E.A.L. Lee Enfield questions

[Gil Boyd]

StenCollector,
That is interesting as an engineer who worked on them, remembers clearly leaving the gap of 1000 and he has confirmed that recently for me. He prpbably left after a change of plan!

[stencollector]

Here is mine.

[Gil Boyd]

I'll await his response!

[Gil Boyd]

The answer was that 5000-6000 were made solely for the Canadian Northern Rangers by Essential Agencies Limited (E.A.L.) of Toronto. Thats why that 1000 were allocated to them, the rest of the Military ones were issued to the Canadian Air Force for possible crash situations in remote areas.

Thier magazines when pulled out will say "Made in Japan expressly for Parker Hale Limited" watch this video:

Canadian Rangers on a shoot:

[stencollector]

I am not so sure the Canadian military would differentiate the use of the rifle by the serial number. There was only one NSN for the EAL rifles. While some had the PH scope mounts, the NSN did not seem to differentiate those that did.

In the linked video, he points out that the JAPAN made magazines are not the factory correct ones, but may have been a replacement for missing mags in service. I have owned several EAL rifles, and they have had the cut down 10 round mags.

I ran the NSN about 15 years ago in the supply system, and at that time there were still somewhere around 300 left in the DND with the majority of those hiding in the depots. Only a handful were still with airforce units, and non identified as being held by ranger units.

[Gil Boyd]

Stencollector,
Thats his memory from when he worked at PH, it was only when I suggested "did the 1000 between 5000 and 6000 go to any other specialist units in Canada" he came out with Canadian Northern Rangers or Arctic units. He says the Japanese took over the mag production because they simply couldn't cope, they weren't the only producers for PH either, there were a couple more as stated earlier.
There are references to the missing 1000 in forums right across the northern hemisphere, be good to know what the thinking was behind it, as they all appear to be now in civi hands!
Could it have simply been, "we'll keep these 1000 back" as I know they were short on spare parts.

[Warren]

I'd be very interested in chatting with the engineer that worked on them as well.
I wrote the original blurb on the EAL and they were made by a medium sized gunsmith shop in Toronto by the name of St. Frances and Son. NOT S.T. Frances. It was S(ain)t Frances but the draft was published before it could be corrected or even checked for spelling.
They were NOT made by Canadian Arsenals and when I started to dig into info on how and why they were made privately and not at CAL things got ugly.
There has been a lot more info surface on the EAL since I wrote the initial blurb and there was even a .22 Hornet version of which it appears less than20 were made.
Always looking for info for a new and updated version of the EAL story, so any info anyone might have is appreciated.
Now you have part of "the rest of the story".

[Gil Boyd]

Warren,
You can speak to Bill Smallwood anytime, he has been of great assistance to me in my research of Parker Hale, and asked me to keep the records of that great historic Birmingham company, or whats left of them which I have now archived.
If you reside in the UK, he can be contacted on Tuesdays at Norman Clark Gunsmiths on 01788 579651.
He is getting on a bit so be gentle with him

[Gil Boyd]

Bill just contacted me after finding various Canadian Government documents re the EAL Rifle Military model NSN 1005-21-8-8-9499 and RCAF no: EO.30-65FE.
It states on there that 6280 -6999 appear now to have been issued to the Northern Ranger Units (unquote)
Thought I would chuck the spanner in the works, see if anybody else had anything different.
You guys over there, can't you ask under the Disclosure Act or does it not apply over there?? "They" should give you a definitive answer then

[browningautorifle]

can't you ask under the Disclosure Act or does it not apply over there??

Freedom of information act...but I'm not sure they would actually know anything about what we speak...