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L4 A3 7.62
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Out of interest, there was a minor error put out about the L4A3 and 5 guns. The A3 had 2x barrels while the A5 had one fully chrome lined barrel.
Not all of the converted Mk2/L4A3 and 5 guns had a folding cocking handle either. Those that were converted from Mk2/1's had them of course and so did (?) those converted for the UK Military. BUT it's not as simple as that because some converted for the UK MoD clearly didn't have folders. Some Navy ones were non-folders, based on unmodified Mk2 guns. Accordingly, the parts lists were emended later to show the non folding cocking handle annotated with the 'either/or' mark!
The person who took this matter up with the Ordnance bods came back that during the late 60's/early 70's, some Commonwealth nations couldn't afford the full works so they just had the basic 7.62mm conversion done. Their clapped out heaps of tat went into Ordnance and they got virtually brand new FTR guns back. Eventually their heaps of tat went through the system and the Navy got them ......... It's a long convoluted story but interesting none the less
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1 Attachment(s)
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We were talking of the Interarm L3 and 5 conversions on another thread. This is one of their conversions and you can tell this by the barrel configuration. Note on the 3rd and 7th pictures down, the 45 degree angle chamfer between the larger and smaller diameters along its length. This was a quick tell-tale of their barrels. The standard Enfield barrels (and all others) barrels have a distinct radiussed curve between the different diameters.
Interarm barrels, pistons and refurbished breech blocks have the words INT within a circle.
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Did they utilise the round magazine well strengthing inserts KG?
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Yes Peter
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...0inserts-1.jpg
They still have L4A3's in stock if you are ever interested in your own retro small war :D
ATB Kevin
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*Drool!* Is that an upside down C broad arrow below the equally terrible engraved markings?
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Well I never.......... It certainly looks like it. Probably an Inglis Mk1 cocking handle.
As a matter of interest, not all of the L4A3's and 5's had the folding cocking handle (Mk2/1) mod of the shielded L4 type gas cylinder sleeve (the SLEEVE, Bipod to you and me). Some nations wouldn't pay for the extra work. Some nations, like Ghana to name but one, tried to get their old Brens rebuilt under the Crown Agents scheme. But as there were insufficient funds, they just sent the Mk2 and 3 gun bodies to the UK for conversion in order to save money but they came back as L4's wth barrels fitted plus new 7.62mm breech blocks.
You can imagine the situation ten years don the line with a mixed fleet without the infrastructure to cater for it!
Enfield owned the Intellectual property rights to the 7.62mm conversion and wouldn't allow it to be utilised by any other nations Arms Industry so as to keep it all in house and profitable. Alas, nobody bothered to tell wise India or not so wise South Africa who went alone without regard to the 'rights' issue. India followed the sensible L4A2, 3, 4 etc path while S Africa followed the fragile L4A1 path
Now, where were we before I digressed............?
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I've been examining my post sample EFD L4A3 as received a couple of weeks ago after transfer. It has a few Inglis parts fitted but is mostly Enfield. It's one of the Interarms guns as it's got a INT marked rear sight and barrel. The wood is dry as popcorn fart and sure enough had a crack developing under the cocking handle cover from the prior owner shooting it with a loose stock. I've repaired it and the wood is soaking up raw linseed oil like a sponge "as we speak". It's virtually identical to the deact L4A3 pictured at the top of this thread. Special thanks to Kev G for mailing me a new magazine catch as the one installed is bent and twisted from being dropped at some point. I'll do some pictures of it and my trusty Inglis Mk.II when I get the L4A3 up and running. ATB.
