L1A1 shorter return spring housing ?

[Peter Laidler]

Anything that was retuened to Ordnance had to be in perfect condition and as per the current CES. The only things that I can recall recently where this didn't apply were 2" mortars and Bren/L4's which were long obsolescent so it only included the return of the actual guns and SOME parts of the old L42 CES

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[Peter Laidler]

We had to accept the cracked ears on the body cover as 'of no mechanical or material consequence' if I remember the correct wording. As a result we were authorised to simply snip them off and make good.

You're right about the plastic. We did slightly bead blast these parts as a method of hiding/eliminating/smoothing-out of any small blemishes. We STILL do the same (in khaki of course) on L85 grips and handguards. But the paint is different and only warmed to dry as opposed to going through the oven. It's the same paint as used on plastic car bumpers etc etc. We still do L85 plastic parts today!

The chief small-arms examiner at Donn. was Ivan 'the terrible' Cooper. You could send him a letter to say that you were a tad disappointed with the work that he allowed into the War Reserve stock and you feel tempted to write to trip advisor. But before you do, maybe he could refund part of the cost to show some degree of goodwill and that would be an end of the matter. I expect he'd have a laugh. No....., knowing him, a grumpy old ex wartime trained Armourer he wouldn't!!!!!!

[mrclark303]

On the subject of these war reserve L1A1's, does anyone know what the story is behind the final sell off of Enfield and BSA (mainly BSA for some reason) L1A1 parts kits bought from Donnington in about 2010.

The final stock of L1A1 parts was cleared out of Donnigton by a well known Sec5 dealer a couple of years back (2013 I think), he now sits on many, many tons of component parts!

Why were these rifles stripped I wonder? The matching number receivers/TMH's appear to be in very good to excellent condition, with little sign of use, all have military proof marks, so were once compete rifles.

The majority of the Straight pull rifles I have seen built up from these kits are not suncorite painted, but still in original factory chemical black finish, so appear to have seen little service... Perhaps Ex Cook House Rifles issue!


Also, my 1962 Enfield SP also has six different Enfield inspectors stamps on the right wall of the receiver, not somthing I have seen on other examples I have handled in the past

It seems to indicate a rifle (or component part) stored and inspected periodically at ROF Enfield, did Enfield carry out any FTR programme on the L1A1 I wonder?

[Peter Laidler]

Para 2 above. 2013!!!!! Who told you that? Stockpiling obsolete spare parts and weapons is just an expensive way of storing fresh air. Especially after the early 90's when Donn became a commercially owned and based storeage and distribution agency that paid for the space it used.
Para 4 above. The finish of these SP rifles appears to be/most certainly is a recent chemical finish and not the original or phosphate/paint finish
ROF Enfield was not a store but a manufacturer.

[mrclark303]

Hi Peter,

That's what I have been told, the final sell off of L1A1 parts went to tender a couple of years ago, (mainly small parts I think). The last of the complete parts kits (everything bar barrel) were bought at tender by a few UK dealers in 2010 with Straight pull builds in mind ... Big final clear out I would guess.

Regarding finish, interesting, whoever carried out the chemical refinish, certainly did it with great care, as the finish is uniform, inside and out. It must have been done at some point prior to store as they all exhibit slight signs of use, edge wear etc. They were purchased out of Donnington this way, with no refinish to the receivers, just to the new barrel.

With regard to Enfield Peter, I was just thinking out loud, trying to come up with a good reason for the row of separate Enfield inspection stamps on the receiver (all different inspector numbers) not something I have personally seen before on an L1.

Cheers, John

[mrclark303]

Attachment 64973Attachment 64972pics of the Enfield inspection stamps on my Enfield, all along the left wall of the receiver, there are others, but so lightly stamped you can't read them.

Also pics of the change lever, just for fun and because its the first (and so far only) lever I have seen with the non destructive test triangle mark on!

[tankhunter]

John, Your TMH is from another rifle Mate. Notice where the serial number is.
The base area behind it , has been milled. Thus removing the original number, & then re-engraving the No. to match the receiver.

It was quite common for change levers (The Crunchies used to call them Safety catches)
to work loose on the crossshafts.
Easily rectified with a small blob of weld to the head of the crossshaft. & the lever itself.
You had to be carefull not to apply TOO much weld. as the heat transference Across the metal surfaces. COULD destroy the tempering of the operating coil spring. In the lever Thumb section. That housed it, & the positioning Ballbearing!....

[Peter Laidler]

On the subject of TMH's, replacement was a Field or Base repair. The TMH part number was 'blocked' against a unit demand. I often wondered why as it wasn't a special time consuming fitting job but Ian Kxxxxx at REME Tech Services (later 14 MAG) told me that it was to save on costs. Being an expensive part - I seem to think that the last VAOS price was £91 or so - it meant that Field workshops would only keep a couple in stock on an as-need basis. If a rifle was ZF at Field or Base (you can only ZF a weapon at that level.....) they'd occasionally change out a perfect TMH and send it for the chop with an unserviceable one. That's presumably what's happened to yours with a re-number, to save an expensive waste.

Thinking out aloud, I'm trying to think of reasons for scrapping TMH's. There were a few faults.
Loss of the little front filler plate that was a simple repair. That was usually caused by letting the hammer fly forwards uncontrolled while the TMH is off the body.
Loose rear block that we could repair/tighten by dollying the cross rivets with the ball-pein hammer.
Worn out axis pin holes - virtually to the point of being oval! There was a set of ring punches to 'cure' this but ring punching really is a palliative and not a cure in engineering circles. There were several good suggestions to cure them*.
Never encountered worn trigger/hammer axis pin holes
Damaged threads in backsight housing slide part. Quite how was never explained to anyones satisfaction! Other bits easily rectified.

Got any more Tankie, Skippy, Son, BAR, BinO? Anyway, that's my Saturday morning contribution on this pommy Bank Holiday weekend

* The best(?) being a suggestion by the Armourer apprentices section at Stirling Base Workshop. It was a kit of two bushes that were bushed into both opposite overbored axis holes in worn out TMH. Holes then slightly countersunk internally. Bushes locktited and flared out on the inside to retain them tight. New two part longer axis pin and screw. VERY good but barely economic so I was told! They were well rewarded though for the time and effort. More to it than that of course and Bordon EMER team raised a few small points - if anyones really interested......

[mrclark303]

Morning Mike, I thought the TMH was replaced, very neatly done job, other examples appear to range from just barred out and renumbered to ground off and renumbered.

I suppose if this one was refurbished for war reserve, it would be done carefully.

[tankhunter]

Pete, Along the lines of a repair to a TMH. But not an In service example.

Earlier in the year, I had a Deac L1A1 in for repair's (Various) & one of the suprising things to Me, was the underside Tang was broken off!

Well, it was a simple matter to select a small piece of sheet steel from the 'Ferrous Metals' Box under my Bench.
& cut out with a hacksaw, & shape to correct profile. Then Bore a retaining screw hole in the new Tang.

Then Mig Weld it to the correct position on the TMG. A quick coat of Suncorite 259, & reassemble the TMH with it's componants.
Refit to the Rifle, & you would never know it had been replaced!...

I even stamped the Tang with a Small Pheon (Arrow) UK Property Mark!....