SA80
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| {{{image}}} L85 IW without SUSAT | |
| L85 IW (SA80) | |
|---|---|
| Type | assault rifle |
| Nation(s) of Origin | UK |
| Era | Modern |
| History | |
| Date of design | |
| Production period | 1985 - 1994 |
| Service duration | 1985 - present |
| Operators | UK, Zimbabwe, Jamaica |
| War service | Gulf War, 2003 invasion of Iraq |
| Variants | L85A1, L85A2, L86A1, L86A2, L98CGP |
| Number built | ~400 000 |
| Specifications | |
| Type | bullpup |
| Caliber | 5.56 mm |
| Barrel length | 518 mm |
| Ammunition | 5.56 mm NATO |
| Magazine | 30 box |
| Action | Gas-actuated, rotating bolt |
| Length | 785 mm |
| Weight | 4.98 kg (loaded, SUSAT) |
| Rate of fire | ~ 650 round/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 940 m/s |
| Effective range | 400m |
Image:British soldier with L85.jpg Image:British soldier with L85 b.jpg
SA80 (Small Arms for 1980s) is a family of related arms that include the British Army's standard combat rifle. They were introduced into service in 1985, and will likely remain the primary infantry weapon in British use until 2015.
Contents |
Description
The SA80 family is made of four weapons, the L85 IW (Individual Weapon), the L86 LSW (Light Support Weapon), the SA80A2 Carbine and the manually operated L98A1 CGP (Cadet General Purpose).
All four are similar in most respects - they all fire the 5.56 mm NATO round from a 30-round box magazine, and can mount the SUSAT (Sight Unit; Small Arms; Trilux), a 4x optical sight with a tritium-powered glowing pointer for limited night sighting as well as the CWS (Common Weapon Sight) - an ultraviolet night sight. The weapons are designed in the bull-pup configuration with pistol grip forward of the magazine and the mechanism in the butt. This allows the use of a long, accurate barrel in a weapon with compact dimensions.
Rifles issued to Combat Arms are equipped with the SUSAT, while rifles issued to Combat Support Arms and Combat Service Support Arms, and cadets, are equipped with a simple iron sight incorporating a carrying handle (although it is not to be used to carry the rifle with, since this will change the aim calibration). LSWs for all Arms are issued with SUSATs.
The LSW is a section-level magazine-fed light machine gun. For this role it adds a bipod, buttstrap and rear pistol grip, and has a different design of handguard. Its longer barrel also improves muzzle velocity for longer effective range. The gun is otherwise identical to the basic L85 and the magazines and some internal parts are interchangeable. This weapon is now being supplemented by the FN Minimi, a belt-fed weapon capable of longer bursts of fire. The long barrel results in a particularly high muzzle velocity for an assault rifle. Combined with the free-floating nature of the heavy barrel and the optical performance of the SUSAT, this gives the weapon excellent accuracy. This has lead to it being 'rebranded' as a DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) with the introduction of the FN Minimi as a replacement light support weapon.
For issue to tank crews in the British Army, the L85A2 Carbine replaces the standard size L85A2, the Carbine has a barrel shortened by about 1 foot (30 cm). The forward hand guard (which would be below the barrel) has therefore been replaced by a grip as used on other short barreled weapons. It is issued with a 20 round magazine to give a better balance but also takes the 30 round magazine.
The L98A1 Cadet GP is broadly similar to the IW, but lacks a gas system and fire select lever. They were built in order to allow Cadets to train on a non-automatic (ie single shot) version of the IW. The working parts are re-cocked by hand after each shot, using a large cocking handle. This is connected to the bolt by an external rod, and runs on a slide on the side of the body well forward of the working parts, making it far easier to use in the prone position than that of the IW or LSW (which, of course, do not require frequent manual recocking). The pin connecting the external rod to the cocking handle is prone to breaking, especially in the hands of cadets. There is no credible substance to the rumours that Cadets will be issued automatic L98A1 rifles following the introduction of the L98A2. Such rumours ignore the fact that no new weapons were produced for the L85A2 variant, the entire stock being produced by conversion of existing L85A1s, leaving no 'surplus' weapons for distribution elsewhere.
History
The origins of the SA80 design lie in the EM2, a bullpup design rifle that predated the standardization on the 7.62 mm NATO round and the use of the FN FAL as the British Army's battle rifle. When a smaller calibre round was suggested, the Royal Small Arms Factory developed the XL65 bull-pup rifle to fire the new .190 in (4.85 mm) round it was submitting to the NATO new cartridge selection trials announced in 1977. The 4.85 mm round was a "necked down" but otherwise standard US 5.56 mm cartridge from the M-16. It was unsuccessful and the 5.56 mm SS109 round was accepted as NATO standard.
