Printable View
On usedguns.com.au exactly what is this hybrid made for the jungles in India rather like a cross bred bitsa and is it a rare beast!
Calibre/Item: 308W
Make: RFI
Model: 2A1
Action: Bolt repeater
Condition: Excellent
Price: $1990
Advertised: 19/04/2017
Comment: SN. 21581. RFI 2A1 in .308 Win, 1965 manufacture, with all matching numbers. Bore is as new. $1890 Paid in Full.
Rebel Gun Works 1 Atherton St, Woolloongabba Qld
(sorry for the small pic)
Cannot tell for sure, new to this and trying to figure some of this out, but I would guess you have either a Gibbs #9 jungle carbine or one produced by Century Arms. I do not believe these were original but rather a later attempt to take advantage of the #5 carbine market with a more easily found calibre. Seems as though they are rather proud of it judging from the price they are asking,
These little rifles sell in the UK for between £450 to £650 depending on condition I have been told that they are considerably cheaper in the US.
Yeah but have s look at all their prices cinders. Dearest enfields in the country, can't understand how they sell any.
You're asking are they something special or a creation of a vivid imagination? I think they're imagination and fancy.Quote:
Originally Posted by CINDERS
Who produced it and why! Is it an ordnance produced weapon by an armoury or some ones Buck Rogers imagination for the upcoming invasion from space by Aliens from the planet Klendathu !!!!!!
What I found out about it I asked earlier if they knew who produced them anyway here is what came up on a utube comment;
This rifle is actually not built on a British .303 receiver as you said at the beginning. These were assembled by the Gibbs rifle company here in the US using Ishapore 2A and 2A1 rifles that came from India and were based on the Enfield No. 1 Mk III. The 2As and 2A1s rolled off the assembly line cambered in .308 and this rifle would never have been a .303.
Also, the rifle was not smuggled into the US. If you look on the bottom or side of the barrel, there is a small stamping that details the name of the company that imported the rifle into the US.
Thanks for the replies guys.
Sorry guys I copied the vid for you to watch it is hilarious if Peter L or any one really who can sit through this lot without tearing his hair out at this chaps explanations especially on the bolt and its lock up & extraction I will be mighty impressed with Peters or their patience at a complete nutter..........
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&r...zVHJPghHTr17rg
Cheers:cheers:
Do they ever sell any of them?Quote:
Originally Posted by Homer
Same ones seem to have been for sale for a long time.
After what those guys did a little while back, I'd hope they never sold another item... Ever.
Over the years I have often seen these non-standard rifles being sold to the general shooting public as "rare" variations of the rifles. The Gibbs 2A1 being one of them. What the builders/importers do not tell you is that the rifles when received as surplus from overseas often has a number of rifles that have bulged barrels at the muzzles from mud or debris being in the barrels as they are shot. In order to recover the loss of the rifles the importers will either sell the rifles as scrap for parts or modify the rifles into a short version of the standard rifles. A lot of the initial production commercial M1 tankers are short rifles built with original M1 barrels that were originally bulged and then shortened to 16 inches. I have also seen the same for semi-auto version of the M16 rifle barrel shorten to 16" inches. In a lot of cases the M16A1 rifle bores are in excellent condition it is just the front end of the muzzle is enlarged from the debris in the muzzle while being shot. I suspect the same is true from the large number of No4 MKI or MK2 rifles that were imported into the US from overseas. They sell better as a No 5 MKI Jungle Carbine.
Cheers
--fjruple
Was there any relaxation on the pressures regarding the 7.62 (308) with these builds regarding the No.1 MkIII actions as the 308 operates in a different realm of pounds/sq inch than the 303 round, I mean you can get a modern barrel proofed to match the cartridges pressures but the action has to be able to take it as well just curious.
That's always been my concern about a No1 Mk3 action and a 7.62 round. Probably nothing to worry about but still...Quote:
Originally Posted by CINDERS
Ah, the RFI 2A/2A1. The illustrious "Barney Fife rifle". Here's your rifle and here's one cartridge. Please put it in your pocket! Thousands were sold here by the big importers in the 80's and 90's. The majority or them are out of spec too.
The above might be true for some rifles but not necessarily all as I have a RFI 2A1 "jungle carbine" that is in as new condition and is 1967 dated. As to the question in post #10 all rifles here in the UK have to pass through the proof house before being sold so at least over here we know that they have been 19T pressure tested.Quote:
Originally Posted by fjruple
I don't know if the Indian manufacture for the action changed when they converted from .303 to 7.62 but they did make a lot of them over quite a long time.....
I had been told that the Indians used a stronger grade of steel in their recievers to handle the pressures of the 7.62mm NATO round. I found these rifles to be most unnerving rifles I have ever shot. I would take the standard No1 MKIII .303 rifle over them any day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buccaneer
--fjruple
The steel spec for the Indian made rifles was the same throughout. I say the same but that is not scientifically correct. However, it is correct within the metallurgical window created and allowed for in the steel mix process. Confirmed during metallurgical trials