Original Item: Only One Available. Now this is an interesting carry case. This case started it’s life in 1955 for use with the Lee Enfield No. 4 Mk.1 “Sniper Scope” and was later repurposed to be used for the L2A2 Sight Unit Infantry Trilux “SUIT” on the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle.
The SUIT sight is a 4× telescopic sight with tritium-powered illumination, utilized at dusk or dawn. The full name is the L2A2 Sight Unit Infantry Trilux. The sight is not designed as a sniper sight, but was issued to designated marksmen. The sight was mounted on the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle or GPMG. It was first produced in 1976 by Avimo Ltd. in London, England.
The L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle, also known as the SLR (Self-Loading Rifle), by the Canadian Army designation C1A1 (C1) or in the US as the “inch pattern” FAL, is a British version of the FN FAL battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer FN Herstal. The L1A1 was produced under license and has seen use in the Australian Army, Canadian Army, Indian Army, Jamaica Defense Force, Malaysian Army, New Zealand Army, Rhodesian Army, Singapore Army and the British Armed Forces.
The L1A1 and variants have seen use in several conflicts, including as part of the Cold War. L1A1s have been used by the British Armed Forces in Malaysia, Northern Ireland, and in the Falklands War (in opposition to FN FAL-armed Argentine forces), the First Gulf War (where it was still on issue to some second line British Army units and RAF personnel not yet issued with the L85A1), by the State of Kuwait Army during the First Gulf War, by Australia and New Zealand in Vietnam, by the Indian Army in the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars and by various paramilitary and state police forces in counter insurgency operations up to the early 1990s, by Nigerian and Biafran forces during Nigerian Civil War and by Rhodesia in the Rhodesian Bush War.
The case measures 12 ½” x 4” x 3” and still retains almost all of the original OD green paint. The original stampings on the outside of the lid are present but rather difficult to read due to being repurposed. We can make out CASE SIGHTING TELESCOPE / 1955. There are other markings visible for its later life use and appears to be a rifle serial number as well as an optic serial number, meaning this was issued out and paired with a rifle.
Inside of the case there is a lovely leather end cap “sling” for the No.4 Mk.1 scope as well as an instruction label for adjusting the position on the graduated scale rings on the L1A1 optic. The paper label is still complete and very easily read.
This is a wonderful example of “upcycled” military equipment. Comes more than ready for further research and display!