Parker Hale 5c |
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Posted: September 23 2020 at 8:46am |
I installed a Parker Hale 5c on a No4 Mk1 full length barreled, faux L42A1 I have. I did have a 4x Leupold on it prior and it was a very consistent shooting rifle. It would average 2" groups @ 100 yards with 150 Hornady Spire Points. It was raining some this morning, but I had to try out the new rig. I was using 6" paper plates @25 yards. I was on paper with no adjustments! .68" three shots group. As I mentioned, this rifle shoots pretty good. Although I wasn't planning on it this trip, I went to the 100 yard range. Five shot group was 2.66". I was very satisfied after this first outing as this Parker Hale site is way different than the one I have on my No1. Both really fun! Thanks, Goosic!
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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So now you have a Faux L39A1!
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Zed. I bought this rifle several years back once I became addicted (or re-addicted) to Enfields. For which I blame this site! This site made me look into the history of this venerable rifle. Recently, I realize that I was calling it a faux L42A1 when it wasn't. Help me. It's a cobbled together (I assume) No4 Mk1 that has a full length barrel, furniture cut down just proud of the front barrel band, by a very respectable Brit living in Canada. It also has a walnut cheek piece, and a non fully rotating King Screw. in .303. Yes. It is a faux L39A1 in .303.
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Goosic
Senior Member Joined: September 12 2017 Location: Phoenix Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8792 |
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I am very glad and pleased that it has worked out for you. Enjoy it...
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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Honkytonk; I think it's fair to say that if you've got the scope fitted, it's in the L42 style and with the Parker Hale rear sight it's in the style of the L39.
The L39 has the same 7.62 hammer forged heavy barrel and woodwork as the L42; but it is built on the No4Mk2 platform with the trigger mounted on the receiver. I was built for military shooting teams. The L42 was the service sniper rifle built on original No4Mk1T's. Alongside the L39 and L42; using similar spec barrels but No8 Style woodwork are the Enforcer, supplied to Police forces with generally a Pecar scope, and the Envoy, for civilian target use. |
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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The Armourer
Senior Member Joined: June 23 2019 Location: Y Felinhelli Status: Offline Points: 1246 |
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I think I posted these previously, but anyway : An extract of notes on a presentation by Peter Laidler "The L39" I was having a browse through the
Small Arms Committee minutes relating to the L39A1 rifle the other day and
found some bits and pieces that I think I ought to pass on. Including some
things that I never realized either! |
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Please remember! I absolutely know it is neither a L42A1 nor a L39! It is a No4 Mk1 that I purchased several years ago. It has a full length barrel, cut down forestock and a walnut cheek piece on a stock. I bought it this way. It's .303, and I had installed an Addley no-drill scope mount, and mounted a Leupold 1.5x4 straight tube. It is now the same rifle with a P-H 5c instead of the scope. Once I found the right load, it's a pretty consistent shooter.
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W.R.Buchanan
Senior Member Joined: September 21 2014 Location: Ojai CA Status: Offline Points: 373 |
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We can call these guns "Replica's" I am building an NRA Sporter "Replica" right now based on a 03A3 barreled action. I have all the correct piece parts for the stock and it is going to be a really nice "Shooter" that looks like an NRA Sporter. I am a "Shooter," not so much a "Collector.." I looked at a PH 5C but could bring myself to spend $400+ on a sight for a $200 gun so I made an adapter and installed a Redfield Olympic Rear Sight that I got off Ebay for $70. It works very well! The gun shoots well, and I shot my best Short Range Silhouette score of 32/40 with it using Lyman 314299's and 16 gr of 2400 powder. I also shoot Long Range Silhouette with it.. Randy
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It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,, It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do.
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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I like what you've done! And it's a shooter!
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VBULL
Newbie Joined: July 02 2021 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4 |
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In 1995 I purchased an L39A1 in the US. I shot in NRA Long range matches all the way from Florida to Camp Perry. The Sierra 155 grain 1992 Palma bullet had just been released to the public and I had a box. I worked up the load in cool weather which proved to be too hot in the North Carolina sun at a 1000 yard match at Camp Butner. On the last relay I decided to shoot the L39A1 with an AJ Parker Twin Zero rear sight and tunnel foresight. No competitor there had even seen or heard of such a rifle. I had the zero figured out to a T and the first sighter landed on paper. The old L39A1 started laying them in the right place much to the astonishment of all watching. The scorer wanted to know what the he!! was the load because it shot so flat with the 155 Palma MK. The hot weather had the load jacked up to about 2900 and did it shoot! Sadly about round 15 the cases
Showed signs of separation so I had to stop short of 20 rounds for record. Little did I know that I had drawn a crowd behind me to watch the rifle. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to explain to everyone just exactly “what Kinda damn rifle is that”
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Zed
Special Member Donating Member Joined: May 01 2012 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 5585 |
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Welcome to the forum VBull.
