I present to you the final word on the AIA
rifle. I agree with the conclusion. It supports my contention that the rifle is overpriced, some of the parts
are cheaply made and likely to fail under use. As the years pass, parts will become a bigger headache. In all, it's
certainly not worth the $800 + tax price tag.
My
recommendation: Buy a Savage or Remington. You can get parts, the rifles can be repaired easily by almost any gunsmith
and both Savage and Remington have a better track record. As well, these US companies can be easily contacted and their products
are less expensive than the AIA rifle.
----
Excerpt from a Canadian government document concerning the military's Small
Arms Replacement Project II (SARP 2):
13.
A company based in Australia, Australian International Arms (AIA), markets a M10 No.4 Mk IV Modern Short Magazine Lee Enfield
(SMLE) Rifle in 7.62mm NATO calibre. This rifle is a replica of the Lee Enfield but in appearance only. The cost of this
rifle, less ancillaries is approximately $800.00 (Cdn). The CF technical authority for small arms,
DSSPM 5, on 24 Jul 08 conducted an initial examination of the AIA rifle because in appearance it closely resembles the current
Lee Enfield. The technical authority concluded that the rifle would not meet the Canadian Ranger’s requirement without
significant modification and re-engineering because it is cheaply made.
14. The Australian International Arms M10 No 4 Mk IV SMLE Rifle fires a 7.62 x 51mm NATO cartridge
and at first glance appears to meet the CF requirement as a replacement for the Canadian Ranger Rifle. The rifle is assembled from parts manufactured from throughout South-East Asia in locations such as as Viet Nam,
Thailand (teak stocks) and Indonesia. The barrel is hammer-forged in Australia. The general assessment
is that the rifle is accurate and attractively priced, but it was clearly designed for the civilian recreational shooting
market and it is not a military product. Many parts of the rifle are cheaply made
and would likely fail under testing.
