No.4Mk1(T) and L96 Accuracy International (Guns and Ammo Review)

[Peter Laidler]

I would imagine that the basics contained within the L96 EMER will cover the 7.62mm AW and AE variants if you have such a beast.

As a matter of interest, there was a larger diameter telescope mount available for the L96 and AW if you wanted to (as the Army did) replace the 6x 42 standard green S&B tele

Information

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[m4carbine]

I bet there is one guy on this form that knows more about this than I do, Right Peter?

OK, a quick review of the L96A1:

The L96A1 is the original Military contract rifle made by Accuracy International, it was adopted about 1985/86.

The AW or arctic warfare was the follow on rifle to the L96A1, the British version of the AW is the L118A1, for the purposes of this text we will refer to is as the AW, less typing.

The L96A1’s chassis is made of 4 parts, the front tube, rear tube assy, and a right and left side center section where the action mounts. This is unique to the L96A1, the AW series use a solid one piece center section.
The front and rear tubes are welded onto the center section, on the L96A1 this clamps the 2 center section halves together.
The chassis is not interchangeable, if you have a AW chassis and a set of L96A1 skins they will go on but not fit correctly.

The L96A1Bipod is truly unique, it is mostly aluminum, and similar to the current Parker-Hale bipod in function, pinch the legs together and rotate it into position, up or down, but rotate it 90º along the barrels axis and it pops out.
I think the bipod was not up to the ware and tear of the real world, but I always wondered if a beefed up version could be made. The Bipod fits a special socket that is located in the front tube of the stock.

The AW uses the current issue Parker-Hale all steel bipod. Note, the L115A3, Britton’s new .338 Long range sniper does away with the P-H bipod and uses the Harris Bipod.

The Skins are made from a cast polyurethane compound poured into a mould. On the AW they are injection molded from polypropylene, the same thing that soda pop bottles are made from. The skins are held on with the same bushings and screws across the L96A1and AW series of rifles.

On to the muzzle, the L96A1 has a front sight base that slip onto the barrel and is located with a set (Grub) screw. The AW’s have a threaded muzzle with a screw on/ clamp on muzzle break/front sight base. The sight is permanently mounted on the L96A1, on the AW its operator installed.

The barrels are interchangeable across both platforms but are not intended to be interchanged.
Other than the differences in muzzle geometry, the AW barrel has something called an Ice groove in the back of the barrel. This is suppose to stop the bolt from freezing shut in hostile winter environments, from personal experience, it does work.

The receiver or action body are very similar but do have some big differences, the biggest being the L96A1 has a receiver mounted safety that looks like its off an Enfield, a clear tip of the hat to its predecessor I think.

Both receivers have no locking lugs, instead they use a breaching ring, a cylindrical
piece with the lug geometry machined into it, this piece is clamped between the barrel and the receiver, this design was first used on a WW2 pack artillery piece and in the early 1980’s an Australian custom rifle maker made actions with this feature.

The bolt is composed of 4 major components, bolt head, bolt body, the firing pin assembly (consisting of Firing pin, FP spring, cocking piece and the bolt shroud) and
the knob. The Firing pin assy of the AW has the safety mounted to the shroud, of all the bolt mounted safeties on other rifles, this is probably the best version of this technology on any rifle.

Both models use a 60º dovetail to mount optics, this dovetail runs the length of the receiver. This is now being replaced by the M1913 Mil Standard optical rail or “Picatinny rail” as it in most commonly known. The L961A1 uses a simple 1 piece extruded aluminum ring mount that is attached with a long single piece clamp foot locked down by 2 large thumb screws. The L118A1 has a very cool throw lever ring mount, don’t even try to get one, AI will disavow knowledge that it even exists.

Lastly, the Magazines are interchangeable.

It is getting late and I think I covered any salient features.

I hope this helps

[Son]

Marty, just out of interest sake, could you confirm the safety on the AW is either on or off.... as I understand there is another option with a third position.

[Peter Laidler]

Thanks for that Marty, a brilliant lesson of the differences between the Military L96 and the more commercial AW. My forte is the L96 of course but good to know the differences.

I think that the throw mount you mention was made by an outside source............ I'll try and get you one!

[longebow]

AW 3-position safety is similar to Winchester Model 70. The safety lever is on the right side of the shroud body, position as it appears when looking down from above:

Forward (1 o'clock) - Firing pin and Bolt unlocked (firing position)
Middle (3 o'clock) - Firing pin locked, Bolt operable ("1st Safe," best position to unload a round)
Rear (5 o'clock) - Firing pin and Bolt locked ("2nd Safe," fully safe position)

L96A1 2-position safety is on the LEFT side of the shroud body, position of lever as it appears from the LEFT side of the rifle:

Forward (9 o'clock) - Firing pin locked, Bolt locked from moving backward, but you can still rotate/unlock the bolt (Safe position, "white dot" visible)
Rear (3 o'clock) - Firing pin and Bolt unlocked (firing position, "red dot" visible)

Hope that helps.

[Peter Laidler]

Ah........ another L96 owner. Thanks Longbow

[PrinzEugen]

It would be nice to see a full pic job from a member here who has an ex-military L96 - I'd love to see it, and as Peter says, it's the spiritual (and literal) successor to the L42.

[longebow]

It would be nice to see a full pic job from a member here who has an ex-military L96 - I'd love to see it, and as Peter says, it's the spiritual (and literal) successor to the L42.

Enjoy!

[Peter Laidler]

Your wish is my command Herr Prinz Eugen. I'll see what I can do next week or so - unless anyone can do it sooner...... Longbow or M4C.

[longebow]

and the gauntlet is thrown down...