Lithgow L1A1

The moderator is called NZDFL1A1. I have one on a '61 Lithgow, and the hearing protection was not required. Tried to source the rail hand guard and cover as well, but to find someone who would ship them outside US was, well, difficult...

What a nice gun...

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

Don't ask me how you ever remember these numbers!!!!!

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My issue rifle was AD6114742 and the rifle that I bought (second owner from the factory) was AD8400209.

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Aren't those hinge pin and lock screws wrong side up?

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Yep :)

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Aren't those hinge pin and lock screws wrong side up? Those would be fun...

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Well they are Antipodean body Hinges...they are supposed to be upside down!

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Originally Posted by mrclark303

Antipodean body Hinges

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Nice talk...now we're for it...

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

At the time of peak production, Australia had a big Army comparatively speaking, with 10 full-strength Infantry battalions AND support arms AND with 2+ battalions fighting in Vietnam AND a full battalion permanently in Malaya.

I don't know for sure but I don't think Britain sold many L1A1 rifles - they were just tooooo expensive! We tried to sell virtually new but certainly FTR'd L1A1's to the newly formed Lebanese Army in the late 80's but that failed even for a give-away price. although we did ''gift' zillions to the Sierra Leone Army - but enough said about them....... I think that they started to 'gift' rifles eventually but not until the 70's. I only have the saga piecemeal from the people I know and worked with. One of my bosses, WO1 Clive Connors had the full insight into the episode. Australia had to make a living and exports were valuable currencyespecially when the African Countries were paying in the £Sterling they'd received as foreign aid.

Another person who was well aware of the story was one of the members of the steering committee who was involved with the interchangeability of parts called Capt Steve Sxxxxxx from the SASC. He often used comment that Lithgow were always well ahead of the game, once they'd got the new machinery.

I'm sure that I have asked this before, but did Canada sell LB made L1A1's abroad? Gift them to foreign nations?

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The West Side Boys - hmmm.

Operation Barras was at least payback though.