Printable View
After seeing MrClarkes L2A1 rifles I decided to unearth mine and give it a spruce up. I picked it up years ago cheap as the bolt always got stuck half way forward. After having a good luck and getting the bolt out under spring pressure I found the problem. Looks like the deactivator has ground the hammer down causing it to catch the bolt and hold it back. Doubt I'll find one of those!!
Also, does anyone want to swop a FN marked top cover for a Lithgow item?
Is there much difference in the current market value between the old spec U.K. deactivated British and Australian version of the SLR or are they of similar value in similar condition?
Can you strip out the lower receiver components? If so, get the groove in the hammer filled with weld and regrind it to a smooth profile. A 10 minute job!Quote:
Originally Posted by Brit plumber
Are you asking if anyone has a hammer? Those are almost simple to get here...there should be some in the UK still?Quote:
Originally Posted by Brit plumber
I've not seen any hammers for sale in the U.K. For years. I assumed because the Spec change.
I think welding it is beyond possibilities. It's been proper hacked!!
Well then, considering what it does and doesn't have to do now...can you make a replacement? You have one to work from. It just needs to sort of function...? Or can I ship you one without going to jail?
With regard to old spec, about the same F10, Lithgow's are more commonly encountered, generally ex NZ or Singapore contact pieces, usually with matching numbers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
British L1's are Far less common and generally mix masters. I have two British fully restored (wood stocked) matching number rifles in the collection.
These magazines came from a salvage yard many years ago, still completeAttachment 80368Attachment 80369
Wow T48 magazines, they are extremely rare, three of them are quite the find!
In the days before digital cameras, I had one of those guns out in Gagetown. One of 3303 rifles...and it wasn't bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclark303
What a rifle to own Jim, a really rare beast! I trust she headed back over the border before the ban?
Back in 1976, I co authored an article for Guns Illustrated which was part of the Gun Digest publications, it was titled "Whatever Happened to the T-48 ?" . The first group of around 3303 rifles were manufactured by FN and 200 of these were the heavy barrels with a selector the others being semi auto. High Standard of Hamden, Connecticut also manufactured a small number of T48 rifles, I saw serial number HS 13 which was a lightweight example designed to reduced the total weight, the other High Standard T48's were the standard model. I could never determine the magazine used by High Standard but believe it might have been the FN.
H&R also manufactured 500 T48 rifles all with the standard weight barrel and with HRA marked magazines.
Winchester also had an example of a double barreled T48 chambered for the necked down 22/7,62x51mm cartridge too
I seem to recall a cache of T48's at Marine Corps depot Quantico, the same store had brand new in the wrap British L1A1's procured for some trial or other, but never used..
I can't remember where this story came from, Fal-files I think...
Attachment 80395
Some units of the US Army took basic training with the HRA T-48 (the HRA was marked T-48). The USMC has a number of T48 rifles still at Quantico, you are correct. Photos from an original FN T.48 Rifle manual
Attachment 80396Attachment 80397Attachment 80398Attachment 80399Attachment 80400
It was in the military collection I built up in Camp Gagetown. It's military owned so it's safe. It came from one of the regimental military museums and had a cracked forend wood and no breechblock. I used a standard FN C1A1 BB and took the wood home for some Microbed from Brownells and some curing time. The rifle was about new. Not beat right down like test rifles normally are... I knew what it was then too...Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclark303
Nice one Jim, do you know if it's still there?
I can't get a no BS answer out of anyone, Sentryduty is about the closest to having been through there lately...no one seems to know ANYTHING about a foreign weapons collection down there. That was 21 years ago now. Absolutely anything could have happened. Sadly...Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclark303
What's a 3303 rifle?
There were 2 privately owned H&R T48 rifles registered to the same address in Alberta.Quote:
Originally Posted by RCS
I'm told that the regimental collections were largely "cleaned out" shortly after the FLQ crisis - most of the "good stuff" was destroyed to remove temptation from potentially rebellious QC'ers.Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
There were a decent number of Ex1 trials rifles manufactured as, or traded for T48 and X8E1 type rifles. This is probably why while the US trialed the folding trigger guard, the UK trialed the charger loading top cover, but Canada adopted them.
-I take it that this stands for "For The Liberation of Quebec"Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Enfield
I can't figure out what you mean by QC'ers; could you translate please?
Quebecers I think F10...
QC is the abbreviation for the Province of Quebec.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
"Front de libération du Québec" unfortunately partially a crisis precipitated by Charles de Gaulle's visit to Canada during the Expo '67 in Montreal
Vive le Québec libre - Wikipedia
Basically the FLQ was a socialist-marxist extremist group with aspirations of Quebec separation as a socialist independent country in North America.
www.canadiansoldiers.com
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.c...ctober-crisis/
October Crisis - Wikipedia
Jim, I sincerely hope the T48 you adopted survived and didn't get the chop, it would be criminal to destroy such a rare rifle...Quote:
Originally Posted by browningautorifle
They produced about 3303 test rifles. Caliber was 7.62 X 51, it wasn't a misprint.Quote:
Originally Posted by green
Couldn't say about that, I know the lockup in Calgary at out museum still had a number of Model '86 Winchesters, a S&W light rifle 1940(no mag) and some M2 carbine variants. Lots of other stuff, that was 1981/82. This collection was gleaned out of the cracks in 1993/96. The racks were built specially for these and it took lots of room. Stores has to account for these so it's a pain. I expect they went away again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Enfield
One would hope that they would have deactivated rather than completely destroy a rare rifle.
I would have thought deactivation was unlikely F10, you have to bare in mind the vast majority of the population (Military and civilian) really couldn't care a less and have zero interest in such things as rare firearms.
The general mind set is, If it doesn't represent current issue equipment, or have a direct training value (i.e enemy weapons likely to be encountered) then it simply has no place being there.
They just don't see it the way enthusiast's like us see it...
There's been a big sweep out of non issue "live" Firearms from Military facilities right across the UK over the last couple of years, small base collections etc.
The military doesn't care a jot for that sort of thing. At best they'd be kept as a trophy which means welded solid and bolted to a board. If being disposed of they'll be cut into four inch pieces by the oxy/acetylene torch and tossed into the scrap bin. Ask Peter...and others here. The gov't here is in that whole train of though too. That whole time is past. Doesn't bother me either...too old to care.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flying10uk
Thanks to forum member mrclarke I now have a replacement hammer for my L1A1/L2A1. Like my hammer, this one had been cut through the centre but it was 100% better than the one fitted. I did 40 minutes of welding and filing to fill the cut and then a quick refinish and fitted it to the gun. It now cocks and functions (As functional as De-ac can be) perfectly.
Attachment 80579Attachment 80580Attachment 80581Attachment 80582Attachment 80583Attachment 80584Attachment 80585Attachment 80586
That's better, gives me the shivers just looking at one of those again. I must have been younger then...
Happy to help, so I guess your example was one of the L2's assembled from parts, Lithgow L1A1 receiver and TMH (with British woodwork)??, an L2 barrel, gas block and bipod...Quote:
Originally Posted by Brit plumber
I think quite a few ex Malay and Singapore contract L1's and L2's were "reduced to produce" in the UK back in the 1990's, some deactivated and assembled. Others sent as parts kits to the US.