S&B on the L42A1

[Peter Laidler]

Exactly....... They were formulated and made to trial several types of telescope available at the time

[DanL96a1]

I found the following document, which does mention about the transition period of L42 – L96 on pages 5 – 7. I don’t know how “accurate” this is, but it makes sense the British Army knowing the L42 program was short on No.32 brackets, and No.32 telescopes converting No.71,42,53 to L1A1 standard to fill a stop gap during the 80’s.

It was also becoming clear the parts to keep this going, was becoming less and less as it had been reported the L1A1 scope, seemed to have been showing its age during the Falklands conflict, which start off the trails of which would end up with the L96 come out on top, and the L42 would be fazed out of service.

It seems logical that with all this going on at the time, these trails mounts found them self in active service within units who kept the good old trusted L42’s going, it seems possible to me with the Army’s waste not want not attitude these mounts which were sitting on selves gathering dust, being put to good use with the now more readily available Bushnell, Leatherwood ART2, S&B, or Pecar / Tasco scopes around the time of the new conflict in the gulf during the 1990’s.

It seems to me that the SF type units, which tend to have more flexibility than the normal green army units. Might have taken on these mounts and used them to good effect, knowing and trusting the proven reliability, accuracy and battle worthiness of the old L42.

http://thetwilightwar.weebly.com/upl...small_arms.pdf

[Peter Laidler]

I wish the author of said 'document' would make it known how you could convert No71's, 42's and 53's to L1A1 standard. In 1981/82 the last of the L42 conversions were still ongoing as we can see by the conversion dates so there wasn't a shortage as such. The rifles and telescopes were showing their age. Mk3/L1A1 telescope spare parts were still in production and available as were some spares and Mk2/1's. As were most No4/L42 parts but there was a reluctance to re-order the special parts. Fore-ends, cheek pieces and handguards were always 'dues-out' and constant patching just made them look shoddy. Strangely, magazines were never in short supply as there were 60,000 produced for a reason that has been told before. Brackets became available but these weren't without their problems as they had to be very accurately matched to the needy rifles in Ordnance.

There was some good ideas put forwards to give the L42 a bit of a longer life but it was at its sell-by date. One good one was to solve the disintegrating front end of the fore-end but time wasn't on its side.

[Simon]

Hmm, I wonder how long it will be until the L42 in Gulf 1 fable rears its head again? Well it must have been true because the headstamp on the 7.62 ammo clearly states L42A1

[Peter Laidler]

Oh Simon, you're going to get the experts going again........... Naughty!

[Rwsgunsmithing]

Don't mean to get off subject but does anyone have a link to the documentary that they speak of in this caption?

Illustration 17: Familiarisation shoot with the L42A1 as part
of sniper training. Still from the BBC documentary Sniper!
(1997)

[Simon]

Oh Simon, you're going to get the experts going again........... Naughty!

Sorry, the voices made me do it

[Brian Dick]

There are some who even believe they were fielded in Afghanistan. Oh boy.

[Gil Boyd]

not Afghanistan as well, that rifle gets everywhere, might have been in opposition hands but not ours

[Peter Laidler]

You've got them all going now Simon...... See wot you've started!