Lithgow L1A1

[Peter Laidler]

At the time of peak production, Australia had a big Army comparatively speaking, with 10 full-strength Infantry battalions AND support arms AND with 2+ battalions fighting in Vietnam AND a full battalion permanently in Malaya.

I don't know for sure but I don't think Britain sold many L1A1 rifles - they were just tooooo expensive! We tried to sell virtually new but certainly FTR'd L1A1's to the newly formed Lebanese Army in the late 80's but that failed even for a give-away price. although we did ''gift' zillions to the Sierra Leone Army - but enough said about them....... I think that they started to 'gift' rifles eventually but not until the 70's. I only have the saga piecemeal from the people I know and worked with. One of my bosses, WO1 Clive Connors had the full insight into the episode. Australia had to make a living and exports were valuable currencyespecially when the African Countries were paying in the £Sterling they'd received as foreign aid.

Another person who was well aware of the story was one of the members of the steering committee who was involved with the interchangeability of parts called Capt Steve Sxxxxxx from the SASC. He often used comment that Lithgow were always well ahead of the game, once they'd got the new machinery.

I'm sure that I have asked this before, but did Canada sell LB made L1A1's abroad? Gift them to foreign nations?

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[enbloc8]

From what I understand, the Canadian government had a standing policy against any foreign weapon sales. So no, there were no Long Branch-made C1s/C2s sold outside of Canada. I'm told that they did try to sell parts to other nations that had L1A1s, but they were turned down as too expensive and too "oddball" in many cases compared to standard production.

Because of this, Long Branch Arsenal eventually lost its relevance once the Canadian Forces were fully equipped by the mid-60s, and was finally shut down in 1976. And because Canada dropped all their C1s and C2s in the shredder in the 90s (including 50,000 Colt Canada-rebuilt C1A1s in war reserve), all that remained were a comparative handful in civilian and police hands, and whatever parts were sold off as surplus. Needless to say, assembling a C1 or C2 of any sort in the States is a daunting task!

[David TS]

At the time of peak production, Australia had a big Army comparatively speaking, with 10 full-strength Infantry battalions AND support arms AND with 2+ battalions fighting in Vietnam AND a full battalion permanently in Malaya.

I don't know for sure but I don't think Britain sold many L1A1 rifles - they were just tooooo expensive! We tried to sell virtually new but certainly FTR'd L1A1's to the newly formed Lebanese Army in the late 80's but that failed even for a give-away price. although we did ''gift' zillions to the Sierra Leone Army - but enough said about them....... I think that they started to 'gift' rifles eventually but not until the 70's. I only have the saga piecemeal from the people I know and worked with. One of my bosses, WO1 Clive Connors had the full insight into the episode. Australia had to make a living and exports were valuable currencyespecially when the African Countries were paying in the £Sterling they'd received as foreign aid.

Another person who was well aware of the story was one of the members of the steering committee who was involved with the interchangeability of parts called Capt Steve Sxxxxxx from the SASC. He often used comment that Lithgow were always well ahead of the game, once they'd got the new machinery.

I'm sure that I have asked this before, but did Canada sell LB made L1A1's abroad? Gift them to foreign nations?

The West Side Boys - hmmm.

Operation Barras was at least payback though.