.22 Cal SMLE, surprise me!

[Tom in N.J.]

Sub caliber insert,.. Numrich made the famous '03, '03A3 unit back in the 60s. They also made one for the SMLE. It consists of a tube barrel insert, with nut at muzzle, and a complete bolt with .22 cal. bolt head. I have one stashed away somewhere.

I now see n64atlas' postings... I didn't even see page 2 &3 until after I posted...sorry! My .22 conversion unit is just like his.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Peter Laidler]

The BSA No7 magazine saga is a bit like the L1A1 sub-calibre magazine too. Millions of the large outers, plently/sufficient (?) of the .22" inserts but none of the interface pressings to mate the two together.

Alan......... is the £80 you're talking of the complete No7 magazine or just the little sportsman 5 insert part? Sheeeeeeeeeeeesh!

[Alan de Enfield]

The BSA No7 magazine saga is a bit like the L1A1 sub-calibre magazine too. Millions of the large outers, plently/sufficient (?) of the .22" inserts but none of the interface pressings to mate the two together.

Alan......... is the £80 you're talking of the complete No7 magazine or just the little sportsman 5 insert part? Sheeeeeeeeeeeesh!

Thats what I said (or very similar anyway) - no its just the sportsman 5 mag that inserts into the pressing / outer magazine.
Repeat - inner magazine ONLY !!!

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

I often wonder what happened to the .22 calibre adapters for the L1A1. Did they scrap them along wih the rifles?
Other than the one I have, I have never seen any others on offer.

Oh while I am at it, can somebody explain to me how the British came to the definition of a "lethal barrel"

[Peter Laidler]

It's not a lethal barrel, it's a lethal, barrelled weapon. That means that it is a lethal weapon that has a barrel. A bit like a PIAT........... that hasn't got a barrel. Don't ask us, we're all confused!

Hundreds of the sub cal adaptors were fixed permanently into the actual L1A1 rifles due to the fact that once the barrel bulged, it was impossible to remove it from the rifle so the whole kit stayed put! Another rifle was demanded to replace the now fixed .22" version. The now permanent .22" rifle was marked with a painted red band around the muzzle and stayed as a .22.

This was the only way that you could obtain one of the storeage boxes for the kits because the box was a NP (Not provisioned) part for some reason and it was only when the barrel was bulged into the rifle that the sub cal assembly moved from the box to the rifle...... leaving the box redundant.

When the L1A1 was withdrawn, hundreds of .22" L1A1;s remained behind for many, many years until they went too. To the great scrap yard in the sky. The H&K made L1A1 kits were identical to the H&K FN variant except for the magazine cases. The UK MoD .22" magazines were made heavier to replicace a filled 7.62mm magazine. However, the recoil of the .22" just didn't quite replicate the recoil of its bigger brother, especially while wearing only a thin shirt or no shirt at all.

There seems to be plenty of .22" sub cal kits around but, alas, no magazines, even the FN type.

Maybe an article about the sub cal kit wouldn't go amiss. So, to start it off. I know we had them in Australia but can't recall having them in NZ. The first question is this. Did you have them in NZ? Did you have them in Canada?

[jimmybob9]

L1A1 subbies were around in Australia still in Use by cadet units in the late 80's - mid 90's when I was involved in training the little bastards. Still about 40% went on to joining the reserves or full time forces, including some in the army's teeth units.

With the gun laws changing many cadet units topped using firearms altogether as a PR exercise. Still my cadet unit had around 250 of the SLR .22 conversions and many more in the racks that just sat there.

They probably all ended up in the scrap heap as they couldn't be sold to the public for being semiautomatics. Wish I had one now. Excellent for knocking off rabbits

[jona]

Picked up this L1A1 insert kit from a friend in Canada.
Have yet to try it out. It has never been used.

[nzl1a1collector]

Picked up this L1A1 insert kit from a friend in Canada.
Have yet to try it out. It has never been used.

Very nice British issue L12A1 conversion kit.


Here's the Canadian version of the L12A1 conversion kit (sorry I can't remember who these pics belong to).


Why 'Canadian' rather then 'British' check out the parts listing, the Canadian's have given a couple of components Canadian NSN's.


Here's the typical parts listing for the British kits.

[Peter Laidler]

Wow....., even I haven't seen a brand new one. Seen a million old tatty ones ............

[Amatikulu]

Gentlemen, these pictures of pristine kits are great information for collectors. my eyes will be peeled in future for anything resembling them at a gun show.

I had no idea what to expect