Object Title

Centrefire self-loading military rifle - SLR, L1 A1

Centrefire self-loading military rifle - SLR, L1 A1

Object Number

PR.5223

Provenance

Gifted with the Pattern Room by the Ministry of Defence, August 2005.

Physical Description

Barrel with long 'bird cage' flash hider and underside bayonet stud, and sling loop at below the gas plug. Gas block with pierced protective wings for the screw-in blade foresight, and an adjustable gas plug. Wood fore-end slotted on both sides. Carrying handle with grooved wood grip folds to the right side for stowage. Ejection port on the right of the receiver, with the folding charging handle on the left. Short magazine well with paddle release at the back end. Two-position change lever on the left side above the slightly shaped wood pistol grip. Folding adjustable aperture backsight. Wood buttstock sweeps down, then flares with a metal buttplate. Back sling loop on the underside of the stock. The buttstock has a plate with an inscription on the right side. Blue finish.

Techniques

Manufactured

Materials

Wood, Steel

Dimensions

OverallLength1140 mm
OverallWeight4.47 kg

Firearms/Artillery

Serial Number UE57A1

Calibre

7.62 mm

Inscriptions and Marks

Drawing number
960-2270 D 57		Left side of flash hider
Stamped
Inspection mark
Crown over IA over 151		Left side of receiver
Stamped
Drawing number
D 57 980-2266		Left side of gas block
Stamped
Inscription
R.S.A.F. ENFIELD RIFLE 7.62 M.M. L.1.A.1. MADE TO SEALED DRAWING DATED 1/3/57 SAMPLE FROM FIRST BATCH OF QUANTITY PRODUCED RIFLES COMPLETED ON 30/5/1957		Plaque on right side of buttstock
Stamped
Model
RIFLE 7.62M/M.L1A1 1005-99-960-0001		Left side of receiver
Stamped
Serial number
UE 57 A1		Left side of receiver
Stamped

Associations

Notes

Postwar small arms development resulted in the widespread adoption of detachable-magazine self-loading battle rifles, in some cases replacing bolt-action designs originally conceived in the late 19th century. Britain was no exception, by the mid-1950s still fielding the venerable Lee-Enfield as its service rifle, albeit in the updated form of the No. 4.

Britain initially adopted the .280 in calibre EM-2 bullpup as the Rifle, No. 9 in the 1950s, but a decision to standardise NATO small arms on the 7.62 x 51mm cartridge caused it to be quickly abandoned. Instead, the FN FAL was modified for production using imperial measurements and adopted across the Commonwealth of Nations with some national variations. Known colloquially as the SLR (self-loading rifle), the L1A1 served as the British service rifle until the adoption of the SA80 family of weapons in the 1980s.

This rifle is one of the first L1A1s manufactured at the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, completed in May 1957.