Any SLR (Self Loading Rifle) enthusiasts?

[sandbender]

"...As I understand it, the thinking behind weapon use change in that the effect of a well aimed centre of mass 7.62 hit was death..."

I remember reading an article written by a Royal Marine officer who was involved in the Falklands Conflict, at some point he found himself meters away from an Argentinian officer who was firing round after round from his SLR at him, none of those rounds hit home, not because the Argentinian wasn't trying but because he was simultaneously plugging away with an M16 and his rounds were striking the Argentinian, the sixth round ricocheted off the Argentine officers hand and struck him on the forehead at which point he dropped the SLR and surrendered. The Royal Marine officer made a point of indicating that had a single SLR round struck him, he'd likely be dead.

Apparently they became pen pals, war, its a bit daft really.

I'd stick with a Lee Enfield.

 

[British Red]

Now that is a beauty

Shot the barrel out of my No4 Mk1* so I needed a new one

£200 out the door and me giggling all the way back to the car

 

[santaman2000]

I remember reading an article written by a Royal Marine officer who was involved in the Falklands Conflict, at some point he found himself meters away from an Argentinian officer who was firing round after round from his SLR at him, none of those rounds hit home, not because the Argentinian wasn't trying but because he was simultaneously plugging away with an M16 and his rounds were striking the Argentinian, the sixth round ricocheted off the Argentine officers hand and struck him on the forehead at which point he dropped the SLR and surrendered. The Royal Marine officer made a point of indicating that had a single SLR round struck him, he'd likely be dead...

Ironically one of the things that impressed the GIs about the M16 in Vietnam was its lethality vs the 308 round (7.62 NATO) Less impressive was the reliability of the early ones.

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

Because the SLR had reliability issues

No it didn't, the SLR was the most reliable weapon the British Army ever used.

When I was in collage we had two straight pull SLR's I used them to drop Roe Deer an Fox, beautifully accurate rifles when given optics, I didn't own one sadly they where owned by the collage but I know for a fact Eric one of my tutors still has one and I would love to take it out again.

While I was in Collage I also gave my time to the TA, as a Observer / section rifleman in the TA, and I chose to use the SLR WASP we had in our armoury and give me a choice of a SA80 or the SLR I will chose the SLR.

 

[sandbender]

"...No it didn't, the SLR was the most reliable weapon the British Army ever used..."

Ever used?

Lee Enfield No.4 MkII by British Red, on Flickr

 

[Itzal]

No it didn't, the SLR was the most reliable weapon the British Army ever used.

When I was in collage we had two straight pull SLR's I used them to drop Roe Deer an Fox, beautifully accurate rifles when given optics, I didn't own one sadly they where owned by the collage but I know for a fact Eric one of my tutors still has one and I would love to take it out again.

While I was in Collage I also gave my time to the TA, as a Observer / section rifleman in the TA, and I chose to use the SLR WASP we had in our armoury and give me a choice of a SA80 or the SLR I will chose the SLR.

Thats just your opinion.

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

Ever used?

Well OK the enfiled was a better rifle, but compare the SA80 to the SLR what would you have?

 

[santaman2000]

No it didn't, the SLR was the most reliable weapon the British Army ever used...

Cain't swear to it but I suspect the most "reliable" weapon the British Army (or any army) ever used was the bayonet.

 

[wattsy]

the SLR was originally designed for the 5.56 round but this was when NATO was being formed and the Americans would not come away from their view that the 7.62 was a better round. FN then had to change the design of the SLR out to accommodate the higher forces involved in firing the bigger round so the rifle's design was stretched almost to the limit, which is why it's a pig to fire fully automatic

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

I was thinking mostly post WW2, I have in the past owned a SMLE and a MK4 Enfield, and loved them both. No army can claim the best weapon ever, if they could that army would rule the world.

Oddly, the worst weapon I have ever tried was the LeBel 1886, followed by a .22lr version of the M1 Garand ( I have Shot a real M1 and loved it) but the Lebell was awful to shoot.

 

[Dartmoor navigator]

In 1947, the first FN FAL prototype was completed. It was designed to fire the intermediate 7.92×33mm Kurz cartridge developed and used by the forces of Nazi Germany during World War II (see StG44 assault rifle).


Ripped from Wiki

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

I believe that was the training rifle that never made it to production, it used German ammo in test models for training / pre production but the end rifle was supposed to be 5.56 but was canceled and then in the 80s we ended up with the SA80 leadeing to that god awful rifle we have now.

 

[Retired Member southey]

The a2 is a cracking rifle,

 

[Itzal]

Cain't swear to it but I suspect the most "reliable" weapon the British Army (or any army) ever used was the bayonet.

The a2 is a cracking rifle,

Its ok, just ok, there are far better weapons out there.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Of course there are, but it works,

 

[Itzal]

Of course there are, but it works,

Agreed, I dont get excited over guns, not that bothered, but I have used them and each on their own merit.

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

Not in my experience, I dropped one and dented the mag well.

Oddly this thread wants to make me post some thing, I am lucky and have ww1 letters from my great grandfather from ww1

I am sick of jerry getting in our cuts and then having pistols they can fight with, can you George get me a pistol from work?"

3 weeks later my granddad took ownership of two sawn off shotguns, two weeks later according to family records 20 of them landed and where given to his mates all of them sporting guns cut down to about 12in barrels an stubby stocks, my dad rembers in the late 50's his dad chucking his pare and a few other weapons in the river. I am lucky and have read my family history and my god my dad would not be here if it wasn't for one of the shot pistols his dad tossed away.

Lets just rember that all weapons kept us free and no one gun won the war.

I wish I had one, not for use but just to say to my kids that gun kept us free, the only two things I have from that period of my grandfathers life are a watch and a trench knife.

 

[santaman2000]

the SLR was originally designed for the 5.56 round but this was when NATO was being formed and the Americans would not come away from their view that the 7.62 was a better round....

....FN then had to change the design of the SLR out to accommodate the higher forces involved in firing the bigger round so the rifle's design was stretched almost to the limit, which is why it's a pig to fire fully automatic

First point: That's the way I heard it too. Which makes it doubly ironic that the US was the first to then switch to the .223 (5.56mm)

Second point: The M14 was also a disappoinment on full auto (although it was an amazing success on semi) which may be in large part why we switched to the M16.

 

[santaman2000]

Its ok, just ok, there are far better weapons out there.

Agreed. But I never said differently. My comment on bayonets wasn't about their effectiveness; but strictly about their reliability. I've never known one yet to jamb or have a mesfire.

 

[Itzal]

Agreed, I dont know anyone who has broken a bayonet either.