currently rolling along the top of the Sharepoin page (ACO annoucements) has
No 8 Rifle Safety Case
The Safety Case for the No 8 Rifle has been extended from October 2013 to October 2015.”
what is this? :?
does this refer to a carry case? an investigation of safety case? or policy usage??
[quote=“steve679” post=10020]currently rolling along the top of the Sharepoin page (ACO annoucements) has
No 8 Rifle Safety Case
The Safety Case for the No 8 Rifle has been extended from October 2013 to October 2015.”
what is this? :?
does this refer to a carry case? an investigation of safety case? or policy usage??[/quote]
It means simply that the venerable Number 8 rifle will be in service until AT LEAST October 2015!
It’s the safety case for use of the rifle - all in-service munitions/weapons have safety cases attached to them which are basically a set of evidence to support that the item is safe for use in its intended role.
The No.8 is probably reviewed more frequently as it is obsolescent.
That is assuming you have any serviceable rifles or spare parts to repair them with. We recently got rid of ours because we had about 5 working ones for the entire county.
Clearly you ACF types don’t look after stuff!
Over 60 working ones in my Wing!
[quote=“Leeroy” post=10023]
It means simply that the venerable Number 8 rifle will be in service until AT LEAST October 2015![/quote]
so we came within 2 months of not being allowed to fire the No8??? seems a bit close to the wire!
[quote=“Leeroy” post=10026]
Over 60 working ones in my Wing![/quote]
i know of at least 10 from 5 Squadrons still operational in our Wing!
[quote=“Leeroy” post=10023]
It means simply that the venerable Number 8 rifle will be in service until AT LEAST October 2015![/quote]
No, it means that the safety case is valid till oct 2015 only. It doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be in service till then. The plug could be pulled anytime before that. Though I suspect it won’t go just yet…
“Due to circumstances beyond my control, there will be no big parade this Sunday afternoon. Colonel Scheisskopf”
(the point being, of course, that there never were any big parades on Sundays - cancelling the non-existent parade was the only thing Schiesskopf had the authority to do on his own)
I came across the full DIN for this the other day. Interestingly it also states that there will be no further extensions to the safety case, so we will lose the No. 8 at the end of 2015.
Yup and about time too. My understanding is that a bid is being prepared to allow tenders for a replacement.
Presumably with a projected in service date of 1 Nov 2015?
Bazinga.
2015… or 2115…?
The safety case is a document that lays out the reasons on how the ACO satisfies itself that the No8 rifle is safe for continued operation until 2015. It also demonstrates that the ACO complies with Health & Safety Legislation / MOD rules etc….
(I deal with safety cases on a regular basis for the offshore drilling industry…….)
Yup and about time too. My understanding is that a bid is being prepared to allow tenders for a replacement.[/quote]
Wonder where the bill will fall?
SSP’s budget. Where else?
In light of this weeks near wobble to air cadet shooting is there any further news on this. I heard that some trails had started on the replacement earlier this year but that would put any replacement years away…
The current out of service date appears to be 30th September 2015 and according to the reference above no possible extension.
Anybody any intel or should I be petitioning the Civ Com to go down the LPW route?
The trials were of variable success, some of the tenderers didn’t provide a rifle, some rifles failed the relevant testing, were sub-optimal in use. or were too basic, & the remaining few left were “sort of OK” but no idea of the final decision. Personally, I would see the end of service date for the No 8 as being way, way too early for the old out, new in, to have any sort of overlap…
A “capability” underlap is coming our way… Scrap the tender, go upmarket, buy off-shelf for a lesser quantity of known higher quality, but that would involve removing the safety catch requirement - heresy!! 
Final decision hasn’t been made yet. Financial tenders have to come in and then the tender assessment panel sits. Safety and suitability for service trials have completed recently and will also be reported in the next week or so.
Watch out for an announcement concerning end of service for the No 8 - basically, it will continue, albeit with no spares support = treat your little babies carefully!!
Also, not enough dosh for the planned numbers of the (eventual) replacement rifle, expect lesser quantities initially.