Australian issue: GPIR (General Purpose Infantry Rifle)

fat tony

fat tony

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A good read if you have time:


http://www.nvtech.com.au/ProjPast/GP_Inf_Rifle/GPIR.html


Foreword
I have written this page in a personal manner for a number of reasons. This page is for my friends and those who have encouraged me over the years; believing in the value of the ideas I was pursuing with respect to an ideal general purpose infantry rifle. It is also to fully document what happened with this invention and to illustrate how difficult it is to have new ideas accepted; particularly in the Australian Defence Force. It seems to be something cultural, dating back to the early days of settlement where the best crockery or furniture always came from the "old country" and one gained one's social status, not by using the local product, but by showing off imported acquisitions. I have also been amazed at how many web-sites have posted information about the KAL1 GPIR (including Wikipedia!) and so I thought this audience would like to hear the full story. As much as I can, without harming the reputations of some people, or betraying confidences, I have provided copies of original correspondence.

At the end of this "journey", there were two rifles. Both of them working. The one at the top, RMC No2, had fired over 20,000 rounds; the KAL-1, a couple of hundred before the project was closed at the direction of Army Headquarters as a result of pressure brought to bear by Army Design Establishment. Both rifles were in working condition when they were handed over to the Infantry Centre. With comparatively little engineering effort, the KAL-1 could have been transformed into a polished operational weapon of any desired calibre. It was a great opportunity lost to the Australian Defence Force because of a profound lack of leadership and imagination on the part of some very senior officers.
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GPIR - never heard of it. However, a well written article.

I was under the umbrella of 2 Base Wksp in the mid 90's. SABRTF 'known as 'Sabretooth' or Small Arms Base Repair and Test-fire Facility. RAEME apprentices were always machining stuff up, including detailed scaled down recoil operated AA guns, kind of neat to see such amazing detail..

I had been out to SAF in Lithgow for liaison purposes a number of times, and seen/handled some freaky Ex L1A1 type bull pups in 7.62mm, still held in their pattern room. Sadly many of these weapons held there went to destruction to comply with laws brought in after Port Arthur in '96.

Australia's decision to adopt and mass produce the L1A1 was based on years of combined research between Canada and the UK. To evaluate, test, adopt and mass produce, when the writing was already on the wall for 5.56mm made any argument to proceed dead in the water. From what I read... "It was a great opportunity lost to the Australian Defence Force because of a profound lack of leadership and imagination on the part of some very senior officers."

Sounds like serious sour grapes by a selected few.

SAF produced the L1A1 from about 1959 into the late 80's. In 1996 we were still rebuilding them.

F88 was not introduced in 1985, but in 1988, and as late as 1996, units were still in transition. Plenty of L1A1s, L2's L4s, F1s and Armalites in unit armouries. We (my unit at the time) transitioned in early 1995.

F88 was an Austrian design made under license by ADI, and to compare this to some 'project gun' at a RAEME wksp is pure nonsense. There were other bullpups 20 yrs earlier... EM1 and WM2 rifles come to mind.

My two cents.
 
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