L42a1 scope tin

[KIMBO65]

Do any of the member know why the canvas scope pouch was not used in the l42a1 transit chest?.

Information

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[Roger Payne]

Peter may well know for sure - I can only speculate that by 1970 they would all have been getting on a bit (& they most definitely do have a weak spot in the design & tend to rip/fray at the 'hinge' point of the flap), & so were not used. Incidentally Kim, when you say 'canvas scope pouch' I'm assuming you mean the No8 Mk2 scope case - forgive me if I have misunderstood you.

ATB

R.

[KIMBO65]

Thats correct roger, the fold over flap canvas thingy.

[Peter Laidler]

Definately NO. The Mk2 part number was obsolete in 1953 or 54

[Roger Payne]

Peter, do you happen to know why it was declared obsolete? Was it because, compared to the tin, it was just too fragile/not sufficiently hard wearing?

ATB

[Peter Laidler]

To be honest, I don't know but I think that it was just a speedy stop-gap looking at it. On the other hand, I don't really think that there'd be much difference in the production costs at all. There's a lot of intricate sewing but very cheap material in that little robust textile case. The tin is several different one-hit pressings for different parts, very cheap material but quite labour intensive to put together.

I think/would imagine that it was simply because the chest was made for the tin and that fact sealed the bags fate.

As a matter of interest, I like the idea of a little softee bag although that bag was hardly what we think of nowadays as a softee bag. Do the textile Mk2 bags sit comfortably within the chests?

[Gil Boyd]

Roger,
Funnily enough the 4T that we both owned, and me up till about an hour ago as it went out the door complete, had a cover dated 1952 in the case,
Just for Info

[Roger Payne]

Cheers Gil. I have a couple of the Mk2 cases in nice order (one Canadian & one British), as well as a very tatty British one that is virtually falling apart. I've seen others, too, that are quite well frayed at the point where the top flap has to bend when closing the case. The rubber plug in the bottom also tends to go hard & brittle with age. It's only MHO but I think the tin is a better proposition (though I know there are arguments both ways). Indeed it changed very little from its inception in 1941 till the last were made in 1983 (or 1980-whenever it was).

ATB

[chosenman]

Its funny really how things have gone full circle. The 3-12 x 50 black S&B issued to the L96 has its own DPM padded scope case.

[Peter Laidler]

That S&B cover was a requirement because the big scope wouldn't fit properly in the chest as did the little green one. You could 'stuff' it in, as some did but...... So they ended up on the armoury shelf. But at least they were in the softee bag!

Ironic really. The L96 got a £2,200 S&B when the next serious contender was a Bushnell for £35 (?) or so! And a very worthy contender it was. I saw one of the Bushnells used in the trials last Thursday. A bit beaten up but still serviceable...., now on a little .22 used for vermin on the Plain! Apparently, if they could have been persuaded to change the grat pattern and some other simple stuff, they'd have got the contract. Apparently Bushnell were difficult people to deal with. I think one of the US forumers spoke about this when the subject cropped up earlier.

As a little aside to this.......... When I asked Geoff XXXXX if I could have/buy/swop his ex trials/ITDU Bushnell, he said that he'd swop me it - if I had a gash spare S&B 3 - 12 x50 that he could fit onto his No8 that he used for vermin shooting on Salisbury Plain! Not a good swop I feel, even if I had a gash spare!

Sorry if I've gone off at a tangent - again!