L1A1 Single Shot "UK" spec?? Any ideas?

[tailz]

David,

Do you have any plans of a video showing your L1A1 in action?

[OxfordAndy]

Does anyone want the drawings or a simple sketch of the butt removal tool? I'd make a dozen or so but there'll never be a great demand for them, especially in the UK. Maybe they're available from the US. Do you have any Brian at BDL?

Peter, demand may be higher than expected.

I searched the internet over the past few days and most of the places I found offering spares/parts for L1A1 showed the Butt Removal Tool as out of stiock.....

---------- Post added at 05:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:59 PM ----------

David,

Do you have any plans of a video showing your L1A1 in action?

There's a man suffering withdrawal!!

[tailz]

Peter, demand may be higher than expected.

I searched the internet over the past few days and most of the places I found offering spares/parts for L1A1 showed the Butt Removal Tool as out of stiock.....

---------- Post added at 05:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:59 PM ----------



There's a man suffering withdrawal!!

I've flogged the backside out of Youtube watching every L1A1, FN FAL vid I can get my grubby mits on. Desperate doesn't even come close..lol

[tailz]

Picked mine up today from Gavin and Gabby aswell.
Rifle is very nice, most parts seem original, apart from the gas block, which just acts as a mount for the front sight and the barrel (though you can't tell the barrel isn't original, only by the proof). The flash hider is original. Receiver, upper and lower, bolt carrier and bolt are all matching, though as said previously the bolt has been newly numbered.
There is no gas tube in the handguard. you can see the German proof on the barrel infront of the gas block, quite discrete.
Stripped and oiled everything, was a bit dry, and fitted the automatic bolt hold open on empty from an FAL, works perfectly, groove is present on the receiver, and the platform catch appears to be on all the L1A1 inch mags I have and have seen.
Will definately look better in my eyes with wood, have a nice Long wood butt, just need to find a handguard and pistol grip. Any one have a butt removal tool I could borrow?
Will be on the zero range at Bisley on Tuesday to zero the irons and the Trilux.
Have tried to attach some pics, hope it works.

Hi Daryl,

You say that you fitted the automatic bolt hold open, can I ask what is needed and where you got yours as this is something that i would like to fit when mine arrives.

Cheers

Tony

[daryldiane]

Hi Tony,
A standard metric FAL hold open will fit the L1A1. I bought mine from Brad at gunthings.com. He can be difficult to get hold of, I just kept trying by phone. Once you give him the order he will ship quickly.
The hold open can just be switched.
I find it very useful, since when the mag is empty the bolt will just stay open and you can then put a new mag in, pull back the bolt and release to carry on, or put a safety flag in and remove the empty mag if you want to come off the firing point.
I've also ordered a butt removal tool for 15 dollars, and a long butt plate and screw.

[Peter Laidler]

The original automatic hold open devices were very fickle........, very fickle indeed and the battering they got as the breech block pounded on the rear face as it was raised by the magazine platform didn't help matters. They were prone to sticking due to dust in the desert and whatever the jungle would throw in too. Ours on the L1's were of the manual variety. The original FN type were prone to NOT work when you DID want them to or worse still, to WORK or stick when you DIDN'T want them to! To be honest, on active service, from Malaya to Aden and into Phuoc Tuy provence, nobody ever complained about the manual hold open device. But I can tell you this......................... You quickly found that in spite of the gun battle, shooting, the shouting of fire orders and noises all around you that even if you weren't counting your shots, you always heard the dry dull ringing noise of the breech block as it hit home on an empty chamber. There must be a word for it, but you always heard that ringing noise

[tailz]

Hi Tony,
A standard metric FAL hold open will fit the L1A1. I bought mine from Brad at gunthings.com. He can be difficult to get hold of, I just kept trying by phone. Once you give him the order he will ship quickly.
The hold open can just be switched.
I find it very useful, since when the mag is empty the bolt will just stay open and you can then put a new mag in, pull back the bolt and release to carry on, or put a safety flag in and remove the empty mag if you want to come off the firing point.
I've also ordered a butt removal tool for 15 dollars, and a long butt plate and screw.

Hi Daryl,

Thanks for the info, I have sent Brad an email so if he doesn't reply, I can always ring. My gun club are quite strict on the use of a breach flag, so the hold open is a must.

Cheers

Tony

[daryldiane]

Tony, you can still hold the bolt back with the manual hold open, just not as convenient.
Peter, I'm sure that the decision by Britain to leave out the auto hold open was correct, the last thing you need in a fire fight would be for it to jam up and stop the rifle functioning. On the range our priorities are slightly different, and also they are now only straight pulls, so don't get the hammering of the semi-auto function, more's the pity.

[Peter Laidler]

You're right Dary. I'd forgotten about the single shot versions not knocking seven bells (another REME technical phrase indicating the imparting of a modicum of energy............) out of the holding open catch. IN fact I was shooting a normal L1A1 last week. Not good as it had a minute split in the gas cylinder and would only work with an almost fully closed off gas regulator

[tailz]

Tony, you can still hold the bolt back with the manual hold open, just not as convenient.
Peter, I'm sure that the decision by Britain to leave out the auto hold open was correct, the last thing you need in a fire fight would be for it to jam up and stop the rifle functioning. On the range our priorities are slightly different, and also they are now only straight pulls, so don't get the hammering of the semi-auto function, more's the pity.

Hi Daryl,

I have already had a reply from Brad, $30 including shipping, not a bad price and as you say, more convenient, so i will give him a ring on Monday and give him my card details, all very premature as i don't even have the rifle yet but it helps pass the time while I wait.

Cheers

Tony