Quote Originally Posted by Roy W View Post
Michael

You are confusing L96A1 issued rifles, L96A1 Trials rifles and special purchase PM/S rifles.

The SBS and SAS have their own funding and a Special Projects Team. They ordered PM rifles before the L96 was ever designed, trialled or ordered. The exact numbers are in Steve's book, but numbered around the 20's for each unit from memory. The SAS ones specified an Ambidextrous safety as well.

These rifles are different to L96's because the L96 didn't exist at the time.

Once the trial had been completed and the contract issued, then none of the issued L96 rifles would have had the flash hider because it was never part of the Spec.

So the rifles that the SF may have had with swirly flash hiders were PM/S not L96's. Nor were they standard Military Issue.

I expect the early PM rifles were destroyed and replaced by the L96. I can't recall ever seeing an ambidextrous safety on any rifle in civvy hands.

Police Rifles have been seen with them, so it remained a commercial option.
Hi Roy,

No I am not confusing the L96 rifle and the other versions. I am well aware the L96 spec when finalised did not include the a muzzle device or suppressor. what I am interested in is why when the trials spec specified muzzle devices, a couple of muzzle devices where present on the version of the trials AIs and others where part of options AI offered at the time none made it through.