The L number ("L" standing for Land Service) or weapon identity number 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; rather, it is used in conjunction with a description, e.g. "Rifle, 7.62mm, L1A1" or "L1A1 7.62mm Rifle". The A number following the L number refers to the particular version of a piece of equipment; unlike some similar designation systems 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.
The L number system does not have universal application. Some items have been referred to in official documentation by their manufacturer's designations instead of L numbers. Likewise, legacy items that were given designations under the earlier number-and-mark system have continued to be referred to by those designations until their replacement by newer stores. A number of guided weapons in British service such as the K170A1/A2 NLAW HEAT Guided Missile and the K130 High Velocity Missile use a "K" designation rather than a Land Service one.
Equivalent designation systems were devised for the Royal Navy ("N", standing for Naval Service) and the Royal Air Force ("A", standing for Air Service), though in many cases stores shared with the Army have continued to be referred to by their Land Service designations; Land Service designations have also been used where no Army equivalent exists, as in the case of the Royal Navy's L44A1 Machine Gun. 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), 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).
Firearms L1 L1A1 7.62mm Self Loading Rifle (SLR) (Also referred to as the L1A1 7.62mm Rifle) L1A1-A4 Bayonet (For use with the SLR) L1A1/A2 Blank Firing Attachment (For use with the SLR) L1A1/A2 .50 inch Machine Gun (Also referred to as the L1A1/A2 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun) L1A1 .50 inch Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Mounting (For use with the L1A1 MG) L1A1 Vehicle Stand (For use with the L1A1 MG) L1 .50 inch Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Equipment (L1A1 MG as outfitted for the anti-aircraft role) L1A1/A2 84mm AT4 (CS) HP Rocket System (Also referred to as the L1A1/A2 Interim Light Anti-tank Weapon (ILAW)) L1A1/A2 120mm Quick Firing Tank Ordnance L1A1/A2/A3 66mm HEAT Rocket and Launcher (Also referred to as the L1 66mm Section Anti-Tank Rocket) L1A1 66mm Sub-Calibre 21mm Adaptor (Training adaptor for L1 66mm HEAT Rocket) L1A1/A2/A3 Irritant Anti-Riot Hand Grenade L1A1 Straight Sighting Telescope (Modified No. 32 Mk 3 Sighting Telescope as used with the L42A1 rifle) L1A1 Illuminating Hand Thrown Flare L1A1 Necklace Demolition Charge L1A1 94mm HEAT Rocket System L1A1/A2 8 kg Linear User Filled Demolition Charge L1A1/A2 12 kg Conical User Filled Demolition Charge L1E1 Area Defence Projector L1A1-A5 CS Handheld Pressurized Irritant Canister L1A1 Fuze Setter Head, NSN 1290-99-967-0882 L1A1 IR Torch L1A1 IR Section Torch L1A1 Small Arms Bore Cleaning Brush L1A1 Instantaneous Fuze L1A1/A2/A3 Safety Fuze L1A1 Detonating Cord L1A1/A2 Non-Electric Demolition Detonator (Also referred to as the L1A1/A2 Plain Detonator) L1A1 Smoke Generator L1A1/A2 9mm Magazine (Magazine for use with the L2 submachine gun; L1A1 magazines were manufactured by Sterling while L1A2 magazines were variously manufactured by ROF Fazakerley, Royal Laboratories Woolwich, Rolls Razor, and Mettoy) L1A1/A2/A3 Image Intensified Weapon Sight (Also referred to as the L1 Individual Weapon Sight (IWS), L1 Image Intensified Weaponsight, or L1 Individual Weaponsight) L1A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight Mount (Mount for L1 IWS to be used with the L7 GPMG) L1A1 Safety Unit (Attached to L44A1) L1A1 7.62mm Machine Gun Tools and Accessories Roll (L7 GPMG tool roll) L1A1 Small Arms Cleaning Rod L1A1 Small Arms Collimator (For use with SUSAT and CWS on the SA80 series) L1A1/A2 Grenade Discharger (Used for firing the L11 anti-riot grenade) L1A1 Armoured Vehicle Periscopic Sight L1A1 Telescope (Leupold spotting scope with Cullmann tripod) L1A1 Nerve Agent Pre-Treatment Tablet Set L1 120mm Battalion Anti-Tank Gun Equipment L1A1 120mm Battalion Anti-Tank Gun Carriage (Gun carriage component of same) L1A1/A2 Barrel Assembly (Ground role barrel assembly for the L37 GPMG)
L2 L2A1/A2 High Explosive Hand Grenade (Also referred to as the L2A1/A2 Anti-Personnel Hand Grenade, which is particularly apparent on the grenade markings)Unexploded Ordnance Overseas Stats service.gov.uk L2A1 7.62mm Automatic Rifle L2A1 84mm HE (CS) Rocket (Also referred to as the L2A1 ILAW) L2A1 Anti-Structures Munition L2A1 7.62mm Rifle (Also referred to as the L2A1 Semi-Automatic Counter-Terrorist Assault Rifle and Sniper System (SACTARASS)) L2A1/A2/A3 9mm Submachine Gun L2A1/A2 Trilux Infantry Sight Unit (Abbreviated to SUIT after "Sight Unit, Infantry, Trilux") L2A1 Irritant One Shot Hand-Held Discharger L2A1 .30 in. Machine Gun Tripod Mounting (Tripod mounting for L3 Machine Gun series) L2A1 0.22in Aiming Rifle (No. 8 rifles converted for Royal Armoured Corps miniature range training via removal of iron sights and furniture) L2A1 Laser Range-Finder L2A1 Paint Marker Hand GrenadeImage centanex.co.uk L2A1 Light Non-Metallic Anti-Tank Mine L2A1/A2 Electric Demolition Detonator L2A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight (Also referred to as the L2A1 Individual Weapon Sight (IWS)) L2A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight Mount (Mount for L1 IWS to be used with the L14 anti-tank gun) L2A1 7.62mm Magazine (For use with the L1A1 SLR) L2A1 Drill Necklace Demolition Charge (Drill version of the L1A1 Necklace Charge) L2A1 Ground Stand (For use with the L1A1 MG) L2A1 Practice Anti-Tank Mine L2A1 Small Arms Collimator (For use with the telescopic sight and CWS on the L96 rifle) L2A1 51mm Mortar Cleaning Brush Handle L2A1/A2 Laser Range Finder L2A1 Image Intensified Armoured Vehicle Periscopic Sight L2A1 51mm Mortar (L10A1 mortar without ancillary items) L2A1 12.7mm Drill Purpose Machine Gun (Drill purpose version of the Browning M2) L2A1 120mm Battalion Anti-Tank Gun (Ordnance component of L1 BAT) L3 L3A1-A4 .30 in Machine Gun L3A1 Bayonet (Used with the L85 rifle; can also be attached to the L129A1 via an adaptor) L3A1 Non-Metallic Anti-Tank Mine (Also referred to as the L3A1 Anti-Tank Mine or the L3A1 Lightweight Non-Metallic Anti-Tank Mine) L3A1 Anti-Tank Mine Clearing Equipment L3A1 PE4 Slab Demolition Charge L3A1/A2/A3 Handheld Electronic D.C. Exploder L3A1/A2/A3 Practice Hand Grenade (Training version of the L2 HE/APERS Hand Grenade) L3A1-A5 Flash Initiator L3A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight Mount (Mount for L1 IWS to be used with the AR-15 rifle; there is no relation to the L3A1 Weapon Sight below) L3A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight (Also referred to as the L3A1 Crew Served Weapon Sight) L3A1 Small Arms Collimator (For use with the iron sights and CWS on the SA80 series) L3A1 105mm Howitzer Carriage (Gun carriage component of L5 howitzer) L3A1/A2 Barrel Assembly (Barrel assembly for the L8 MG) L4 L4 183 mm anti-tank gun used on FV4005 prototype L4A1-A9 7.62mm Light Machine Gun (7.62mm Bren conversions; designation often simplified to "L4 7.62mm Machine Gun") L4A1 7.62mm Magazine (For use with the above) L4A1 Drill Slab Demolition Charge (Drill version of the L3A1 Slab Charge) L4A1/A2 Drill Hand Grenade (Drill version of the L2 HE/APERS Hand Grenade) L4A1 Flash Initiator L4A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight Mount (Mount for L1 IWS to be used with the L1 SLR) L4A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight Case (Case for L1 IWS; also referred to as the L4 Image Intensified Weaponsight Case) L4A1 Cased Image Intensified Weapon Sight (L1 IWS with case and accessories; also referred to as the L4 Cased Image Intensified Weaponsight or the L4 Cased Image Intensified Straight Telescope) L4A1 Machine Gun Tripod Mounting (Tripod mount for L7) L4A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight Adaptor (Mount for the L5 and L6 sights; Also referred to as the L4 Image Intensified Weaponsight Adaptor) L4A1 Smoke Generator L4 120mm "MOBAT" Battalion Anti-Tank Gun Equipment L5 L5A1/A2/A3 Trilux 7.62mm Rifle Sight Conversion Kit (Used with the SLR, also referred to as the L5 Trilux Foresight) L5A1-A4 Illuminating Parachute Hand Fired Rocket L5A1 Combination Demolition Firing Device L5A1 Detonating Cord L5A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight Mount (Mount for L1 IWS to be used with the L42A1 rifle; there is no relation to the L5A1 Weapon Sight below) L5A1 Incendiary Destructor L5A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight (Also referred to as the L5A1 Image Intensified Weaponsight or L5A1 Pocketscope) L5A1 Adaptor (Adaptor for the L5 and L6 sights) L5A1/A2/A3 51mm Mortar Trilux Sight L5 105mm Pack Howitzer (Also referred to as the L5 105mm Gun Equipment) L6 L6A1 12.7mm Machine Gun (Centurion tank ranging gun) L6A1 Blank Firing Attachment L6A1 Image Intensified Straight Telescope (Also referred to as the L6A1 Pocketscope) L6A1 Adaptor (Adaptor for the L5 and L6 sights) L6A1 51mm Mortar Case L6A1-A4 Thermal Sleeve L6 120mm "WOMBAT" Battalion Anti-Tank Gun Equipment L7 L7A1/A2 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) L7A1 105mm Tank Gun (Centurion tank armament) L7A1 Rapid Bridge Demolition Charge L7A1/A2 Sound Rocket (Maroon rocket to be fired from Royal Observer Corps posts to provide a fallout warning) L7 120mm "CONBAT" Battalion Anti-Tank Gun Equipment L7A1/A2 Trigger Mechanism Assembly (Trigger mechanism assembly for the L37 GPMG) L8 L8A1/A2 7.62mm Tank Machine Gun (AFV variant of L7) L8A1-A5 7.62mm Rifle (7.62mm Lee-Enfield conversions) L8A1/A2 Image Intensified Weapon Sight (Also referred to as the L8 Image Intensified Weaponsight or the L8 Common Weapon Sight) L8A1 Image Intensified Weapon Sight Mount (Mount for the L5 and L6 sights; Also referred to as the L8 Image Intensified Weaponsight Mount) L9 L9A1 9mm Automatic Pistol (Also referred to as the L9A1 Self-Loading Pistol) An updated version was published in June 1981 and includes an explicit reference to the weapon as "The 9 mm Browning self loading pistol L9A1". "Pistol, Automatic, 9 mm, L9A1" versions of Army Code No. 71029 were published in October 1995 and July 2009. L9 165 mm demolition gun L9A1 Trilux Small Arms Sight Unit (Version with 100-600m range settings) L9A1-A8 HE Blast Anti-Tank Mine L9A1 Handheld Irritant Canister (Also referred to as the L9A1 hand-held aerosol dispenser) L9A1 Vehicle Mount (For Browning M2) L10 L10A1 Anti-Personnel Mine L10A1/A2 Tripwire Flare Kit L10A1 Illuminating Parachute Hand Fired Rocket L10A1 Detonating Cord Booster L10A1/A2 General Purpose Machine Gun Mount L10A1/A2 Image Intensified Weapon Sight Case (Also referred to as the L10 Image Intensified Weaponsight Case) L10A1 51mm Mortar L10A1 105mm Pack Howitzer (Ordnance component of L5 howitzer) L11 L11A1 9mm Automatic Pistol Kit (L9A1 pistol with accessories) L11A1 12.7mm Machine Gun (0.50 inch M2 Browning machine gun for use as ranging gun) L11A1-A7 120mm Rifled Gun (Also referred to as the L11 Tank Breech Loading Ordnance) L11A1 Rapid Bridge Demolition Charge L11A1 Blank Ammunition Firing Attachment (For use with the SA80 series) L11A1 Illuminating Parachute Hand Fired Rocket L11A1/A2 Long Range Irritant Anti-Riot Discharger Grenade L11A1 Tripwire Flare Simulator Kit (Practice version of the L10A1 Tripwire Kit)