-
Legacy Member
But, wait! There's MORE! on the "Rifle, Intermediate".
The "trials production rear-sight aperture, mounted on its specially made charger guide and slide, can be rotated in much the same way as the "National Match" aperture for the M-14. The "offset" is about 15 thou.
The earliest drawing I have seen for the "Intermediate", does not even refer to it by that name; instead, describing it as "Proposed Amendment to Rifle, No.1 Mk lll* For Jungle Warfare".
This "proposal" drawing shows a COMPLETELY different rear sight: It resembles a two-leaf "express" rifle sight mounted in a large, square-sectioned notch milled into the top of the Knox Form.The ALTERNATIVE was a 2-position aperture, grafted onto an "extra", very square-looking “bridge”, bolted onto the body, about two inches BEHIND the charger guide.
The plunger and spring "hidden" under the nosecap were also deleted.
Barrel length appeared to be about 18".
Reference is: SAID. 1317F
Anyone ever seen a "live" one, or did these ideas only ever exist on paper?
-
-
09-04-2016 12:44 AM
# ADS
Friends and Sponsors
-
Advisory Panel
I think I had the good fortune to photograph the rifle you speak of, Bruce... unfortunately I only got them in a couple of pics, and it was back before digital photography... but I remember the information imparted to me by an elderly gent there at the time ....
He said the senior machinists at SAF Lithgow were asked to hand make what they would consider fitted the bill for a shortened No1 rifle. There were several attempted, all differing a little, with either 18" or 20" barrels. The submissions were all considered and that was when they made a few prototype rifles of both the Shortened Lightened Short (18") and the Shortened Lightened Intermediate (20") - less than a dozen of each, after which there were 100 S&L Intermediate rifles made serialed XP1 to XP 100.
This pic, although not very clear, looks to have the aperture grafted onto the action on a block behind the charger bridge as you describe above. Note this rifle is incomplete (one of the first hand made rifles?)
Attachment 76013
This pic shows another rifle the same at the top, only completed, with what looks like one of the S&L Intermediate rifles... It shows the one above is the shorter type....
Attachment 76015
And one more short rifle in this rack, but unable to see the rear sight...
Attachment 76016
Edit to add...
Just found another better pic... it seems it was still on the wall at the time of Ian's book launch
Attachment 76017
Last edited by Son; 09-05-2016 at 09:38 AM.
-
The Following 3 Members Say Thank You to Son For This Useful Post:
-
-
Advisory Panel
Originally Posted by
Son
one more short rifle in this rack,
Those are ALL short rifles in that rack...
-
-
Advisory Panel
Those are ALL short rifles in that rack...
All are XP's, most are the intermediate (20" barrel)... easiest way to tell them apart from the short version is the distance between the outer band and the nosecap.
The short one is second from the right...
Last edited by Son; 09-05-2016 at 09:35 AM.
-
Thank You to Son For This Useful Post:
-
Advisory Panel
Seen...I should have studied the last pic closer.
-