Chris Hall

Seeing those 155mm HE shells takes me back to Iraq and trying squeeze 120 of them into Warriors, the crew really, really wern't to happy about it!

You'll be talking about puttees next!!

I saw this today on the MOD Intranet and they said 25,000 to be purchased. I hope this means that there isn't enough to make it to the RAF as I prefer to stick to my L9 Brownings

I've been keeping an eye out for one of these myself.

Cheers for that, that confirms my theory and dispells the crap on the net!

A quick and hopefully easy question for you ferretfixer, Is the L3A1 and 2 simply a redesignation of the 1919A4, so closed bolt fixed and flexible, and A3 and A4 the rear sear open bolt conversion?

Or, are they as I suspect, A1 and A2 rear sear/open bolt conversions and the A3 and A4 are rear sear/open bolt conversions plus the trigger mod?

I ask as my own A2 has the original profile trigger but is still in the open bolt configuration. I've looked at mant L3A1 to A4 guns (But not been able to examin in detail) and even reference material is contradictory and inaccurate, Ian Skennerton states in his SAIS on the L3 that the A1 and A2 are rear sear conversions and that the A3 and A4 have had trigger conversions plus the rear sear conversions. Many other references state that the A1 and A2 are simply re-designated 1919A4s with closed bolt and the A3 and A4 are the open bolt conversions.

So I am assuming that the A1 and A2 have curved triggers and modified for open bolt and the A3 and A4 have the square trigger mods and open bolt mods. Would this be correct?

Cheers, Chris.

I managed to to get a zoom in and it is a L3A1 or 3, I also just twigged that it must be a before and after conversion comparison or a seperate 1919A4 and L3A3 comparison set as the 1st photo dosn't show the conversion markings and the bolt is not blued or is worn.

Normal L3 conversion markings.

Hi Steve,

 

If no one has said yes please yet I wouldn't mind having them I'll pm you

Andy, if you get them, could you email me some hi-res copies/scans?

Cheers, Chris.

It looks like its a British L3 conversion. It may be that its a experimental/pre production version as all the conversions I've seen and been told about, dont have the marking shown in your photos. I have the same markings on my L3A2 and it came from a place that may have been gifted a experimental gun. I also note that the photo shows the L3A3 fixed gun whereas my gun is set up as a flexible A2.

The greande base plug has a threaded hole for the gas check disc. It means that a normal grenade can be used as a thrown or launched grenade with the addition of the disc. I think you insert the grenade into the cup and then remove the pin rather than remove pin and insert grenade. A bolt was also fitted through the lower stock infront of the magazine aswell as reinforcing wire around the butt and either side of the forward sling band.

I have some neighbours I could use that on! They wouldn't P me off for to long.

To simulate a gas attack for training purposes?

I think some of those parts must be Falklands war trophies. One of the photos has markings like '..... de Argentina'

Are they the old Lincolnshire land sharks? I see the back Jag is a 6 Sqn badged jet, I remember watching them taxying out for the last time before we quickly pushed our Typhoons in so they couldn't come back!!!

Anyone know what happened to the old Harrier GR3 from Cottesmore gate? The 3 Sqn gate guard is now at Conningsby on 3 Sqn Typhoons site.

I saw those at Ciney last weekend, not worth the risk!

I had a good look at them, the one with the thingy up the spout made me wonder and then he pointed out that they were complete and I had to walk away.

Its been a while but I worked on that jet many moons ago. It used to be a 43 Sqn jet, then 56R and then it was the Hangar Queen for many years. I see its missing many of the parts but its pretty complete compared to the normal stuff sold off. I'd forgotten how old school it is compared to the Typhoon, the Mk10 EJ seats are vintage now, although they need a good 'Seat tidy', they would never have been left like that in service!

I got some goodies, picked up a Breda M37 Machine gun AA kit for £60 saving about £300 (It was mis labled as Madsen). Also picked up a 1929 Enfield Revolver in mint unissued condition (A very rare collectors piece), 2 x Mk3 No.4 bayonets for £4 each, a Royal Enfield WD/CO pannier rack for £40, some Lee Enfield small parts and some books. A very good day for me.

Did anyone have a good look at the 2 .50 cal relics? I had to walk away from them because they were too dodgy for me.

Theres a good chance that it may have been in Army service prior to RAF service. The RAF have their own fire service rather than the defence fire service. We don't tend to stick badges on our vehicles in the RAF unless its a specialist vehicle like EOD, Police or Ambulance etc. The vehicles are passed around quite a bit so the badges would be redundent on a regular basis. I do know my old Boss on XI Sqn used to have magnetic XI Sqn badges fo his MT Corsa. Also, nearly all Sqn badges (Be it RAF reg, Sqn, Stn etc.) are based on a crest with the crown on top and are quite distinctive.

Looks like a test kit to test vehicle radios.

I can't comment on Webley serial numbers but I do have a few odd Brens. I have a Lithgow Bren that the 6 in the serial number has been remarked with a 9 above the 6. These were marked with a pantograph so mistakes really should have been spotted but they must have happened. I also have another Lithgow Bren where the serial numbers all match where one is prefixed with a B whereas the other numbers are prefixed with a A, this mistake was never corrected.

First question, are you sure it is a Webley and not an Enfeild? The two are so close that Webley sued Enfeild for patent infraction. There were a number of chnges to the Webley throughout production. With many earleir types upgraded to newer standards. So your Webley Mark 6 should have A) A six inch barrel, B) Removable foresight C ) A squarer cut grip. Internal there were redesigns of the lock for manufactuering speed. So lock parts are unique to this mark. Although described as .455 the actual bore is .441. The Mark 6 becane a sealed pattern on 24th May 1915. They were replaced in Army service in around 1929/30 by the Enfeild models in .38, which were again blatant copies of a Webley design.

If its got a 1918 date it has to be a Webley as Enfield only made the MkVI from 1921 to 1926.

I'd have to agree, the wire looks like staples to hold the lining in place and philips screws are relatively new. I believe the gentleman really did have a bullet in his leg but the extreme heat would have melted the lead core and probably the copper too. The other thing of course is that a .303 wouldnt be magnetic so the bullet would remain in his ashes.

Hopefully I'll be there this year, I missed the 2012 event because I was working in the states. A bit annoying really considering I only live 400meters away from the field.

There isn't much I can tell you other than they were some of the last L4s made, all appear to be from the same contract and lots of them came to the UK. Most of the ones I know of have consecutive serial numbers.

Normally the cylinder chambers have to be bored out. I do have a Smith & Wesson 200 that has been deaced and the chamber has solid ends so look like bullets. I also cut down some non primered .38 cases to fill the other end.

That would be my advice, I have a few Enfield revolvers done like this. The dummy bullets are welded in from the hidden end prior to the ring being welded into the cylinder. I then added some fired .38 short blanks which fit on top of the ring.