[daddybob67]

i can across what looks to be a complete British l1a1 but different publications i have say little or no were imported. this one has a cai st alb vt 308 bsa rsaf england import mark on the barrel all receiver marks are British as will as rest of rifle had been trying to find a value but know just trying to find info out about them any help would be appreciated

 

[mr44]

if it is indeed a a totaly complete real deal 1200 +++ and up i have a 1994 model that has the removed FH and a reciever marked made in canada they were then 300 or 400 i cant remember.. see if you can get pics

 

[Cabinetman]

It's my understanding that ANY "original" L1A1 is considered a Machine Gun by the Gubmint. (I'm talking about an unaltered, non-commercial version if that's what you mean.) Even though the L1A1 was NEVER a select fire rifle, it got lumped in with all the other FALs made and therefore can't be owned by the civilian market unless it was NFA registered to begin with.

At least that's my understanding. I'm certainly open to correction here but thought I'd chime in.

Rome

 

[MG-70]

IIRC, some of the first FALs sold by Century back in the mid to late '90's (starting '96?)were L1A1s out of Canada built on Argentine or Brazilian receivers. At the time, they also sold Israeli FALOs with chopped threads on Brazilian/Imbel receivers. These all sported Bell&Carlson thumbhole stocks, but after the sunsetting of the Clinton Ban, many have been returned to their intended aesthetics. Where is your receiver made? If all other parts are correct, matching, then I'd say you're a lucky dude.

 

[RH Scott]

Yes, there were some complete British made weapons imported by CAI. They came to police and police officers that could produce a letterhead that the weapon was to be used for duty use.
I had one about 10 years ago. Complete issue, NO aftermarket parts. Upper was ED 58 as best as I remember. The parts (bolt, carrier, upper) did match sn#. Had the long flash hider and crappy paint finish with some light rust on the inside areas.
Only import marks were on the barrel and they were real light.

 

[Cabinetman]

RS Were they considered machine guns and did they need to be registered??

Rome

 

[daddybob67]

all bolt parts match but different from upper and lower reciever if i am reading the numbers right the lower was made in 66 upper in 62

 

[Terrylee]

I bought this L1A1 recently on an auction for the eqivalent of about USD 780. It is an Enfield dated 1960 in virtually as new condition but obviously a factory refurb. Unfortunately, as a refurb, it was provided with the later nylon furniture which spoils its originality as a collector's piece. Is anybody able to provide me with information as to where I could get hold of equivalent condition genuine Enfield wooden furniture?

 

[Z71]

Police officers bought these and resold them later. Probably not legal to own.

 

[Terrylee]

Don't worry! Legitimately purchased, fully authorised and perfectly legal!

 

[Z71]

OK!

 

[daddybob67]

does anyone have an idea what the different marks mean their everwhere i think the 960-___ is part numbers. but not sure about others

 

[john_d09]

Is anybody able to provide me with information as to where I could get hold of equivalent condition genuine Enfield wooden furniture?

You could try www.gunthings.com

I dont know how they compare in terms of price etc...but that would be a place to look or contact.

 

[John Sukey In Memoriam]

I think the BATFAGS classes it as a "Machine gun" because it used the same lower as the L2A2, though without the parts to make it "go fast". One of them being the safety sear that is also present in the SKS and The M1 Garand. The purpose of that bit is to prevent the rifle from firing unless the bolt is fully locked. In effect, by disabling that part and deleting the slot in the upper, to allow it to function and modifying the bolt carrier by grinding off a part, they made the rifle LESS SAFE.
The stupidity of all of this is evident when you consider that an M1 Carbine can be made into an M2 simply by replacing a few parts.
The commonwealth only issued the SLR in a semi-auto mode.

 

[Cabinetman]

.......which is why I think that ANY authentic L1A1, ex-military is considered an MG and not transferable unless it's already been registered as an MG, even though it never, ever shot in any manner other than semi-auto. I'm convinced that's the case and is why the "parts guns" scenario with all the L1A1s we've built is the only way to own one.

Rome

 

[limpetmine]

L1A1

About 1,500 were made in Austrailia for Joe Poyer, who imported them. During that time frame, the last bunch got caught in Bush '41's assault gun ban (what an a**hat he was)
I saw one a few months ago, got to hold it, even. Fellow had already turned down
$5,000 cash, told me he told the guy he didn't want to lose $2,000 on the deal. These were factory made guns that didn't have the go fast parts, ever, hence were/are legal.
I had a set of wood on a parts kit I just sold to a fellow a few months ago. Too late!!
Try IMA. Last Knob Creek, they had a few, but just a few, and were around $400

 

[The Wizard]

The Australian L1A1's imported by Joe Poyer ( I have one that is now in C1A1 configuration) were actual designated AND marked L1A1A. They were redesigned and manufactured as semiautomatic only rifles. NO safety sear cut in ejector block and NO safety sear.

 

[TFoley]

The commonwealth only issued the SLR in a semi-auto mode.

Note also that, AFAIR, all British-built SLR's were to Imperial screw and thread standards, and not metric. Getting bits might bust the bank.

tac

 

[Don Francis]

This thread is a bit disorganized.

Daddybob67 has an original Endfield produced L1A1 imported by Century Arms.

R H Scott has pointed out that these original L1A1 were imported for Law Enforcement Sales only
but were available to individual officers who could supply a department letter approving there purchase. Century also sold original RFI- Ishapore (Indian) L1A1's at the same time.

Original L1A1's have safety sear cut receivers, which have been at times allowed and disallowed by the BATF.

“The trigger mechanism of the FAL is ingenious and well-designed and has been much copied. It incorporates both the usual sear which is attached to the trigger by a pin and an "automatic safety sear" which is in front of the hammer and must be depressed for the hammer to rotate.
The semiautomatic "G" series FALs imported in the early '60s contained a number of modifications, including elimination of this automatic safety sear, to render them incapable of full-auto fire. The BATF decided this was insufficient and demanded that the cut milled in the receiver to accept the safety sear be eliminated on all FALs imported to the United States. The 1,836 rifles imported prior to this judgment were declared exempt from this requirement.
In 1973 when FN went to an investment-cast receiver, the company forgot to omit the safety-sear recess in the receivers manufactured for U.S. delivery. As a result, Steyr sold more than 2,000 rifles (including SOF's test weapons) which were no different from the original "G" series FALs that BATF had reclassified as machine guns. BATF has agreed to exempt the LARs also, provided they have not been modified. All future LARs imported into the United States must conform to BATF requirements, i.e., the receiver recess for the automatic-safety sear will have to be omitted. The entire scenario is more than a little bizarre, as the full-auto mode is not especially useful in a light rifle chambered for the 7.62mm NATO cartridge.”

Treeylee doesn't reside in the United States of America and so is not concerned with it's laws.

BATF's position on these LEO L1A1's is not clear.

 

[Cabinetman]

Thanks for the distilled history and description. I knew I had read something about this but couldn't put my finger on it. I only recalled that at some point, the semi-auto L1A1 models were lumped in with the select-fire versions.

My, that is a sordid history and shows, I think, just how weird the regs can get when it comes to stuff like this. On-again/off again regs don't really work. Still, if you run across one of these enigmas it would be quite a find, indeed.

Rome