A No74 telescopic sight for the L1A1

[Peter Laidler]

Anyone seen one of these before or even recognise it? It's the proposed No74 telescopic sight trialed during the late 60’s for the L1A1 rifle. Not as a ‘sniper rifle’ as such but more of an Infantry Marksmans rifle. It never got past the trials stage as in 1969 the trials team came to the opinion that the lack of pin-point accuracy of the rifle, even new rifles could not justify further expense.

This one was on the 1968/9 trials and the Design Office number is marked on the cover bracket. Incidentally, the rubber eye cup was a friction fit over the tube and extendable for eye relief. The end caps were plastic bungs pushed into the ocular and OG ends and retained with a nylon cord - a bit like those used today on the L11 and 12 binoculars

At that time, 1969 and ominously at the same time, another rifle was being trialed at Warminster that could do an even better job............

We had to wait for another couple of years before the next sight came on stream. The SUIT. Good sight but poor mount leading to the SUIT initials being lent to the phrase Shooter Usually In Trouble

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.

[browningautorifle]

Never seen one Peter, but the cover looks strangely like the same that we mounted something else on...can't place it quite. Was that a retro fit from something for trial purpose? By the way, you've shot this? How does it transfer to paper? I once had a PH 5C mated to the short body cover. The fittings had held the tangent sight we'd trialed for the FN C2. When installed, it would make any rack rifle shoot within about 3" of POA and when zeroed it shot marvelously. It was a one-off made by our armorer.

[Peter Laidler]

Ooooooops, just realised that I called it a No78 sight and it's a No74.

The cover part is a bog standard L1A1 cover with the bracket part spot welded on although it looks like the spot welds have been puddle welded in place as well, probably as a strengthening ploy. I have shot an L1A1 with this sight up to 600 yards, the longest range that I had access to during a couple of 'lunch breaks'. However, while 1 and 2 equated to 1 and 200 yards, the 5 and 6 were way out so maybe the sight was calibrated in metres! The r&d MoA clicker arragements seem to equate to the No32

All the Armourers fired it free-hand on the 25yard armourers enclosed test range as a bit of a Friday jolly which they all enjoyed but it didn't make the rifle more accurate of course.

MUST be one of, if not the rarest L1A1 accessory after the energa launcher

Adjustment to zero is by loosening the two small allen screws on the top of each drum after sighting in then rotating range scale to suit the range and azimuth scale to zero. There is a small 'C' spanner to rotate the scales but another of those useless tools that are supplied but not required

[browningautorifle]

energa launcher

We had scads of the grenades(training of course) around here for years through the '80s. All dried up now of course.

[tankhunter]

Well corrected peter!

the No.78 was used on the Carl Gustav 84mm Anti-Tank gun in British Service. I am fortunate enough to own an example of this Weapon with the correct sight unit.

[Peter Laidler]

Similar sights............ I wonder if you could use a No78 on a similar cover. A quick recalibration of the range scale and............