The XL65 was essentially the mechanism of an AR-18 redesigned in an EM2 layout bull-pup configuration. When the larger round was selected, the XL65 was rechambered to fire the 5.56 mm round, a contigency that had been anticipated.
Criticisms
The initial version of the weapon quickly gained a poor reputation for dependability and durability in trials. Lack of a guard for the magazine ejector button meant the magazine would sometimes fall out while walking. The walls of the receiver were so thin that the bolt could be stopped from moving by squeezing it, and was prone to being dented. Occasionally the top cover would fly open while the weapon was being fired and needed to be taped down.
Many of these problems were rectified with the A1 version which became the main production model, but its reputation had been made. However, reports of high incidences of jamming continued, attributed to a cocking handle that sometimes deflected empty cartridges back into the ejector port, and sensitivity to dirt. Reports by H&K have also suggested that over-zealous cleaning had a detrimental effect on the rifle. This includes both using abrasives on parts not suited to them, as well as simple over-cleaning.
The rifle and LSW are both criticised for their weight; approximately 1 kg heavier than other 5.56 mm weapons (however this reduces recoil and increases accuracy). Much of the weight is in the butt of the weapon requiring a small weight in the front handguard to balance the weapon.
Other criticisms have been that during extreme climates, the guns lock up, or have a slower rate of fire. Although this has not implicitly been confirmed by the British government, many soldiers complained that whilst in terrains such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia, the guns would malfunction due to the heat expanding metal inside the gun, or the cold narrowing the already thin parts of the gun.
The safety switch requires the use of the trigger finger (rather than thumb on the M16 and G36), and the ejection port and reciprocating bolt handle on the right-hand side of the weapon means it is impossible to fire from the left shoulder as in a normal firing position this would rest against the side of the firer's left cheek.
L85A2
In 1997 the SA80 was dropped from NATO's list of approved weapons, following which an upgrade programme was started. In 2000 Heckler & Koch, at that time owned by Royal Ordnance, were contracted to fix the problems. Two hundred thousand SA80s were remanufactured at a cost of £400 each producing the A2 variant of the weapon. By 2002 the upgraded versions were deployed in first line formations. The upgrade involved replacement of many internal parts and has greatly increased reliability. In March 2005 the L85A2 was put through its paces against the M16 M4 AK101, FAMAS G2 and G36E modern rifles. It outperformed all of them in accuracy (even without the SUSATs) and reload speed (physically changing magazine on the move and static). The AK101 won reliability on multiple terrain, weather and climatic senarios.The ranks in the test were 1st G36E, 2nd AK101, 3rd M16 Family, 4th FAMAS G2 and 5th SA80. Weight is left as the SA80's only real drawback and so the carbine variant has also been redeveloped with a 20-round magazine, and will enter service as a self-defence weapon for British Army tank crews during 2005.
Many specialist UK formations, such as the SAS, Royal Marine Special Boat Service, Royal Marine Brigade Recce Group (Formerly Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre)and the Pathfinder Platoon use the Diemaco C7 (A Canadian made Armalite varient) and G36 over the SA80 due to its lower weight, despite having a shorter effective range than the SA80. This is because of their different combat requirements.
The Heckler and Koch upgrades are a matter of some debate; the UK Ministry of Defence could have ordered 100,000 G36 rifles for the same cost.
In a further Heckler and Koch upgrade a number of L85A2 rifles are now being fitted with the HK AG36 40 mm grenade launcher in a configuration similar to the M203.
Specifications
L85 Individual Weapon
- Calibre 5.56 mm
- Weight 4.98 kg (with loaded magazine and optical sight)
- Length 785 mm
- Barrel length 518 mm
- Muzzle velocity 940 m/s
- Feed 30 round magazine
- Effective range 400 m individual, 800 m section
- Cyclic rate of fire 610 to 775 round/min
L86 Light Support Weapon
- Calibre 5.56 mm
- Weight 6.58 kg (with loaded magazine and optical sight)
- Length 900 mm
- Barrel length 646 mm
- Muzzle velocity 970 m/s
- Feed 30 round magazine
- Effective range 1000 m
- Cyclic rate of fire 610 to 775 round/min
External links
- British Army SA80 page
- Modern Firarms - L85A1
- SA80: Mistake or Maligned?
- Cybershooters: SA80 Review
- British Army website
See also
| Modern (post WW2) UK infantry weapons |
|---|
| Side-arms |
| Browning L9A1 |
| Rifles, Carbines, & Assault rifles |
| L1A1 SLR (FN FAL) | SA80 / L85 IW/SAW |
| Submachine guns |
| Sterling |
| Machine-guns & other larger weapons |
| L4 (Bren) | L7 "GPMG" | L16 81 mm Mortar |
