CAI L1A1....buttstock question

[82Trooper]

During my recent dip into "all things L1A1" world...I came across a verbal reference to Century Arms manufactured butt stocks that were "lightweight and flimsy/cheap?)".
How can one tell an original British military part from the CAI part?
As always, thanks for the anticipated cooperation.

Mike

Information

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[mrclark303]

Are we talking wood or plastic here Trooper?

Plastic, Mainly British, with some NZ variations.

Wood, well, British early butt was Walnut without vertically added reinforcing strips at the wrist.

The strips were added to prevent splitting that occurred at this weak point.

So Walnut without strip, then with, finally a switch to Beech before it was all replaced with considerably more practical plastic.

Australia, thicker profile coachwood in a couple of variations.

Canada, over to you Jim, you tell me but my memory is terrible these days!

Whatever the make, look under the wrist for manufactue and length. S,M,L
UK
E Enfield
B BSA

Australia
SLZ Slazenger (is that spelt right)?
MA. Lithgow

[82Trooper]

sorry for not being clear...specifically looking at a black plastic stock. Looks unmarked, and with a pebbled black finish.
The reason I ask, is it has a ill-fitting Century Arms marked rubber butt pad, that mounts with 2 screws (not the typical butt screw/butt plug arrangement.
These pix should help.
Is just the rubber a Century part, or the entire assembly?
Attachment 93735
Attachment 93736
Attachment 93737

[Brian Dick]

That's an original pebble grain British plastic stock with a CAI buttlate. I forget what mods are done to accommodate the aftermarket buttplate. I can fix you up with an original buttplate and/or stock if in need. I have the buttplates in different lengths too. Contact me off forum if in need.

[browningautorifle]

Ours were always Walnut...

[82Trooper]

So I replaced the rubber Century part with the proper butt pad. Looks much better, I think....
Attachment 93748
(I know the jacket shoulder patches and the optic scope are not "proper" but I could not resist. Ever since reading "A Bridge too Far" as a kid, I have had a fascination with British paras.....and that stuck with me to this day, even as a former 82nd Airborne trooper!

[Sunray]

Everything Century Arms has ever manufactured is suspect at best. They have no concept of QC. And they think nothing of mixing inch and metric parts as they assembled rifles, of all kinds, out of parts bins.
"...length. S,M,L..." S, N, L, XL. Short, Normal, Long, Extra Long. And if it's not right for you, you get whacked, hard, on the cheek bone.