SUIT on an L1A1 SLR - is it worth it?

I use my SLR for target plinking - turning targets at STANTA, out to 300 yards or so.

I normally shoot it with open sights (it has a Hythe sight I put on) but I recently acquired a SUSAT, and was planning to tidy this up and put on the SLR (I know the graduations are wrong as it is designed round 5.56 ammo, but I can get round that).

Question is, I am watching a tidy SUIT and mount on a foreign auction site, and it is close to end and currently at arouind £230.

Should I buy this, or stick with the SUSAT? I don't care about historical correctness, more about what will work.

Answers on a postcard please..........:).

To mount a SUSAT on a L1A1 you will need a "one off" mount using the non standard "nato standard rail" and that could be a bit expencive, also the sight line of the SUSAT would be a lot higher than any other sight fitted to an L1A1.

a SUIT sight and L1A1 mout should be about the same price as a good SUSAT, I tink SUSAT prices are on their way down... and may be .......SUIT sights on the way up.

(there will be SUIT sights for sale at the War and Peace show this year ;) )

SUIT sight............ a bit like a mickey-mouse watch. Good if you want to LOOK good. But not a lot of use if you want to tell the time................... But at least a SUSAT is bolted to the sight base which HAS to be a much firmer basis on which to start. Just my 2c's worth

SUIT stood for Shooter Usually In Trouble but I never heard a bad mnemonic about the SUSAT. In fact, I don't think that there were ever any dire reports about the SUSAT. The only old chestnut that kept cropping up was that the ocular lens would mist up on the first run-down of the day. But a cold lens and a warm eye - and you can't defeat the laws of physics........... Can you think of any bad bits of the SUSAT - Skippy/Tankie?

Anyway, where were we.......? Oh yes. I'd stick to a SUSAT ANY day

Corrected 9/03/13. Corrected following tele call from another Armourer. SUIT initials stood for Shooter UNDOUBTEDLY In Trouble

SUIT available on ebay at present, ( From Israel ) dont seem a bad price. Item No 281016254415

I had a "one off" base made by Shandwick Supply in Scotland years ago for a Picatinny rail so I could fit a SUSAT to a home built AR light weight carbine. It's a very solid, accurate setup. I like it. Much like Peter, I haven't much use for the SUIT outside of collectibility. I have fired an SLR extensively with one fitted and it's OK off the bench but I'd be leery of it in a serious scenario.

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Originally Posted by skiprat

To mount a SUSAT on a L1A1 you will need a "one off" mount using the non standard "nato standard rail" and that could be a bit expencive, also the sight line of the SUSAT would be a lot higher than any other sight fitted to an L1A1.

a SUIT sight and L1A1 mout should be about the same price as a good SUSAT, I tink SUSAT prices are on their way down... and may be .......SUIT sights on the way up.

(there will be SUIT sights for sale at the War and Peace show this year ;) )

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I already have a Picatinny top cover sitting around doing nothing, and there's actually lots of SUSAT to Weaver/Picatinny adaptor rails around that the airsoft mob use, at around £20 each. They are quite low profile so I'm going to give one a try.

---------- Post added at 08:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:41 PM ----------

Thanks to you all for your comments, my gut feeling to stick with the SUSAT is probably the right one (I missed the end of the SUIT auction anyway :rolleyes: :D)

the SUSATs are a good strong sight , ( a lot stronger than a SUIT sight.) but they can be a difficult to zero, they can wander,
There is no need for the locking washers and nuts... these were fitted due to the user and skill at arms instructors not knowing how to zero the sight properly.

some well used SUSAT mounts will have a loose elevation screw... when the range drum is moved the elevation screw moves as well!!!! and the small cross pin holding the elevation screw can fall out...

there are a couple of types of SUSAT that have cross hairs insted of the thick pointer.

Pete, I can only repeat what Skippy has mentioned really. They are a pretty sturdy optic, & have used them a LOT!......;)

I believe the demise of the SUSAT in Service was due to lack of spares? The company that made them refused to do a run of spares under 10,000. It wasnt worth them setting up a production run for any less!
I also heard that ABRO were canabalising scrapper sights for spares to keep some of the in service sights 'On the road' so to speak. When they ran out of the required parts. The manufacturer was contacted, & they replied with the above statement. That is why a LOT have appeared on the Uk Market........ End result is the ACOG, cheaper to replace the optic sight with this apparantly. Than tool up for spares for a proven optical sight unit!.........

One day I'll tell you all the whole sorry saga of the well liked, tough and hard wearing SUSAT sight and how commercial companies on contract deal with economies of scale........., especially when it's not their money! Dear o' dear........... It'd make a good lesson for a business course at my sons university! Now there's a thought..........

The SUIT on the foreign auction site went for EUR 577 in the end :move eek:

Bugger that!

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Originally Posted by Peter Laidler

One day I'll tell you all the whole sorry saga of the well liked, tough and hard wearing SUSAT sight and how commercial companies on contract deal with economies of scale........., especially when it's not their money! Dear o' dear........... It'd make a good lesson for a business course at my sons university! Now there's a thought..........

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Pete, When I worked for M----y on building fifties & GPMGs Etc. I asked the boss one day. How do you arrive at your retail prices to the M.O.D? he replied, ' Well, you get your total manufacturing costs added up. Add on 20 percent, & then TREBBLE the figure'........I ALWAYS got the STRONG impression that they looked upon the M.O.D & foriegn equivelents as Mugs!.........

I could tell you tales that would make your hair stand on end Mate!..........& I can GUARANTEE, you could do the same! Lol! ;)

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Originally Posted by tankhunter

Pete, When I worked for M----y on building fifties & GPMGs Etc. I asked the boss one day. How do you arrive at your retail prices to the M.O.D? he replied, ' Well, you get your total manufacturing costs added up. Add on 20 percent, & then TREBBLE the figure'........I ALWAYS got the STRONG impression that they looked upon the M.O.D & foriegn equivelents as Mugs!.........

I could tell you tales that would make your hair stand on end Mate!..........& I can GUARANTEE, you could do the same! Lol! ;)

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I think thats the same for all government contractors, that well know British defence contractor for the Aerospace industry is exactly the same, only they multiply 5 fold I'm sure!

Wouldn't a practical problem be that the SUSAT is designed with almost zero eye relief? Mounting it on a 7.62 rifle might generate a few cases of "sniper's eyebrow".
SUIT sights had a concertina style eye cup to take up the recoil movement.

Only the early SUITS had the concertina type eye cup. Ours all had a small eye cup. Good thought about the almost zero eye relief from M-10. Newver gave it a thought but the rubber eye cup was pretty flexible and about an inch or so deep so would be quite forgiving if you took your eye off the ball. Mind you, if it DID hit you, you'd definately be keeping your eye off the ball!