L96A1 Purchase? or New Accuracy International AW

[Roy W]

Thanks Pete. I only ask because I've seen another variant that has L96 designation on the receiver, incl the NSN , but carries a PM Prefix serial number. The barrel and action are green, and the flash hider is not the swirl variant, but more akin to the Parker Hale Scout twin port version.

Not the normal PM, but not the military L96 either.Attachment 67915Attachment 67916

[Roy W]

engravingAttachment 67918

[Peter Laidler]

Still a civvy model and definately a civvy barrel. Think Sterling SMG's. Sterling used to endorse their commercial Sterling Mk4's and 5's with L2A3 or L34A1 on the magazine housing when they were identical to the actual MoD L2A3 or L34 SMG's. That way a buyer would know that what they were getting was the equivalent of the L2 or the L34. The difference with the one you have illustrated is that there is no provision for the UK MoD iron foresight. Easily rectified of course but......

[bravo2zero]

Something not quite right with the scope mount / rings. Looks like it's been over tightened and the upper ring has bent in the middle on the Devizes site

[Brian B]

L96a1 pm
There's a Police version L96 currently for sale at Devizes Gunsmiths

http://www.thedevizesgunsmith.co.uk/...ce-and-sniper/

Roy W,

Thanks for the heads up. I am holding out for the real deal, although I may go to my grave never owning & shooting one!!

Brian B

[mike1967]

Nice thing, but 15,000GBP really !

[chosenman]

Nice thing, but 15,000GBP really !

If AI rifles are your thing then this is an interesting rifle. It is the original PM rifle and this particular rifle is ex Northumbrian Police. This is the model supplied to the military (SAS) for their assessment and which caught the attention of the MOD. Remember L96A1 is the designation applied to the rifle after the MOD adopted it.

£15,000 is, I would suggest quite accurate. Ex police models range between 15-20,000 depending on CES and of course if the all important L96A1 and NSN is present. The police barrel is pretty rare in its own right.

[Peter Laidler]

So, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here, you're saying that the Police had the rifle BEFORE the UK MIlitary - who contracted for, (and part funded it if the truth were to emerge) it in the first place! Indeed, they STILL hold the IPRights to it and that's the reason why................ Anyway......

Nope....... The designation of L1A1, L95, L86, L98 is provisionally allocated by XXXX at XXXX XXXX towards the end of the trials period when the shouting is over, outcome is not in any doubt when the contract is issued*. It is part of the 'soft-case' element where the hard case trials are over and the formalities (the soft case discussed around the table) are settled. The cack-handed threaded barrels were not police barrels per-se but an option available in the confidential parts list as was the cack-hand threaded sound moderator to suit. This soft case part is also known as the 'codification' stage.

*some equipment, especially upgraded equipment already in service in another guise, such as the No4T, certain ambulance type Land Rovers, the Clansman radio etc etc are allocated an experimental X designator or occasionally an Ex.

[chosenman]

No Peter, I'm not saying the police had the rifle before the military I'm saying its the same PM model and having discussed the Air Service assessment with a guy who was part of it I can say those early rifles being punted to the military and the police by AI had black receivers and barrels equipped with the flash eliminator just like the rifle currently available with Devizes. I would suggest the flash eliminator was an amateurish attempt by AI to "militarise" the rifle in an attempt to provide something they perceived the military expected, furthermore, Parker Hale did the same with their prototype M85. I think in the case of AI and having spoken with Dave Walls they applied their target shooting knowhow to produce a unique bench rest rifle and the flash eliminator put a military spin on it. It was probably turn up for the books when the military dropped it and the police adopted it.

The rifle in question with Devizes is 87 dated and does not have the L96A1 designation, by 89 the police rifles did. Its interesting as it would look to have been supplied at the end of the "PM" reign before the L96A1 avenue opened up. Its also interesting that the Air Service continued to refer to their snipers as "PM Snipers".

[bravo2zero]

[ATTACH][ATTACH]Attachment 68020[/ATTACH][/ATTACH]thought i would post a picture of my L96A1 with the L17A1 scope