L1A1 BFA troubles

[nzl1a1collector]

Or did the M14 BFA come from the C1 BFA.

[browningautorifle]

There's only so many ways to build a BFA anywayzzz...

[nzl1a1collector]

Now if someone has one of these, could they send it to me.

This is what the Canadian's originally designed as the BFA for the C1/L1 rifles, circa March 1958 (photo copyright is Springfield Armory collection)

[Peter Laidler]

Any idea how that locked into place? Or was it just rotated around a third of a turn until the bayonet standard met the next longitudinal bar? It has obviously been used by the black carbon deposits. Would be a doddle to make a repro as a representation for your collection.

Without a locking mech I can see the problems immediately. If it COULD fly off and injure someone, then it WOULD!

[browningautorifle]

Any idea how that locked into place?

It slides on and rotated counter clock to "Lock"...

[Peter Laidler]

Yes, but how does it actually LOCK? The bayonet standard must enter into the middle part of the BFA, between the two rings......... Then what? I can see how it would be retained but retained ain't locked. And if it ain't locked then it's an accident waiting to happen.

There was an injury report doing the rounds here while the L1A1's were in service where there weren't enough BFA's to go around and during an ambush training scenario, those without BFA's were instructed to take a load of empty compo ration tins into their ambush positions and 'fire' the tins off the end of the BFA-less rifles towards the enemy.

You can guess what happened. One bloke was hit in the side of the head by a low flying empty potato powder tin which gashed/split his ear. The DS told him to man-up a bit and stop being a wuss of course. But the xxxx hit the fan a few days later after the cammo cream caused the nasty gash to go manky.

Yep........ just like SA80 bayonets. If they ain't secure, they will go flying off down the range..............

[browningautorifle]

Yes, but how does it actually LOCK?

Doesn't appear to. Maybe that's why it didn't make it past trials or submission...?

[Peter Laidler]

Makes you realise how slapdash we were about these things back in the 70's - or were we just more common-sense orientated added to a bit of savvy and bleedin' obviousness.

Anyone remember the early Bren 'masher' barrel BFA's that had an angled 'chopper'/masher/deflector welded into the venturi type flash eliminator. These things were literally only held on to the barrel by the flash eliminator taper pin. NOTHING else. And as the masher was being hit 10 times a second by a wood bulletted projectile,, the masher part would break free OR the whole F/E would go whizzzzzing off down range.......... followed by a load of wooden bullets. They'd run out of steam at 35 yards but the advancing 'enemy' soon got hit by them! Upgraded to a substantial screw-on masher later.

Now the L85 BFA comes with special yellow magazines that won't (?) take a live round and a BFA choke that will absorb 3 live rounds if you do happen to be stupid and load live into the magazine that won't accept live and.......... and........... And they STILL pick up live rounds, load them into the special 'won't fit' magazines and fire them.

On the other hand, it can't be much fun knocking on someones door to tell a mum that recruit Jimmy has been shot and that '....xhit happens......'

[browningautorifle]

With the FNs at least all that happened was we destroyed the FE...and the front of the barrel...seen it done a few times too.

[Peter Laidler]

That's a point. We had a recent one that'd had a live fired through the big head-banger BFA and it ripped the BFA off but didn't shear the barrel threads. Mind you, the round positioning key sliced right through the thread and stayed intact in the destroyed FE and big BFA!