Thanks for that Dosing. - dan
Parker hale m82-m87-C3-C3A1 Rifles
- Thread starter delta1
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Accuracy standard detailed at Table 2, for the Parker-Hale M-85 Sniper rifle:
Iron sights, adjustments on the front sight, rifle to be fired from the shoulder, prone or bench rest, using Sniper or target standard ammunition, 5 rounds at 100 meters, all shots inside a 38mm circle.
A group of 38 mm at 100 meters is .38 mrad or about 1½ inch. Or about 1.3 MOA - at 100 meters.
Iron sights, no scope, 100 meters. Not bad at all. Especially from prone.
Some rifle !
Iron sights, adjustments on the front sight, rifle to be fired from the shoulder, prone or bench rest, using Sniper or target standard ammunition, 5 rounds at 100 meters, all shots inside a 38mm circle.
A group of 38 mm at 100 meters is .38 mrad or about 1½ inch. Or about 1.3 MOA - at 100 meters.
Iron sights, no scope, 100 meters. Not bad at all. Especially from prone.
Some rifle !
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Hello gentlemen, I have acquired another 5E back sight that I believe is more likely an original than the one I shared previously. I’m assuming the other sight’s mounting base was intended for commercial Parker Hale bases, note the smaller stud. Compared to the larger stud, I assume for the countersunken screw holes on the rear scope base of a C3. I also have a question for any C3 experts regarding the finish of the front sight. I have 2 front sights with a shiny finish and 2 with the same matte black painted finish. Which finish would be correct? One of the matte black front sights came with my new sight. The other matte black front sight came from the collection of a retired LCol who spent lots of time with C3s. The shiny ones came from target rifles.
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Tarrantula
CGN frequent flyer
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Nice score on the scope! Rifle is looking good. Would be great to get a flat finish on the barreled action when all is said and done. Keep us posted
Tarrantula
CGN frequent flyer
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Neat pic of the C3 ghillie style, from here: https://canadiansniperassociation.com/the-legendary-c3-canadian-sniping-in-the-1980s/
Great article too. I previously shared a picture from a book of a gentleman shooting a C3. I regret that I haven’t yet shared this picture, from the same book, of one of the gentlemen quoted in the article. No doubt a C3A1, but some details threw me off. Stainless barrel?Neat pic of the C3 ghillie style, from here: https://canadiansniperassociation.com/the-legendary-c3-canadian-sniping-in-the-1980s/
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Tarrantula
CGN frequent flyer
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Looks to me like it could be a Weaver T10 scope on there? Perhaps during a trial of new barrels and/or optics? Very interesting, thanks for sharing!
It might be worth contacting Keith to ask about it. He runs a business, milcun.com
Not sure if he is a member here.
C3 @ 1:44 in this YouTube video 
Steve David
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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- Oshawa, Ontario
The M85 is the rarest of all the Parker Hale rifles, only 200 were built. Great pic of it.
Thank you for your service.Rob McLennan is the gentleman, and they were to be used as a replacement for C3A1's that had been shot out. This was due to Parker Hale going out of business. I've never heard of any every reaching the requirements for replacement though. Even then, we were just instructed to set back the torque shoulder, breech end of barrel and recut the chamber to extend the usable life of the barrel.
No spare parts could be procured by the LCMM for the C3A1, ergo why we now use the C14 Timberwolf, which by the way actually require replacement barrels upon reaching 3000 rds - not bad for a rifle that cost DND $16,000 - yuck!
The C3A1 is now relegated to target rifle status and will very soon be withdrawn from the supply system. Navyshooter is probably the last guy to win the sniper comps at Connaught. I doubt it'll be around for next years comp. Wpns techs are now only being given famil training - no more formal hard training.
I worked on these things exclusively for almost 2 years -loved every minute. When I worked for base maint in Meaford, I assembled the Unertl's onto 10 of em, as they were in long term storage for the RCR sniper det. The Unertl's were still in their flimsy boxes as they came from Unertl himself.
Here's something neat - I know of an USMC M40A3 with a Canadian C3 Unertl on it - during the 1st Gulf war, the USMC grabbed all John Unertl had produced - including those earmarked for Canada. The trials scopes are sitting in CFB Borden - used as training aids in the school.
Kinda sad to see the C3A1's go away. They could have lived on with a magnum calibre if the Canadian army had been smart. 338 LM has it's limits - like burning out barrelsAlas no more parts could be procured so - byebye!
Somebody in the USA just sold the PH mount for a C3A1 within the last 6 months. It is now sitting in a collectors hands on New Zealand. It had been welded onto some cheap POS rifle action. From what I seen of it, it could be repaired by a competent machinist. He was going to put it onto an M87 rifle that he owns, along with his M82 and M85
I used to own one of the experimental transport cases for the C3A1's trials(I still regret selling it 10 years ago) - used in CFB Gagetown - still had the CF supply system sticker on it. As the Canadians didn't use them and went with the Pelican 1750 in green, they were returned to the manufacturer's rep here in Ontario. I only know of one that ever escaped destruction and I owned it for about 2 years(bought it at the Jane/7 gunshow for those that remember that great show). They were just AI cases that had had special internal foam cut out for the C3A1.
I could talk forever about what I know of the rifle - was a pleasure to work on it whenever I had a chance. Anybody needs any help with a build I can help you immensely, let me know as I still have copies of my CFTO's of the C3 and C3A1 -crafty little wpns tech that I was
I wasn’t ever posted to Meaford, but I went there a few times when I was posted to CFB Borden BMaint 2000-2005.
I’m in Edmonton now, 1 Svc Bn. I don’t wrench anymore, I have techs for that now.
But I do have the only relevant experience on the C3/C3A1 rifles to be able to talk them through repairs and such when required.
Sucks being a fossil to the new techs these days. I love that I can outrun most of them still!!
I built a C3 clone off a commercial Mauser action I was lucky to find in my tool box at BMaint Borden in 2000.
Got a wood C3 stock off a buddy who fished it out of a dumpster in Valcartier. A few light repairs and the wood was GTG.
Gaillard made the barrel (.308Win Match chamber,1:12 twist, 28” bbl) cut back to add a three gill brake by ATRS.
It’s not a perfect copy, but it’s close enough for me.
