what is an M.83?

[Lee Enfield]

I found reference to the "M.83" in a museum collection, is there any known documentation or photos?

Information

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[Gil Boyd]

Well the obvious references to PH M83? but I suppose there must be loads of Militaria with that number attributed to it!

[Lee Enfield]

Well the obvious references to PH M83? but I suppose there must be loads of Militaria with that number attributed to it!

Hi Gil,
being in the PH subforum I expected that it might be obvious...

what is a Parker-Hale M.83?

[Gil Boyd]

IMHO a PH M83 is no more than a 1200 TX rifle used for target shooting and called that for ease, but as I don't know the history of each number and how they were attributed, (as clearly even those working for PH are confused) is left to history!
Not my expertise that one! I have asked Bill Smallwood to see if he can come up with an acceptable answer for you.

[Lee Enfield]

IMHO a PH M83 is no more than a 1200 TX rifle used for target shooting and called that for ease, but as I don't know the history of each number and how they were attributed, (as clearly even those working for PH are confused) is left to history!
Not my expertise that one! I have asked Bill Smallwood to see if he can come up with an acceptable answer for you.

There are a bunch at Royal Armouries museum

[Gil Boyd]

I believe, after speaking to Bill, that it was there as M82 because it fell in the sequence of numbering at PH at the time, but Roger Hale clearly never filled it with a "real" rifle.

I went through the records, and there is absolutely no recording of what can be called an M82 in the registers, lots of (prototypes) but no M82's.

One would therefore suspect if indeed there are a small few out there numbered as such they would bring a good price!! Bill might dig up some more info.

[rgg_7]

Parker Hale built a M83 for sale in the iron curtain countries. It was a 7.62x51 4 shot target rifle. Only seen pictures however it was built on the square top receiver like the M86 and had a 1200TX barrel , bottom metal and L81 sights. There's a couple pictures on the net however not much detail. Ron (Canada)

[rgg_7]

Info I found { Google} was from a book "Rifles of The World - by John Walter". I copied the page. If somebody wants the info they can send their email to my PM and I'll forward. Ron (Canada).

[Lee Enfield]

Info I found { Google} was from a book "Rifles of The World - by John Walter". I copied the page. If somebody wants the info they can send their email to my PM and I'll forward. Ron (Canada).

Rifles of the World - John Walter - Google Books

a statement in a book, even if titled "rifles of the world" is hardly a reliable reference. In this case the article is full of misinformation and contradictory info...typical gobblygook to fill word counts.

Does he have footnotes referencing any documents to prove the statement? photos perhaps?

in a word, "nope"


I would suspect that the "M83" might well be the first iteration of the re-inforced Mauser 98 action developed in the M84/85/86/87, but until someone actually see's one, or finds a legitimate reference, it's all conjecture.

I take it that the L81a1 is an M84, https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1139490 while an L81A2 is the totally round top m. 98 action?

[Gil Boyd]

Probably have to agree, sadly nothing reliable to go on from the period, as those examples are clearly in the Leeds RA, but there was clearly some thought given, and it would have been a logical sequential numbering of the rifle model, by PH. I would probably have to fall back on my original view of a variant of the 1200TX target rifle.