C3A1

[303 Collector]

I've had these gauges for a while. They are all marked C3A1 sniper rifle. They all came in a plastic box with the Parker Hale logo on the lid. They are all coated in an oily protective coat which I did not want to clean off for the photos.
Can anyone tell me if they are tool room production gauges or did Parker Hale supply them with the rifles as or part of an armourers kit.
How many did they make?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Peter Laidler]

I would say that based on what I can read stamped on the gauges, that these are a set of 'setting-up' gauges used at the factory. I say that because some of them, like datum hole markers and go-no go height gauges for setting up the mount base would be immaterial for the unit of field workshops. The mount base is already drilled!

Photos of the markings might clarify the situation. As a rule, based on my limited experience with the No4T, L42, P-H L81 and L96's, we used relatively few gauges and in any case, unless they were gauges that we'd made ourselves to make life easier, they were all CT&G hardened tool steel with the designation etched on the surface and calibrated annually. Yep, they'll be factory set-up gauges.

[Lee Enfield]

I've had these gauges for a while. They are all marked C3A1 sniper rifle. They all came in a plastic box with the Parker Hale logo on the lid. They are all coated in an oily protective coat which I did not want to clean off for the photos.
Can anyone tell me if they are tool room production gauges or did Parker Hale supply them with the rifles as or part of an armourers kit.
How many did they make?

Well I think that you scored, especially if you're going to go into production building C3A1 rifles...

[Gil Boyd]

The plastic cases were commonplace sold with rifle cleaning kits of the 70's but I have taken advice on what you have there, as it does look like an engineers formers and confirmation lasts on final measurements of the setup for the C3A1's. I have seen something similar on photos of the workshop at PH. Wait out.

[Gil Boyd]

303Collector,
Spoken to Bill Smallwood an accomplished engineer with PH for many years, and he can't remember them at all, but he will speak to a few others that are still alive and report back.
The NO and NO GO gauges ring bells with him, but that could be an engineers way of approval of course right across the civvy board!!