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7.62 box

Andysarmoury

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Hi I picked this box up the other day a nice early one.
Andy
 

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7.62

All the early packaging for British 7.62mm NATO is quite hard to find. The L2A2 ball round was appproved in September 1955, but production had started in February that year.

I have a full 32 round box of L2A1 ball, but my favourite is this one.

Regards
TonyE
 

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Hi Tony, this one is empty i am afraid and the metal tin is also missing and yes i too have a box of L2A2.
Andy
 
7.62mm

Hi Tony, this one is empty i am afraid and the metal tin is also missing and yes i too have a box of L2A2.
Andy

Hi Andy - I was talking about the L2A1, the first version of the British ball round that was only made in 1954 and 1955. There were instances of separated cases in the converted Bren gun (L4) and so the case web was thickened and it became the L2A2.

Chris - the horseshoe charger was the Mark I charger that was designed to facilitate rapid loading of the magazine. It was very like the Italian breda charger. This picture is stolen from the New Zealand 7.62mm charger site. Most seem to have been made by Thomas french & sons and their stamp is inset in the picture.

Regards
TonyE
 

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Hi Andy,
There used to be two of these carriers packed in an H50 steel ammo container.
Matthew
 
Hi Andy - I was talking about the L2A1, the first version of the British ball round that was only made in 1954 and 1955. There were instances of separated cases in the converted Bren gun (L4) and so the case web was thickened and it became the L2A2.

Chris - the horseshoe charger was the Mark I charger that was designed to facilitate rapid loading of the magazine. It was very like the Italian breda charger. This picture is stolen from the New Zealand 7.62mm charger site. Most seem to have been made by Thomas french & sons and their stamp is inset in the picture.

Regards
TonyE

Thank you for the info Tony, Spotter sent me a link to the site wich has a few different types.
Are they mega rare as I have never seen one ?
 
I've never really thought too much about ammo boxes. Here is my L2A2 one I use for bits and bobs. Cost 5 from a boot sale.
 

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All the early packaging for British 7.62mm NATO is quite hard to find. The L2A2 ball round was appproved in September 1955, but production had started in February that year.

I have a full 32 round box of L2A1 ball, but my favourite is this one.

Regards
TonyE


Hi TonyE,
was there a over-run of the production of L2A1? as I have both 1956 dated L2A1 and L2A2 both are ball and manufactured by Radway Green,also have a 1955 A1 & L2A1 again both ball and RG.

Regards
Tony
 
L2a2

Hi Tony - Yes, there appears to have been an overlap between the end of L2A1 production and the start of L2A2 in 1955/56. I think this was because they were still trying to get the L2A2 right, and also because of the problems with the FN barrel dimensions. The heavier case web had corrected the separated case problem in converted Brens.

We were still buying the barrels from FN and these were giving problems with accuracy when hot or worn. Some consideration was given to increasing bullet diameter on the L2A2 but in the end it was decided that the new British manufactured barrels should be reduced from the mean of .300" made by FN to .296".

Also, the early L2A2 had a mean velocity of 2660 fps but this was increased later to 2700 fps at 22.3 tsi to meet NATO spec.

Regards
TonyE
 
Thank you for the info Tony, Spotter sent me a link to the site wich has a few different types.
Are they mega rare as I have never seen one ?

The horseshoe chargers are very rare. Although I have seen one or two I do not have one myself (but all donations greatly appreciated!)

Cheers
TonyE
 
7.62mm L2A1 Ball packaging

TonyE,

That's a great label for the 8-round horseshoe charger; I've never seen one before! Is the box that it is on a "re-used" 32-rd box?

Like you, I have a full 32-rd box of the L2A1, but do you know when they stopped using the 32-rd box, and went over to the 20-rd boxes?

Roger.
 
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