The receiver is an Imbel from an early '90s Century L1A1.  These were the ones with the naked muzzle and horrible thumbhole that required ruining the lower to use.  The benefit of this is that these Imbels were 'inch' with the exception of the mag catch.  This means that it has a cut back charging handle slot, and has the rear notches cut into the rear of the slots where the action cover fits.  In other words, they are GREAT for proper L1A1 builds.

The kit is Australian (obtained 3-4 years ago from Tapco) from 1963, however the main parts were batch coded 1961 (This was way before JIT inventory).  Unfortunately, they didn't start chrome lining the bore until '65, but the bore is nearly perfect anyway.  The furnature is not original, as it is the later type.  The serial number indicates that it was sold from Lithgow (the Aussie factory) to Singapore.  The steel parts were were very dirty but otherwise in very nice shape.  There was rust only underneath the wood where moisture was trapped.  The wood was pretty nasty, but cleaned up fairly well.  In fact, the wood is the only thing refinished on this rifle, all other parts still have the original finish (original to me).

The SUIT is 1977 British with an original topcover.

A FAL/L1A1 has 17 of the 20 922r parts, thus 7 must be US in order to be 'no ban'.  As I wanted to keep my original furnature, I had to go into the magazine.

1. Hammer (FSE)
2. Trigger (FSE)
3. Sear (FSE)
4. Operating rod (FSE)
5. Gas piston (DSA)
6. Mag Follower (Falcon Arms)
7. Mag Floorplate (Falcon Arms)

Hope this photo works, and I hope the free bandwidth isn't used up too quickly:

Sweet.  I have one that I'm waiting to build.  I just need to get the lower receiver.

I don't understand the differences between inch and metric, care to expand on that?

Quoted: Sweet.  I have one that I'm waiting to build.  I just need to get the lower receiver. I don't understand the differences between inch and metric, care to expand on that?

Apart from the obvious Imperial vs Metric systems in construction, the differences are few but very important.  

The main differences are:
- Different method of breeching the barrel (uses a washer or 'breeching ring' instead of making contact with the receiver directly
- Different buttstock  
- Different fire control parts
- Different grip (manditory because of the different fire control parts)
- Different lower (again, manditory because of the different fire control parts)
- Different mag release (but interchangable)
- L1A1 has a disabled bolt hold open (you can manually engage it, but the pin that rides the follower has either been ground off or never installed)
- Different mag catch
- Different magazine
- Different bolt carrier (but interchangable)

All but a very few L1A1s constructed in this country have the metric mag well.  This one is metric.  This is a benefit because of the price and number of metric mags.  I believe that Century contracted a group of L1A1 proper guns a couple years ago, and they had the proper 'inch' mag catch.  Inch mags are tougher and are of a better design, but are much less common and when you do find them, they are often beaten up a bit.  They say you can use a metric mag in a inch mag well, but it's awfully sketchy.  You cannot use an inch mag in a metric guns.  The difference is that the inch mag catch is a large lug soldered onto the mag, whereas the metric one is a small catch pressed out of the steel.

Basically, stick to one type (inch or metric) and go with it.  You can swap the entire lowers, but the sights will be off badly as the inch sights are taller.  Some remedy this by using Israeli sights wich are the tallest of the Metric sights.

For the record, the ONLY thing metric guns have over inch is the bolt hold open. Supposedly this was to keep debris out and increase reliability.  I used a STG58 hold open on this one, so it has it...

If Ivan doesn't wash us out, it will be tested this weekend...  Oh, yeah....

You will worship my creation....BTT

Nice!  With all my AR projects I'd almost forgotten about my L1A1.  Maybe this will inspire me to do some work on it...  

That's sexy Drift'.

I can't wait to see some of the "Izzy's" guys are gonna start building now.

I have a Imbel with inch cut features, including the mag well. It is marked C.A.I. import. Its all inch parts.I dont think Century built it though. It is not marked R1A1 or L1A1 like most if not all of there builds

My Imbel ser # is in the 126,xxx range if you dont mind me asking is yours lower or higher?

