Viewpoint - British Army Contract for L96A1 Sniper Rifle (by Gil Boyd B.E.M)

[Peter Laidler]

The barrel change for an L96 wasn't a unit level op Nigel according to my experience and the EMER's. It was a Field/Command ABRO operation because it needed a set of special barrel and body clamps and a funny torque wrench adaptor. But they rarely needed a change although so-said, one lot of barrels, made somewhere up near the border as I understand it, were always suspect! One that I know of was said to shoot like a pig. The would-be sniper couldn't hit a cows ar5e with a cricket bat. The barrel was absolutely mint and when viewed by me and S/Sgt Geordie XXXX, was certainly only just into its first 1/4 of life. Changed the barrel and it came back a different rifle. That was the only one I recall that caused any head scratching. But as for AI............. what a xxxxxxx lot to deal with!

Just thought that I'd add that the first port of call for excess CHS was to change the bolt of course. On the L96, both the bolt body and the shroud were numbered

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[Gil Boyd]

Nigel,
You are right............the cream Parachute Battalion..... 2 PARA of course (I have to say that) had the M85 for over 3 years as they were forced into the L96 later in 1988 just as they were to embark on looking after Rudolph Hess for a secondment of 2 years in Berlin.

This occurred due to shooting competitions in BAOR where all had to fire the same front line sniper rifle.
I would suspect 2 RGJ would have been in a very much of a same situation, but not 100% sure on them. I can confirm however, that the Gurkhas had them in Hongkong then, and I suspect they hung onto them for dear life, as they loved them and it was a long long way away to be able to change them at a drop of a hat.
I think from my early research on the rifle, that two of our members have one of each from these two Regiments, perhaps they can date there's.
My rifle was built in 1990, and I am hopefully getting the M85 list as they were manufactured, sometime this week, so might be able to give some specific information on rifles for their owners.
Gil