Enfield L1A1 on a Lithgow cut receiver??

[mrclark303]

Afternoon all?

What do we all think of this oddity then? Apparently Enfield, but clearly an Lithgow cut receiver... Numbers on the Magazine well too....

Deactivated L1A1 SLR SN. 0565 ^

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[Woodsy]

It is not a Lithgow receiver. It is clearly marked UE which is Enfield.

[mrclark303]

Take a look at the receiver machining Woodsy, it's clearly Lithgow.

The machining cut around the locking shoulder area is curved like the parent Fal on Lithgow and CAL inch patterns and UK production is squared off (for some reason). It's more noticeable on the right hand side to be fair....

[mrclark303]

I've just noticed, not only is the receiver clearly Lithgow, but so is the TMH, note the 'A' automatic marking, interestingly enough, with a different UK serial number on it!

[Woodsy]

OK. I just couldn't imagine someone going to that amount of trouble for a de-act!

[desperatedan]

It's difficult to be precise from that photograph but it looks like the serial on the upper begins UE80.... but hadn't Enfield stopped production of their own new L1A1s by the late 1970s?

So could it be that it's a Lithgow supplied upper but used by RSAF and so numbered accordingly by Enfield. I thought I'd read somewhere that the UK had to buy in Lithgow made rifles/parts in the 80's as RSAF had ceased production (plus Parker Hale making barrels and other parts at that time as well)?

[mrclark303]

It's difficult to be precise from that photograph but it looks like the serial on the upper begins UE80.... but hadn't Enfield stopped production of their own new L1A1s by the late 1970s?

So could it be that it's a Lithgow supplied upper but used by RSAF and so numbered accordingly by Enfield. I thought I'd read somewhere that the UK had to buy in Lithgow made rifles/parts in the 80's as RSAF had ceased production (plus Parker Hale making barrels and other parts at that time as well)?

The more I look, the more interesting this one gets mate!

There's also a UE80 on the Mag well, it's in exactly the same place as a few of mine (a UE62 UE63).

As far as I know Enfield made a final top up batch of rifles in 1966.

Though Lithgow supplied several batches of Rifles to the Mod, these were complete, serial numbered batches, less furniture.

5 in 1971 followed by small batches in 1973 again in 1975.

Interestingly, AD8000616 to AD8000621 are listed as being supplied to the UK in 1980.

I wonder if this is one of the 5? Perhaps the Lithgow serial was removed on the right?

I initially thought it was a lash up, now I'm beginning to wonder, where's the resident L1 guru Kev?

Love to know what he makes of it.....

[desperatedan]

The more I look, the more interesting this one gets mate!

There's also a UE80 on the Mag well, it's in exactly the same place as a few of mine (a UE62 UE63).

As far as I know Enfield made a final top up batch of rifles in 1966.

Though Lithgow supplied several batches of Rifles to the Mod, these were complete, serial numbered batches, less furniture.

5 in 1971 followed by small batches in 1973 again in 1975.

Interestingly, AD8000616 to AD8000621 are listed as being supplied to the UK in 1980.

I wonder if this is one of the 5? Perhaps the Lithgow serial was removed on the right?

I initially thought it was a lash up, now I'm beginning to wonder, where's the resident L1 guru Kev?

Love to know what he makes of it.....

John,

If it's a Lithgow made/supplied receiver I don't think it's a simple case of removal of the "AD" serial on the RHS and an Enfield "UE" one being added on the LHS in the usual place. If you look at the rest of the nomenclature "RIFLE 7.62..." it has millimetres expressed as "m/m" rather than "mm".

IIRC Lithgow (and BSA) used plain "7.62mm" ( without a / ) but Enfield marked theirs as "7.62m/m" so the entirety of those markings appear to have been Enfield applied.

[mrclark303]

John,

If it's a Lithgow made/supplied receiver I don't think it's a simple case of removal of the "AD" serial on the RHS and an Enfield "UE" one being added on the LHS in the usual place. If you look at the rest of the nomenclature "RIFLE 7.62..." it has millimetres expressed as "m/m" rather than "mm".

IIRC Lithgow (and BSA) used plain "7.62mm" ( without a / ) but Enfield marked theirs as "7.62m/m" so the entirety of those markings appear to have been Enfield applied.

Good spot, the mystery deepens.....

[mrclark303]

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