SP L2A1 "look a like"

[mrclark303]

Evening Peter, the straight 30 rd mags are quite rare items in the UK.

I can't remember if they all came from Canada or Lithgow made there own.

No markings on mine whatsoever. Re the butts, I quite take your point from a service perspective, but today its a collectors perspective, sort of like you wouldn't fit a Late Rover steering wheel, or a 1998 A+ series engine in a 1967 Mini Cooper S.

Sad perhaps ( anoraks, yes, why not), but we collectors try to rebuild Rifles to represent a particular time frame of a types service history.

Tracking down and acquiring the "right" parts for the restoration is just part of the fun of owning any classic really...

[enbloc8]

No markings on mine whatsoever. Re the butts, I quite take your point from a service perspective, but today its a collectors perspective, sort of like you wouldn't fit a Late Rover steering wheel, or a 1998 A+ series engine in a 1967 Mini Cooper S.

Sad perhaps ( anoraks, yes, why not), but we collectors try to rebuild Rifles to represent a particular time frame of a types service history.

Tracking down and acquiring the "right" parts for the restoration is just part of the fun of owning any classic really...

I look at it as "get what works, till you can find what's 'right' ".

If it's any consolation, C2/L2 parts are no less difficult to find here in the States. Most (all?) of the unique parts were made by Long Branch in Canada, and they shut down for good in 1976...the Canadian MGs all went in the shredder (though spare parts came to the US), and only well-used Kiwi/Malayan L2s made it here as parts kits. If the Aussies made any of the LMG-specific parts themselves, I've never heard of it. I bought my L2 for a bit over $3000...somebody was recently advertising the unique parts on GB for nearly as much. Guess I'll never get a proper rear-sight top cover for mine....

[mrclark303]

I managed to acquire an ex NZ L2A1 last year, to my knowledge its the only privately owned example in the UK, I have certainly never seen or heard of any other examples of the fully spec'd Australian/NZ L2A1 with the top cover mounted back sight and blanking plate in private ownership.

I can only surmise that a number of them passed through the UK (as the bulk of the NZ L1's did) after being sold into the arms trade and my example was pulled aside and deactivated for some reason.

She's certainly the queen of my Inch pattern collection and by far the rarest of the breed with only a few hundred examples being supplied to NZ.

Long since given up on acquiring a C1 derivative.

A C1A1 backsight ( kindly supplied by Jim) will likely be as close as I get!

[desperatedan]

John, I know what you mean. C1A1 handguards (as you know the plain ones with no slots in) and new butt plates is where my Canadian project has stalled.
Kev

[browningautorifle]

C1A1 handguards

new butt plates

I wonder if I could find a set here? Should I look?

[mrclark303]

I would certainly be interested Jim, after Kev though as he mentioned it first.

[tombear]

I cant find a note of the serial but this was the L2A1 I sold on last year with the bits to go with By any chance is it the same one MrClark aquired? If it is I'm glad it went to a good home!

I've still got the set of Aussie M1956 webbing I built up to go with it.



I think that picture dates from after I managed to replace all the US M1956 parts with genuine Aussie ones, hows that for webbing sniffing?! Also got the sleep system that went with it and the diddy cut down mess tins etc.

ATB

Tom

[mrclark303]

I cant find a note of the serial but this was the L2A1 I sold on last year with the bits to go with By any chance is it the same one MrClark aquired? If it is I'm glad it went to a good home!

I've still got the set of Aussie M1956 webbing I built up to go with it.

Ah, I think so, I was after it and missed it on Milweb (I think we spoke on the phone mate), then it popped up at MDW, being parted out .... Top cover had been replaced for a standard example and standard flip sight fitted, I simply couldn't let this rare piece go, I did a deal and gathered the rifle back together...

I cosmetically restored her to join the collection. Here she is now with her Malay contract sister...

Attachment 89131

[desperatedan]

I wonder if I could find a set here? Should I look?

Thanks for the offer Jim but what I meant to say in my haste to post from my mobile phone was that those are the only parts I've got so far here in the UK. So like John's project its a definite "slow burn"!

I came across these handguards on a deactivated L1A1 a few years ago and that's what sparked my interest in the Canadian version.

Attachment 89132

[mrclark303]

Oh, good find Kev, rare items in the UK. I found building up a C1A1 in Straight pull almost impossible, unfortunately procuring a C1A1 reciver and TMH proved a complete no go...

You can't have everything I guess...