SLR L1A1 STRAIGHT PULL

[Gil Boyd]

I asked Bill Smallwood of Parker Hale if he had seen it used before and this was his reply:

Yes I have seen it, when we build a custom rifle in .308/7.62 we chamber it .308 non standard, this is done with a target reamer which has tighter tolerences, (neck,throat etc.) this gives for greater accuracy but will make the standard 7.62 round hard to extract some times, when we chamber in the none standard .308 chamber we submit it to proof with all the correct measurements and they stamp it as .308 NONE STANDARD and add the neck, and throat size, there are 3 different measurements but i will get them e-mail them to you. This chamber will benefit you if you home load

That in part answers the sticking issue which I hope the GGG will resolve

[mrclark303]

Very interesting info Gil, this must be an issue in a SP L1A1.

While such a tight chamber has to be a good thing in a high end bolt target rifle, its bound to lead to trouble in a SP L1!

Chamber reamer required perhaps, but you should be pleasantly surprised by the GGG.

[bigduke6]

Well that certainly clears up the issue regarding ammo........ just remember Gil, Target shooters get really anal about ammo, some have reloading rooms.......... the easy option would be to send a .308 reamer down it.

My mate had the same issue with a 7.62 x 51mm target rifle and the bolt wouldn't close or had real problems on normal ammo, I opened it up with a .308 and no more issues.

Peter at least now its one variable that can be taken out the equation, with correct loaded ammo or opening up the chamber would be a starting point.....

[browningautorifle]

.308/7.62 we chamber it .308 non standard, this is done with a target reamer which has tighter tolerences, (neck,throat etc.) this gives for greater accuracy but will make the standard 7.62 round hard to extract some times,

there are 3 different measurements

And a reamer will make it standard...and I'll bet no one will actually be able to tell the difference on paper.

[David TS]

Given that the SAAMI spec headspace measurement for the .308 Win cartridge is different to the 7.62 x 51 NATO spec in all of GO, NOGO and FIELD, this may well have a bearing on hard extraction issues.

Unless you know what any particular SP L1A1 is chambered and headspaced at, I think it reduces the experiment to one of simply trying what ammunition works and what doesn't.

If any given rifle suffers HE issues, unless you know exactly the dimensions of what it is headspaced and chambered at, you can't try and correct it.

Bill Smallwood's answer was interesting, but only of use if he were to give the dimensions of his reamers.

I wouldn't just chuck a .308 reamer down a chamber until I had at least done a minimum of a headspace check on it.

.308

GO 1.630"
NOGO 1.634"
FIELD 1.638"

7.62x51

GO 1.635"
NOGO 1.6405"
FIELD 1.6455"

[browningautorifle]

I wouldn't just chuck a .308 reamer down a chamber until I had art least done a headspace check on it.

It will only remove the outside diameter not length, no change in HS. The target reams are very small in outside dia...

[Gil Boyd]

David,
He is sending me the "three" different measurements, that will be interesting too.
Thanks everyone for taking time out to try to solve "my" issue with this one rifle. Just spoken to Paul of Enfield Guns and he says this is the only one he has had, that had that proof mark etched on it..........so it is going to be a trial and error scenario until headspaces/rounds etc can be ratified.
But not forgetting of course others have had a similar issue with stoppages on SP L1A1's!

[David TS]

It will only remove the outside diameter not length, no change in HS. The target reams are very small in outside dia...

Jim

You've got me confused there!

A standard chamber reamer will cut both diameter and shoulder. Unless you headspace the existing chamber first, how would you know how far to send another reamer down the chamber with the intention of increasing the chamber diameter, before you start taking metal off the shoulder, thus increasing chamber length, and increasing headspace?

[mrclark303]

Back to the GGG, does your rifle shoot well with it David?

I know of two Imbel Fals that also shoot particularly well with that brand.

Both mine are faultless with it. Hopefully Gils will appreciate a steady diet of finest Lithuanian cuisine too!

[enfield303t]

Maybe off topic and apologies in advance for being so, however it's something that needs raising awareness of -

If you're a UK shooter it's worth finding out what a MARS rifle is - it, along with 50 cal, is currently under UK government consultation, namely "moving two firearms (.50 calibre and certain rapid firing rifles) from the general licensing arrangements to the stricter provisions of section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968".
This means banning them.
Few people shoot 50 cal I know, and yes it doesn't directly affect me either if they get banned, but it comes across as divide and conquer, once they've gone what's the next category to get rid of?
It's worth looking into and writing to your MP about.
Sorry again to hijack the thread but the more people that know about this the better.

Jon

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.