Electro Pencilled NATO stock number on top cover

[tankhunter]

Yes Pete, The Rank Pullen Starlight scope was indeed, The Norm'. I belive various sights units like the L4A1 Etc. did undergo Troop trials under various situations/ condtions. But I never had hands on with any of them at the time. I did have hands on with the inistial issue Maxi-Kite Night scopes though. & do you recall the monstrosity of an 'Adaptor' for the L85A1 for the Starlight Scope. as an intrim measure, until the much lighter & smaller Maxi-Kites came on Stream?

I did however, have hands on with the prototype L85 in it's original guise with the Bulbous hand grip etc. That it started out life with. Various things were changed on a daily/ weekly basis on Trial at Warminster at that time. One of the right Pains at that time, was the ejection opening cover. The originals were made of steel, & timed to open exactly as you were retracting the working parts. So that the design of it would cut a nice slice out of your thumb, underneath the thumb itself!!!
Various other methods were trialled, such as nylon brushes in this area. Which eventualy began to take a 'set' as the bristles swept to the rear. Thus allowing the ingress of dirt & other foreign 'Matter'........Marvellous! Then the Green Plastic one was adopted, & with little modification. Serves on till this Day!

yes I agree, that rail on the SLR Top Cover was a bit previous, when you had the SUITb for that rifle. BUT.. it MIGHT be the case, that because of the SUITS weakpoint. The Attachment spring on the sight. Becoming streteched Etc, they were trying to better the sight facility with a more ridged mounting method. & you know yourself, the SUSAT is very ridged when fitted correctly! I have a mount for a Charlie G for a SUSAT. & also the same for an L7 GPMG. All a bit forward looking perhaps? But what a waste of time & money on the Charlie G! It already had the excellent No:38 Scope for Brit Service. It really didn't need the coarser Graticuled SUSAT!!
GPMG I can understand, It gave it a bit more accuracy at a longer range, But as an AREA Weapon designed to give a 'Beaten Zone'. Why would you want 'Accuracy' that could be delivered by the SUSAT?.......

The SUIT Sight top covers failed as you say Pete, with spot welds coming adrift, & yes the rear locating 'Ears' cracking through, with monotonous regularity! though to be fair, that did also happen with 'Standard' Issue top covers also you will recall? Remember the Misc Instruction to 'remedy' that Defect? When one 'ear' cracks/ fractures. Cut the other off also & dress smooth with a file, & repaint with Suncorite 259!........ Ah......Happy Memories!.....LOL

[Peter Laidler]

KtK's Thread 6, middle picture. If my memory serves me right, one of the Instrument Techs brought one of those sights/similar sight over to me while I was acting as the 2i/c at the main workshop for it to be written off (it had been 'on charge' with paperwork so classified as accountable). I did the paperwork that kept their workshop books straight and kept the non- working sight in my drawer. Nobody at 27 Command knew anything about it so I contacted the REME optronics people at Donnington to see what they knew - or if they had any spare parts in their stocks. They couldn't help so I gave it back to Paul Wxxxxxxx and told him that he could keep it.

I don't recall that it had a SUSAT type slide-on fitting but looking at the photo now, the mount was a changeable feature.

I would imagine that these sights and the special top cover, subject to this thread were a UOR (Urgent or Unit Operational Requirement) need for operations '.....somewhere'. A lot of this kit was accepted on an urgent basis and as such, without in-depth trials and tests. It made a one-way-trip and when it became unserviceable it was replaced but not repaired. A it like a lot of things currently issued. Another good recent example is PULSAR wristwatches...... 5 year battery life and that's the end of the road.........

Has that pretty well summed up that sight and cover Tankie?

On the other hand, the big L1A1 to 7 Rank Precision SS20 type night vision for the L1A1 rifle and L42 was as tough as old boots. Made to last with a heavy duty Oude de Delft electronic tube, flash protection etc etc Auto Brightness mechanism, spares contract for 20+ years....................