L1A1 related items

[LJT]

I got this in a job lot recently. I take it they are for the L1A1 SLR?
The selector looks like it has had some unauthorised grinding done on it !

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Jeeeeeees...... unauthorised grinding! It's like unauthorised savagery. But they are all L1A1 bits.

Now here's a bit of useless information for you Enfield fiends. Look at the black pullthrough weight in the tin shown above. You'll notice that it is ground across like a needle. This differentiates betwen an L1A1/SLR pullthrough weight and a notmal No4 rifle pullthrough. The chamfer was hardened and this allowed the edge and tip of the weight to be used as a scraper to clean the gas fouling from the piston rings and gas plug and inside the gas block where the gas plug locks. It was softer than the chromed piston and plug so couldn't be used too agressively so it served its purpose.

Now you know should you ever see another or if you (wrongly) have one in your No4 cleaning kit

[LJT]

Thanks for that info Peter. I was blissfully unaware about the pull through.

[Mk VII]

Do not attempt to use a .303 pullthrough to clean an SLR as the distance between the loops means there will not be enough free end to pull it back out of the gas cylinder. Actually, you can't use it anyway, as the weight is too large to fit through the piston hole at the back. If, however, someone has changed the weight for an SLR one ...

[nzl1a1collector]

This is what Peter is referring to

[Peter Laidler]

Talking of pullthroughs stuck in the gas cylinder, the main problem was the amount of material that they used. It was usually half a shirt tail or they'd try to get a camouflage net in the bloody hole! Then use all manner of things to get it out before pride got the better of them and they'd take the handguards off and hold it over a fire to burn it out. The very LAST resort would be the armourers shop.

The best ones would be those who would break the pullthrough off, put the gas plug back and put it back in the armoury without the piston and spring. Or better still, put the gas plug back and take the advice of their mates - and try to blow it back out of the rear by firing a blank (do you remember this John Dudley......?). Now you'd end up with a split and bulged gas cylinder.

I didn't mind or object to any help over any problem but would draw the line at actually cleaning anyone elses rifle. No one cleaned mine and I didn't clean anyone elses

[enbloc8]

A question from somebody who has an L1A1 cleaning kit but has never used the pull-through...from reading this thread I get the impression it's for cleaning the gas cylinder only. Am I correct, or can it also be used for cleaning the barrel?

Also...what size of patch is meant to be used with one of these pull-throughs?

[nzl1a1collector]

The pullthrough is used to clean the barrel and gas cylinder

Use a piece of 4x2, put it in CENTER LOOP and wrap around cord and clean the barrel from the Chamber to the muzzle in one clean movement.

Use a piece of 4x2, put it in the CENTER LOOP and clean the Gas Cylinder in a back and forth motion.


Use a piece of 4x1.5 and oil the barrel in the same manor as cleaning it.
Use a piece of 4x2 and oil the Gas Cylinder in the same manor as cleaning it.

NOTE the end loop of the pullthrough is for use by the Armourers to pull the pullthrough out of the barrel when its jammed or snapped off.

[Peter Laidler]

But there hangs the problem. The 4 x 2 indicates INCHES. So you'd blab on about 4x2 but the young soldiers would think in millimetres. They'd think '....... 4x2 mm is a bit small but 4x2 cm's is also a tad small, so I'll try 4x2 metres'. Only joking but you get the idea..........

[browningautorifle]

We never had that problem In the Canadian army, we were metric but always flipped back and forth between inch and metric. It wasn't until the end of the 80s that we dozed the ranges flat and made them metric. Until then, we just changed the name from the 100yd to 100 meter point.