Sounds like you had some fun with your L39A1. Do you still own the rifle? We would love to see some photos of it. Also I am interested in whatever load data you have. I have an L39A1; with the TZrear sight. I use the SMK Palma 155 gr bullet. Currently using 40 grains of Vihta Vouri N140 powder. Unfortunately I don't have access to the longer ranges at the moment; so only get to shoot at 200 metres.
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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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VBULL
Newbie Joined: July 02 2021 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4 |
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Responding to your question about the load data that I used, it was DuPont 4895 and slightly exceeded the 1992 Palma load that the Americans supplied that year for the Palma match at Raton. The Palma committee had asked Winchester to supply the .308 cases. Winchester’s loading equipment was incapable of producing match brass because it needed rebuilding. They retooled for this run and produced extremely high quality brass. It was headstamped 1992 Palma. I used that brass and Federal 210 Match primers. I do not have the L39A1 now. I do have a .303 Wesley Richards Sporter circa 1915. The only No. 4 that I kept was regulated by Bill Wilde and used at the DCRA matches in 1980-81. H414 has given me the best accuracy in the .303 hands down. I use the 174 Sierra Matchking at 2450 FPS. Occasionally you will find a .303 that likes VV140 best. I had an unfired Irish Contract #4 that shot so accurately that no one believes me when I tell them (using H414. ). It easily outshot every National Match Garand that I owned and gave my National Match 1903 a run for the money. When I was writing back in the 1990’s I had correspondents all over the Commonwealth giving me information on regulating Lee Enfields. Oh, for the Days of Old when the match bulletin specified that “only the British Service Rifle Numbers 3 and 4 shall be used in this event.”
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britrifles
Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Online Points: 6539 |
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Welcome to the forum VBull. Great to have another shooter on the forum!
The CMP introduced the “Games” rifle matches some years back (early 2000’s I think) which includes the Vintage Military Rifle Match. Any “foreign” military bolt action rifle may be used. The match is shot at 200 yards on the NRA SR Target (or at 100 on the SR-1 Target). For obvious reasons, the LE is not well known here in the US (not invented here) and few LEs will be seen at the CMP matches. The M1917 is most common and is a good shooter. I’ve had success with my No. 4 in the VMR matches. I have not tried H414, my match load is 40 grains of Varget with 174 gr SMK, it will hold the X ring on the SR Target. The accuracy of the No. 4 will turn heads and gets noticed at these matches. I also have two DCRA 7.62 No. 4 rifles (assembled at Long Branch), they shoot very well with 40 gr Varget and 168 SMK’s. Both have PH 5C rear sights and I’ve shot these out to 600 yards with very good accuracy, but just not competitive with F-Class rifles. Can’t be used in the VMR matches as these were not “as issued” to the troops. A supply of new barrels will become critical for these rifles to win at matches. Criterion made a run of No. 4 barrels but not available at the moment. Hopefully they will be available again, I will buy several. |
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W.R.Buchanan
Senior Member Joined: September 21 2014 Location: Ojai CA Status: Offline Points: 373 |
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I had correspondents all over the Commonwealth giving me information on regulating Lee Enfields.
Used in the same context as the 2nd Amendment IE; "Well Regulated Militia" as in,,, a well "Trained Militia" with Rifles "sighted in" or "regulated" to a distant target. A Naval Gunnery Term. It's good we have a Brit who can use the English Language in proper context, so that we Yanks can better understand our founding documents. Actually Webster's Dictionary Def #2 for "Regulation." to regulate or sight in a gun to a specific target. In that context it doesn't not mean a Militia with lots of Rules and "Regulations." It means,,, a militia that is "Ready to Fight!" Randy
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It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,, It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do.
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VBULL
Newbie Joined: July 02 2021 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4 |
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The English use the term “regulate” in the same sense that the Americans use “accurize” as you must well know. I used it in that sense. I am an American who recognized that the British military used the same rifle from 1888 until 1957 and wondered why. It has been a long and fascinating study.
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W.R.Buchanan
Senior Member Joined: September 21 2014 Location: Ojai CA Status: Offline Points: 373 |
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The British used the Brown Bess Musket from 1720 to 1830,,, probably because it worked as well or better than anything else available at the time,,, thus they saw no need to change ...
Also their battle tactics were all built around that weapon, but change always came slowly to their Military. Randy
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It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,, It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do.
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