My new Lithgow, New Zealand contract L1A1

[mrclark303]

Couldn't agree more, I have restored quite a few British L1A1 wood sets and about half have been heavily varnished in the past, why .... who knows .... It looks dreadful on any military rifle, Personally though, I use raw linseed oil, quite a few coatings and a final hand buff to finish.

I will give you a call next week for a catch up mate, been ridiculously busy!

[mrclark303]

While I agree with you on the look of the triangular two slot handguards, the reason this rifle is fitted out like this, is that I already have an Enfield L1A1 in wood, (including the two slot triangular forend and wood carry handle), so I wanted my Lithgow to represent a rifle in the latter period of its service.

I quite like the look and feel of the Laminate.

[nzl1a1collector]

You can thank the British for the Laminated Handguards, Lithgow got examples from England and the first ones made by them used British metal fittings and I think the laminate was British as well as the material isn't the same as the later "Mark 2 Laminated" handguards

[Peter Laidler]

Anyone know when the laminates first came out? I first saw the laminated handguards on British pool supplied L1A1's in Malaya in 1967. Saw them slowly coming in as spare parts in Australia in 68 or 69 but we still had stocks of the originals too. We had been told that we were getting new handguards made from PAXOLIN, the stuff that No7 bayonet grips are pressed out from. Good idea but they'd have been tooooo slippery unless they were roughened up

[mrclark303]

Anyone know when the laminates first came out? I first saw the laminated handguards on British pool supplied L1A1's in Malaya in 1967. Saw them slowly coming in as spare parts in Australia in 68 or 69 but we still had stocks of the originals too. We had been told that we were getting new handguards made from PAXOLIN, the stuff that No7 bayonet grips are pressed out from. Good idea but they'd have been tooooo slippery unless they were roughened up

I think trials were completed in 1966 and general issue to store in 1967, someone involved in the trials told me a few years back, can't remember who now.

Out of interest Peter, did you have any Canadian C1's in the Warminster collection?

I have set myself (the probably impossible task) of locating a C1A1 kit and building it up to complete my live Commonwealth Fal collection..

Enfield 1962 and Lithgow 1964 in the bag so far, anyone got a lead on a C1A1 receiver kit?

[Peter Laidler]

Yep, we did have a couple of Canadian C1's at Warminster. Thje odd thing is that of the thousands and thousands that I saw, I could recognise the Australian one of course that'd come from the large pooled stores stockpiles in the Far East, but don't think I saw a Canadian on in service even thoug we had pooled Ordnance stocks in Germany (or was that just pooled ammo supplies) but the weapon stocks were pooled for UN duties in Cyprus (?BAR, comment). Those handguard dates certainly equate to when I started to see them but KtK will come on stream and tell us the exact date!

They were certainly more robust than the solid wood versions that were nothing but trouble. They used to split forwards from the screw holes which was a reasonably simple cut-out and patch repair or just a slip patch. But if the threaded insert started to rotate with the screw, that meant the handguard was scrap. What a waste and dues-out (the wait for stores) was months ahead due to the backlog! The rear used to split along the thin part alongside the rear end of the gas tube/carrying handle nut. You COULD repair this bit if you were bored witless but I don't know anyone who did it except as apprentices. I did do one on a nice looking deact for someone recently but under duress followed by a nice bottle........

[browningautorifle]

but the weapon stocks were pooled for UN duties in Cyprus (?BAR, comment).

Until we started discussing this a few years back Peter, I had no idea you had used ours and we(?) had used yours. Even on overseas duty, I never saw a UK or Assie rifle in our stores. Never saw or even heard of a non Canadian serial number in passing. It would have been talked about by the troops...eg, I knew of serial 0L0004, and 0L 0001...anything unusual. I knew of rifles that had been tested for Rockwell, and (RC)MP issue/return rifles. I never saw foreign parts on our rifles either. Perhaps they were culled upon initial inspection by the armorers. They would have to be examined upon delivery before acceptance.

[nzl1a1collector]

Lithgow received samples of the British Laminated Handguard components and manufacturing instructions around September 1967. Where Lithgow SAF utilized British made components to assemble their first Laminated Handguards, these handguards don't have the typical makers marking 'BS' on them. The production version (Mark 1) are marked with BS and a two digit date BS68 or BS69. Then in 1969 the Mark 2 version with the standard type rivets became the standard.

[Peter Laidler]

Those dates all fit in nicely.

Re the pooled stores issue BAR. Ther were certainly all repaired at the big Base workshops in Wetter in Germany but maybe the small arms weren't pooled as such. But all our ammo was from pooled stocks. Like you, I never saw or noticed a Canadian rifle in our service.

[enbloc8]

I used to let butt stocks stand upright in a bowl of the stuff. To allow the wood grain to absorb it by 'sucking' it up!

Never thought of that! Thank you!