Enfield L1A1 SLR (Self-Loading Rifle)

History

The L1A1 was the standard infantry assault rifle of the British Army from the mid-1950s to the late 1990s, eventually replaced by today's bullpup configuration, the L85A1, caliber 5.56mm. The L1A1 grew out of the need for the British military to equip its infantry with a modern automatic weapon chambered in the widely accepted 7.62x51mm NATO standard cartridge. Development of their own assault rifle (the "EM-2" bullpup) was eventually abandoned, leaving the Army to look elsewhere. With limited options for local production, the UK struck a deal with Belgian firearms company Fabrique-Nationale (FN) to license the very successful FN FAL design. The L1A1 looks very similar in form and function to the original Belgian FN FAL design, although the UK production process will focus on imperial measurements, ultimately leading to nuances in overall design and engineering, allowing for mixing of components from both weapon systems it does not completely interchangeable.

The British Army refers to their version of the FN FAL as "L1A1". Early versions were indeed purchased directly from FN, but later gave way to localized sourcing.

Externally, the L1A1 features a traditional layout consisting primarily of receivers containing key internal working components. The ejection port is located on the right side of the fuselage. The pistol grip is ergonomically shaped and integrated into the ring guard trigger system.

The magazine well is just in front of the trigger group and accepts a standard 20-round straight detachable magazine, the same as the FN FAL (although slightly different). A 30-round magazine quantity is also provided. The weapon is chambered for a 7.62x51mm NATO standard rifle cartridge, and its action revolves around the principle of gas operation with a sloping breech block. Thus, the foreguard places the cylinder above the barrel, which extends to the front of the weapon and is covered by a slotted compensator. Cylinders are used to expel gas from fired bullets and return them within a recoil action, ready to fire the next available bullet in turn.

As such, the L1A1 is also known as the "Self-Loading Rifle" or SLR, to denote its repeat-fire capability. The stock is sturdy, with sights on the rear of the receiver as well as the end of the foreguard. For easy portability, a handle-related handle has been added to the left.

The original L1A1 production form was only semi-automatic fire. The upcoming L2A1 will feature a fully automatic fire mode that expands the weapon's tactical utility.

Introduced in 1954, the L1A1 provided the British Army with a sturdy automatic rifle that proved its capabilities in modern operations at the time, and had been in front-line service for about 30 years before the L85A1 series was introduced. Production is jointly undertaken by the Royal Small Arms Factory and the Royal Armouries.

The L1A1 is also classified as a "battle rifle" due to its full size, full power cartridge and automatic capabilities.

The L1A1 also serves as the L1A1 in the Australian Army and in the Canadian Army as "C1". Both countries built it under license and have since replaced the gun with the F88 Austeyr and C7 series, respectively. The C2 LMG is a Canadian form of light machine gun with a heavy barrel and bipod.

Other operators include Brunei, Jamaica, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Rhodesia and Sierra Leone.

L1A1 was used in (but not limited to) the Suez Crisis, Vietnam War, Cambodian Civil War, Falklands War and the 1990-1991 Gulf War.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes