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The L number ("L" standing for Land Service) [1] or weapon identity number [2] system is a numerical designation system used for the type classification of British Army weapons and related stores. The L number in isolation is not a unique identifier; [a] rather, the number is used in conjunction with a description, e.g. "Rifle, 7.62mm, L1A1" [3] or "L1A1 7.62mm Rifle". The A number following the L number refers to the particular version of a piece of equipment; [1] unlike some similar designation systems used by other countries where an A number is only used for subsequent versions of equipment, an A1 designation is always used for the first version to be officially adopted. Stores coming into Army service began receiving Land Service designations in 1954, replacing the old number-and-mark system of designations. [4]
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Some weapons such as the AR-15 [5] [6] and M16A2 [7] rifles, the C3 Non-Metallic Anti-Personnel Mine, [8] the M18A1 Anti-Personnel Mine, [9] [10] the M79 grenade launcher, [11] the M6-895 and M6-640 mortars, [11] [12] and the various air rifles in Cadet Force usage, [13] were not given L numbers and are referred to in official documentation by their manufacturer's designations instead. Likewise, legacy items that were given designations under the earlier number-and-mark system [b] continued to be referred to by those designations until replacement.
Equivalent designation systems were devised for the Royal Navy ("N", standing for Naval Service) and the Royal Air Force ("A", standing for Air Service), [1] though in many cases stores used across all three branches were and are referred to by Land Service designations; [28] Land Service designations have also been used where no Army equivalent exists, as in the case of the L44A1. [29] A number of guided weapons in British service such as the K170A1/A2 NLAW HEAT Guided Missile [28] and the K130 High Velocity Missile [30] [31] use a "K" designation rather than a Land Service one. The FV (fighting vehicle) number series is similar in purpose but not in formatting. Similar designation systems are used by various other militaries; for example, Canada uses "C" (standing for Canadian), Australia uses "F" (standing for Forces), [c] and several nations such as Denmark, South Africa, and the United States of America use or used "M" (standing for Model or its non-English equivalent).
