the full length rifle. They worked fine.

Also this well known example, with the Australian Army collection, there is some film of this thing rocking and rolling on the internet somwhere..

The danger tape would be about right...the flames would burn you from there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaAtBtSjS6k

Yup, moving the gas port back would help. But to be fair, mine did that too. Can't say how it is now. Thing is, the M1 rifle had the gas port at the muzzle too. I know, that's apples and oranges...

What I do find totally non-understandable about these 'Australian SAS' special in-theatre blow-up tyres and wind-up window type shorties is this. When the short statured populated nations around the world wanted to buy a shorter variant of L1A1 type rifles, why didn't they simply ask Lithgow to cut the barrels short. Why did they bother pursuing the short flash eliminators. Maybe someone can look up the archives at ADE Maribyong to see how the shorties fared. Even the well thought out improved L2 (that was being trialed at Caunugra in 1969 but I forget what it was called) had a standard length barrel. Like I say, maybe the handy-hacksaw specialists knew better. Just my pragmatic amateur askance view of things.

Moving the gas port rearwards brings with it yet MORE problems. Cleaner gas residue but diamond hard build-up from the word go and .......back to my student notes now........

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Thing is, the M1 rifle had the gas port at the muzzle too. I know, that's apples and oranges...

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The FN49 gas port is relatively near the muzzle too. Maybe still apples and oranges, but a lot of the FAL gas system comes from the 49.

I would guess that shortening the barrel wastes a fair bit of the 7.62x51 cartridge propellant. Something like 7.62x39 would be better suited for the shorter barrel.

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

What I do find totally non-understandable about these 'Australian SAS' special in-theatre blow-up tyres and wind-up window type shorties is this. When the short statured populated nations around the world wanted to buy a shorter variant of L1A1 type rifles, why didn't they simply ask Lithgow to cut the barrels short. Why did they bother pursuing the short flash eliminators. Maybe someone can look up the archives at ADE Maribyong to see how the shorties fared. Even the well thought out improved L2 (that was being trialed at Caunugra in 1969 but I forget what it was called) had a standard length barrel. Like I say, maybe the handy-hacksaw specialists knew better. Just my pragmatic amateur askance view of things

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Didn't the Papua New Guinea Contract rifles have recoil reducing properties built into the short FE's Peter?? I guess the RAEME guys attached to the ANZAC SAS units in Country, just responded as best they could with the kit they had available (or borrowed from the Americans) to the request for certain kit for specific jobs and it snowballed from there.

There seems to have been a myriad of different variants on the core "Automatic L1" theme.

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Originally Posted by Vincent

I would guess that shortening the barrel wastes a fair bit of the 7.62x51 cartridge propellant.

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And give you the basket ball flame in low light.

As well as roar like a Lion Jim!