Parker-Hale Model 82 (M82)

History of the Parker-Hale Model 82 (M82)

The Parker-Hale M82 (Model 82) is a conventional bolt-action rifle manufactured by the Parker-Hale Group of Birmingham, England. The company is already known for its successful line of precision sporting rifles, and the M82 is a militarized version of its existing 1200TX target rifle model.

Design work began in the 1960s, the model entered service in 1972, and continued to be used by a handful of national forces, including the British Army, into the 2000s.

The M82 has a traditional layout with a one-piece epoxy-coated wood stock assembly. The barrel features a "free-floating" design for increased accuracy - the barrel is not contacted by the stock at any point along its length. Additionally, the barrel assembly is machined from chrome molybdenum steel to prevent corrosion and increase durability. The stock is designed to be as customizable and adjustable as possible to meet the comfort and general ergonomics needs of most shooters. The pistol grip bends nicely behind the lower trigger unit.

A "silent" safety feature minimizes accidental discharges. A telescopic sight was installed on the receiver as usual, while the iron sight was retained as a backup measure. The total weight is nearly 16 pounds, the length is 1,162 mm, and the barrel assembly is 600 mm long.

The weapon is loaded with the widely used 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, fed by a 5-round capacity magazine.

As a bolt-action rifle, the M82 requires the operator to operate the bolt through an integral grip assembly that clears the chamber of the spent case and inserts a new round from the magazine well. The action of the M82 is related to the tried and true system first perfected on German Mauser cars in the late 1800s.

The effective range is up to 800 meters, while a variety of optics can be mounted to the included receiver bracket.

The M82 marks the original full-length rifle. The British Army's L81A1 is a shortened form and joins the cadet training role of the L81A2 (the A2 succeeded the A1 model in time).

The Canadian Army accepted the M82 as the C3 series in 1972 and made some minor changes to the base design to meet Canadian requirements. C3A1 is the modern brand of the Canadian Army. Operators outside of the British Army and Canada became Australia and New Zealand.

The Australian Army later replaced their M82 rifles with long-range precision products from Accuracy International (AW).

Specification

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