When the Aussie-made L1A1's first came out in 1959 they were fitted with a non-rotating wooden carry handle, followed by the rotating version, and finally the moulded green plastic version. As a matter of interest, the NZ Army eventually removed all the carry handles from the Infantry rifles as a rifle carried by the handle was too slow to bring into action. The attached photo is my 1959 first issue ex-NZ L1A1 in original condition.
Re: Wooden Handles on Aussie SLR's - Sure did, in the 'Bad Old Days' when we were trusted to actually possess these firearms, I had two. First was built as an early, 1969 model - With Wooden Handle (1), and the second as a late production with Plastic Handle (2).
Can't find 'photos on a quick look, I'll persist.
(1) These had a deep phosphate finish, oiled/varnished timber work, triangular forend;
(2) Phosphated and painted(black) finish, creosoted timber work, rounder/fatter and heat-shield lined forend [I also had a 'Hythe' dual-aperture rear sight fitted].
Interesting to note that the illustrations in the Technical Brochures issued by SAF show both the Wooden and Plastic Handles, randomly.
What an absolute stunner, I've got an NZ pattern plastic example on my ex NZ L1, I don't think they saw a lot of use.
.303, helping Englishmen express their feelings since 1889
The great bulk of the NZ L1A1's were used by the Army and saw a lot of use (Borneo, Vietnam, etc) and many were rebuilt at Base Ordnance Depot, Trentham. It was the other unit issues (Logistics, Artillery, Air Force and Navy) that survived in good order but not very big numbers of them. I bought 1,000 off the Government Stores Board in 1988 and only about 6 good originals among them (my one pictured being the best, and lowest number NZ^43. Only the first 1,000 rifles were NZ numbered on the left side of the mag well). There were about 10 tidy refurbished examples and the rest were well used with about 10 suitable for parts only. Original finish examples are identified by the serial numbers being bright from being engraved after finishing. Many were reparkerised at Trentham and their numbers are black.
Troops on patrol hooked the carrying handle in their webbing and couldn't get the rifle into action when necessary. Result, all in SA inventory had the carrying handles cut off.
The great bulk of the NZ L1A1's were used by the Army and saw a lot of use (Borneo, Vietnam, etc) and many were rebuilt at Base Ordnance Depot, Trentham. It was the other unit issues (Logistics, Artillery, Air Force and Navy) that survived in good order but not very big numbers of them. I bought 1,000 off the Government Stores Board in 1988 and only about 6 good originals among them (my one pictured being the best, and lowest number NZ^43. Only the first 1,000 rifles were NZ numbered on the left side of the mag well). There were about 10 tidy refurbished examples and the rest were well used with about 10 suitable for parts only. Original finish examples are identified by the serial numbers being bright from being engraved after finishing. Many were reparkerised at Trentham and their numbers are black.
Mine was one of the batch sold to the UK and ended up with Helston Gunsmiths, subsequently being broken down to parts, the Bolt group, receiver and TMH stored together as a parts kit.
I bought mine a while back now (AD64) and had it rebuilt with a new barrel, the three prong FE is wrong, but only us anoraks would know!
She had a rather battered suncorite finish, so I repainted her.
She represents a later date service example in her current guise.
.303, helping Englishmen express their feelings since 1889
Yep. "Non-rotating" type on early trials versions and into early production.
There were TWO types: The early one was "non-rotating", the later, rotated..
Several pages of the Skennerton 1989 book, "S.L.R, Australia's F.A.L" refer to and show photos of the development of the carrying handles. This includes conversion of non-rotating types to "rotating". The classic "green plastic" handles came on line in 1965
The entire point of the handle was for "odd-job" carry. Stretcher bearer's for a start. Anybody else who had to carry / operate with a toolbox, ammo carrier, etc in a "hot" zone.. "Battlefield clearance", (cleaning up the two-way range after an engagement). Armourers lacking a suitable "cart" taking several rifles from the armoury to the workshop.
Last edited by Bruce_in_Oz; 07-11-2023 at 05:50 PM.
There was a definite "dislike" of Diggers using slings, except on "parade"; in which case the fabric of the sling was polished and black and the brass fittings were also polished. RAEME workshops / detachments did a roaring trade, professionally polishing brass fittings on belts and slings. We also went to "leather lacquer" for the fabric of the belt and sling. No boot-polish to rub off and stain uniforms and after the big day, it was all packed away in a plastic bag for the next big outing.
Also, because the sling was essentially a SMLE sling "blackened", it lacked the Gucci functionality of the H&K G3 sling. Other than parade-ground appearances, see also: "Catafalque parties", Funeral escorts, etc, the only other time slings were in use was as a "shooting aid" in serious rifle competitions, something the "average' Digger never experienced. And the "target sling" variations are a whole other story. Think; "Bren slings with a "twist".
These days it is a bit less obsessive; with black synthetic fabric slings and belts. I can't say I miss that aspect of the "job"; especially years after "pulling the plug"..
Inch pattern receivers have been made intermittently (and of varying quality) by several American manufacturers.
DSA is probably the best known; their early Australian-pattern examples (made by a subcontractor called LMT) were of excellent quality, while their in-house examples (both Australian and British pattern) have been hit and miss.
Two now-defunct companies, Entreprise Arms of California and Coonan Arms of Minnesota, also made inch pattern receivers in the past. Outside of early Entreprise examples (also made by a subcontractor, also excellent), they tended to be problematic, ranging from "minor issues" to "blatantly unsafe".
IMBEL of Brazil (a legitimate FAL manufacturer) produced semi-automatic versions of metric Type 3 receivers for the US market in the 1980s. Century Arms had some of them cut to accept inch pattern mags for their "R1A1" rifles (assembled in Canada from a mixture of inch and metric parts), and some have machined the British-pattern profile cuts into those receivers. Many consider that the best option for building a proper-looking British rifle today,
Last edited by enbloc8; 07-13-2023 at 02:54 PM.
Reason: Added more information.
Army eventually removed all the carry handles from the Infantry rifles as a rifle carried by the handle was too slow to bring into action. The attached photo is my 1959 first issue ex-NZ L1A1 in original condition.
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Originally Posted by WGB-762
