A real inch pattern geek question..

[mrclark303]

Hi all,

A very anorak question I've been mulling over...

Fn made the ABC group pay for every change to the Fal, as the design morphed from metric to to inch pattern and they changed just about everything with the possible exception of the breech block and the pivot pin assembly!

Now Canada and Australia kept the Fal half moon shaped machining around the locking should reinforce, the UK opted for squaring off the reinforce, so did the UK have to pay more for this specifically UK change?

As a follow on, why the machining change by the UK??

I challenge anyone to come up with a more geeky question than that!

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[CINDERS]

Guess your question follows along the same line as this book I have Clarky!

[mrclark303]

It certainly looks like it Ron!!

[nzl1a1collector]

The machining was a national preference, Australia followed the Canadian design that was a basic design for the Rifle Steering Committee. The British continued with their methods of milling, thus you get different styles of cuts, the critical measurements met the specification, looks were secondary and in fact if you compared the Canadian and Australian Rifles you will see differences in the machining.

[browningautorifle]

The machining was a national preference

That makes more sense to me. I'd have a hard time believing that when rifle was made on Long Branch machines that Belgium took offense to machine cut differences.

[mrclark303]

Cheers Kev, that makes sense, as you say, differences in all three. the mag well lightning cut on the CAL rifle, is similar to the Fal, where the UK and Lithgow opted for a simpler narrow scallop.

It does makes you wonder why they would change things like the gas block assembly, where even the angle of the gas bleed channel was altered...

[Lee Enfield]

Cheers Kev, that makes sense, as you say, differences in all three. the mag well lightning cut on the CAL rifle, is similar to the Fal, where the UK and Lithgow opted for a simpler narrow scallop.

It does makes you wonder why they would change things like the gas block assembly, where even the angle of the gas bleed channel was altered...

Most of the C1/L1 improvements are real improvements over the Ex1/X8E1/T48 series of rifles.

90* gas port hole erodes less over time (reference Ak47 vs AKM).

The inch pattern gas block is arguably a dramatic improvement over the Belgian design - gas adjustment knob and front sight system.

The Belgian Ex1/X8 2 piece gas nut/carry handle sleeve is stupid - having to unbreech the barrel or remove the gas block to remove the gas tube or carry handle is stupid.

The butt stock "wings" on the Ex1/X8 belgian butt stock cracked and broke out.

I'm not sure that the 2 angle bolt locking surface matters (the Indians used the single angle bolt to the end with their IA1 rifles) - but the 2 piece extractor is a major improvement over the long tail flat wire spring BAR pattern of the Ex1/X8.

I used to prefer the Ex1/X8 pattern pistol grip, but have come to prefer the inch pattern angle and shape.

Having said that, the US pattern (T48) flash hider adopted with the C1/L1 is ungainly long.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

The Lithgow solution to the flash-hider length issue was found on the L1A1F1 rifles sent to the PNG Defence Forces.

L1A1, flash suppressor, PNG F1 Arizona Response Systems

Combined with a "short" butt, it lopped several inches off total length. This suited the many "shorter-statured" PNG troops and made the barrel assembly a bit less of a "brush-hook".

A neat bit of engineering.

[browningautorifle]

it lopped several inches off total length.

That would have been nice too.

[mrclark303]

The Lithgow solution to the flash-hider length issue was found on the L1A1F1 rifles sent to the PNG Defence Forces.

L1A1, flash suppressor, PNG F1 Arizona Response Systems

Combined with a "short" butt, it lopped several inches off total length. This suited the many "shorter-statured" PNG troops and made the barrel assembly a bit less of a "brush-hook".

A neat bit of engineering.

I often wondered what difference the Lithgow PNG FE made to the distinctive L1 'chime'.