Explanation for the L21A2 37mm Baton Round

[Muskey]

Whilst researching t'interweb I came across an interesting report from DOMILL (DASC Sub-committee on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons) dated 27th June 2008. DOMILL have released a number of reports on the medical implications of British Less Lethal weapons systems. We've known the L21A1 was the only L21 37mm Baton Round ever issued operationally in the UK, that the later L21 marks were probably for British military service abroad, and that the L60 AEP A1 and A2 weren't suitable for use in hot climates. This report, entitled "Statement on the medical implications of use of the L21A2 Baton Round fired from the 37mm L127A1 Less Lethal Gun fitted with the EOTech 552 Holographic Weapon Sight", refers specifically to Op Herrick (Afghanistan) where it said the L67A4 firing the L5A7 Baton Round was initially going to be replaced by the L104A1 (vertical break open action downward) firing the L21A1 Baton Round, however due to the environmental conditions in Afghanistan and further production of the L104 in doubt, this was to be replaced by the H&K GLM 37mm gun, now designated the L127A1 Less Lethal Gun (known as the 'sideloader' as the action breaks horizontally to the left.)

The aluminium barrel of the L127 (as opposed to the steel of the L104) caused much less friction along the barrel, creating an unacceptably higher velocity from the L21A1 Baton Round. To counter this, the L21A2 was produced specifically for Afghanistan as a 'reduced charge' load to reduce velocity sufficiently to acquire the required amount of kinetic energy. The report also gives confirmation that the L60 AEP was unsuitable for use in hot climates stating "The designated environmental operating temperature range for the AEP precludes its use in Ops Telic (Iraq) and Herrick, but there is a desire to extend the operating temperature range of the system". Could this be the L60A3? Has anyone ever seen an L60A3? Pete.

 

[reccetrooper]

I’ve still not seen an L21A2.

They must also exist an L21A3, due to the existence of L21A4, but I have not seen an example, or found any reference to L21A3.

A limited number of L21A4 used cases have been around on the collector market for the past three years. The ones I’ve seen are all from Lot 002 03/16 dated.
I have an empty H83Mk2 tin with L21A4 markings that is also Lot 002 03/16 dated.

I have not seen an L60A3, however an action to draft technical plans for medical assessment of DIP and L60A3 rounds is mentioned in an online minutes of the Less Lethal Weapons Working Group, minutes dated May 2013.

 

[Muskey]

Thanks for the great information (as always) George. Taking your info & the DOMILL report above into account, I think the following can be said with a high degree of confidence. The L21A2 - L21A4 were all for British military service overseas in hot climates and were 'reduced charge' variants to bring down the muzzle velocity. We also now know that the L21A2 came on the scene by at least early 2008, and with the arrival of the L21A4 by the latest early 2016 that the A2, A3, and A4 have a timeline over that eight year period.

Also thanks for signposting those UK Police Working Group Minutes on-line. We know that only the L60A1 (from 2005) and L60A2 (from 2011) AEP rounds have ever been issued / authorised for use in the UK to date. This is why I thought the L60A3, if it exists, might also be for overseas military use. Having read those minutes, it looks like there are two options: either L60A3 was a typo and they were planning to compare the wounding potential of the proposed DIP round against the L60A2 already in service (which makes most sense); or an L60A3 variant was proposed at that stage to the police, but never made it off the drawing board. I personally think Option 1 is the more probable!

 

[reccetrooper]

I agree Pete that the L21A2 - L21A4 appear to be for military use in hot climates, and have a reduced charge to reduce velocities in the anodized aluminium barrel of the ‘Sideloader’.

I surmise that the L21A4 cases and tin (all Lot 002 03/16), may have been bought back to the UK by a returning military unit, and that the L21A2 - L21A4 rounds may have a supply chain from PSH to the theatres of operation without passing through the UK (minimising transportation, etc.) and that might explain why no L21A2 or L21A3 have this far appeared on the UK collectors market, all examples having only been used overseas.

In the ACPO minutes I don’t think that L60A3 is a typo, the minutes would have been distributed to the attendees (at a minimum, possibly to others) and have then been redacted before publication online. I would expect any typo to have been picked up and corrected before the publication online.

Also, I don’t think the action mentioned was a comparison between DIP and AEP, as the minutes say “draft technical plans for the medical asessment of these rounds”, to me that reads as having two separate plans, one for each round type, not one comparative plan.