Quoted: My Imbel ser # is in the 126,xxx range if you dont mind me asking is yours lower or higher?

I'll check...

Quoted: I have a Imbel with inch cut features, including the mag well. It is marked C.A.I. import. Its all inch parts.I dont think Century built it though. It is not marked R1A1 or L1A1 like most if not all of there builds

That's interesting...  If one were to tell me that without first hand experience, I would tell them it didn't exist.  The only inch mag well guns I'm aware of were made my Century (or domestic contrator) and not by Imbel.

Quoted: Quoted: I have a Imbel with inch cut features, including the mag well. It is marked C.A.I. import. Its all inch parts.I dont think Century built it though. It is not marked R1A1 or L1A1 like most if not all of there builds That's interesting...  If one were to tell me that without first hand experience, I would tell them it didn't exist.  The only inch mag well guns I'm aware of were made my Century (or domestic contrator) and not by Imbel.

Not quite...I have a pre-ban (yes, they still exist in NY) Entreprise Arms L1A1. Most of the parts are labeled 67 I think? With a couple being 65 (barrel and gas block I think)...I believe mine is a Lithgow, but I'm not entirely sure. I need to actually write this crap down instead of trusting myself to remember it each time I go over and look for dates and other markings

It's a pure inch rifle; mag, mag release, lower, the whole thing. The SUIT is...of unknown provenance but it might be an Izzy SUIT; I just don't know, nor do I know how to check. The mount I have on it now is a topcover from Tapco. (The mount you see there was actually a metric cover I think; the rear of the cover was cut at an angle? There were no inch tabs on it.)

I need to get better photos of it..

Sweet

I would love to get a FAL.  How does the SUIT work for you?  My M1A shoots about 2MOA with Portugese surplus, how do the FALs do?

Quoted: The SUIT is...of unknown provenance but it might be an Izzy SUIT; I just don't know, nor do I know how to check.

I'm not a SUIT expert, but this is how I understand it:  Israelis only had 5.56 SUITs (used on M16s & Galils) and the easiest way to tell them from Commonwealth 7.62 SUITs is that the spring is a horseshoe instead of the zig-zag one like on mine pictured above.  The only functional difference between the 5.56 and 7.62 suits is the range cam.

Quoted: Quoted: The SUIT is...of unknown provenance but it might be an Izzy SUIT; I just don't know, nor do I know how to check. I'm not a SUIT expert, but this is how I understand it:  Israelis only had 5.56 SUITs (used on M16s & Galils) and the easiest way to tell them from Commonwealth 7.62 SUITs is that the spring is a horseshoe instead of the zig-zag one like on mine pictured above.  The only functional difference between the 5.56 and 7.62 suits is the range cam.

Spring? Horseshoe?

Yah, I know the range cam is different...wish there was an easy way to tell which cam was which

Don't suppose you could take a detailed photo of the spring/horseshoe thing you're talking about? I'm thinking of one of two things you could mean, and I'm not sure which one...

Go half way down to the excellent photo of the SUIT.  Note the spring.  It's like a horseshoe with the ends curled around.  Compare it to mine pictured above where there are several zig zags.  

I guess it looks less like a horseshoe than I was thinking...

gunthings.com/falaccess.htm

That's sweet Drift, I've always had my eye on a FAl.

Quoted: Go half way down to the excellent photo of the SUIT.  Note the spring.  It's like a horseshoe with the ends curled around.  Compare it to mine pictured above where there are several zig zags.   I guess it looks less like a horseshoe than I was thinking... gunthings.com/falaccess.htm

Ahh..I see.

I'll have to verify, but I guess the one I have on it is a Brit one, and the one I purchased from Tapco is an Izzy one. (My father uses the Tapco one on his Imbel-receivered CAI L1A1...which he can't put into pre-ban config because we're both still in NY )

Thanks for the info, never would have known

Here you can see the the rectangle cut in the front of the magwell

Here you can se Imbel [a little fuzzy] ,I just seen where it does say L1A1.i still dont think they built it though.