My black Lady

[Ro-bert]

Finally, the package arrived:
Pics
I just love it - except for wobbly rear sight with this enormous large Aperture.

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.

[nzl1a1collector]

Nice BSA made (1959) rifle. From the looks of it its fitted with a Parker Hale (PH) barrel..... which will be dated in the late 1980's If you remove the handguards you will find the date and manufacturer markings on the barrel.

The sight shouldn't wobble and really the ramp should be the same colour as the rest of it.

[David TS]

Nice, but why have the upper and lower serial numbers been removed and renumbered? - and the 'UB' prefix is missing.

[Ro-bert]

Thanks for comments!
I will make some detail Photos & post it here. It is full of numbers & stamps (possibly even more, than my SMLE ), some are quite good visible, but some appears ground off or overstamped:

Are PH L1A1 Barrels good quality ?
Well, on rear sight i have to lay under altogether 0,2mm Feeler gauge tape.
What means the "UB"?
How You know, that it was BSA made?
If You guys have some link for L1A1 beginners - I would be very grateful

[Ro-bert]

Here is barrel Photo with details:


Parker Hale? 1987?

[David TS]

British serial numbers prefixed with a U, and the second letter signifies the factory, so:

UE = RSAF Enfield
UB = BSA Guns (British Small Arms)
UF = ROF Fazakerley

So a UE 59 ********* serial number is RSAF Enfield manufactured in 1959.

Re the barrel, 960 2006 is the standard part number, PH is the barrel manufacturer as already said, I believe CF is the steel manufacturer - Corby Foundries.

[Peter Laidler]

I understood that these single shot/hand cocking L1A1's had newly made, unported barrels. That can't be the case with this PH made L1A1 barrel, complete with bog standard, presumably ported, gas block. Or is this a genuine, bog standard L1A1? It'll be interesting to see whether the wobbly backsight slide rides up the bed when it's fired

I had a gas-ported, heavier and longer barrel fitted to my genuine hand cocking L85 SA80 rifle and the fact seemed to raise a few eyebrows even though I had a manufacturers non-ported gas block fitted.

[David TS]

I understood that these single shot/hand cocking L1A1's had newly made, unported barrels. That can't be the case with this PH made L1A1 barrel, complete with bog standard, presumably ported, gas block. Or is this a genuine, bog standard L1A1? It'll be interesting to see whether the wobbly backsight slide rides up the bed when it's fired

I had a gas-ported, heavier and longer barrel fitted to my genuine hand cocking L85 SA80 rifle and the fact seemed to raise a few eyebrows even though I had a manufacturers non-ported gas block fitted.

Peter

It's not one of ours, looks like a genuine one

I bet you a packet of jelly babies the backsight stays put

Do you still have the L85?

[Ro-bert]

David TS, Thank You very much for explanation.
Today it will be fired for first time. Surplus Ammo has not arrived yet, so i have to try with some handloads.

Another question: I have read that the Barrel has 6 groove - my has 4

@Peter - wobbly backsight... i placed 0,2mm of Feeler gauge tape under - now it is "stiff". However, before this "repair", it was moving just left/right. Moving the Slide forward / backwards was quite heavy.

[skiprat]

To solve the “problem” of the large rear sight aperture you could replace the standard issue rear sight slide with a “HYTHE” sight,
They have a slightly smaller aperture and a larger surround, to give a much better sight picture.
Hythe sights were all the rage with the shooting teams .. (but the visiting inspecting officers did not like them because they were non standard, I had to “replace” quite a few !!!!)