We are about half way through my record of service book! There’s some flying and a few band engagements to go! However, this communication concerns my relationship with the SLR.
The SLR felt like a proper gun. It was quite heavy, loud when fired and had a reasonable kick. Unlike the single shot No. 4 .303 rifle [which was bolt action] this one would load the next round automatically, hence: Self Loading Rifle. The cadet version of the weapon system was fixed to be semi-automatic only. Before I could fire this weapon I had to pass a safety test and learn how to strip the weapon down and clean it. I always enjoyed firing this weapon even if the kick still hurt quite a bit.
- 25 August 1987 – 20 rounds
- 27 August 1987 – 70 rounds
- 10 October 1987 – 50 rounds
- 12 April 1988 – 25 rounds
- 28 July 1988 – 10 rounds
After this date the SLR was replaced with the L98A1 rifle.