SA80
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{{Weapon-firearm |image=Image:L85A2.jpg |caption=The L85A2 assault rifle |name=L85 IW (SA80) |type=Assault rifle |nation=United Kingdom |era=Modern |platform=Individual |target=Personnel |date=1980s |prod_date=1985–1994 |serv_date=1985–present |operators=UK, Zimbabwe, Jamaica |wars=Gulf War, 2003 invasion of Iraq |spec_type=Bullpup selective fire rifle |calibre= 5.56 mm |barrel=518 mm |ammo= 5.56 x 45 mm NATO |mag=30-round detachable box |action= Gas-operated, rotating bolt |rof= ~650 round/min |muzzle_vel=940 m/s |weight=4.98 kg (loaded, SUSAT) |length=785 mm |variant=L85A1, L85A2, L86A1, L86A2, L98A1CGP |num_built= 400,000 |range= 400 m, L85; 800 m L86LSW }} 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 Armed Forces's standard combat rifle. Originally manufactured by the Royal Small Arms Factory (now BAE Systems Land Systems Munitions & Ordnance), they were introduced into service in 1985 and will likely remain the primary infantry weapon in British use until 2015.
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Description
The SA80 family is made of four weapons, the L85 IW (Individual Weapon or "Rifle"), the L86 LSW (Light Support Weapon), the L22A1 Carbine (often referred to as the SA80A2 Carbine or SA80A2K) and the manually operated L98A1 CGP (Cadet General Purpose).
All four are similar in most respects — they all fire the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round from a 30-round detachable 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 image intensifying sight for night use. The weapons are designed in the bullpup configuration with pistol grip forward of the magazine and the mechanism in the buttstock. 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. LSWs are issued with SUSATs in all cases, though they are usually seen fitted with iron sights for jungle use due to the short ranges likely there.
LSW
The LSW is a section-level magazine-fed light machine weapon. 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 weapon 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.
There are rumours of a rare, non-automatic LSW with the gas mechanism removed in a similar manner to the CGP variant of the rifle.
Carbine
For issue to tank crews in the British Army, the L22A1 (formerly referred to as the L85A2 Carbine or SA80A2K) replaces the standard size L85A2, the Carbine has a barrel shortened by about 1 foot (30 cm). The forward handguard (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.
Cadet GP
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-repeating 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 in any case). There is no credible substance to rumours that Cadets will be issued automatic L98 rifles following the introduction of the L85A2. 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.
The L98A1 does have some of the shortfalls that the IW and LSW versions have. For instance, its higher weight, compared to other rifles, results in weaker cadets having difficulty handling it. Jams are also frequent as cadets misuse the rifle by incorrectly unloading or cocking the action. However, it is rare for the weapon to seriously malfunction under normal firing conditions, and the L98A1 is known as an accurate and "fun to use" rifle among cadets.
A conversion kit by Heckler & Koch replaces the working parts with a simple blowback mechanism firing .22 rounds. The smaller round reduces the cost of ammunition and can be used on more ranges, making training more convenient and hence, in theory, more frequent. The kit can be installed or removed in any SA-80 weapon as easily as stripping an reassembling it. The H&K kit was originally developed for use by the Army, but has been supplanted by an electronic training range using lasers and most kits were passed on to Cadet Training Teams. Because it fires a .22" round down a .223" barrel the adapted rifle is marginally less accurate than a dedicated .22 weapon, but this is more than made up for in cadets' affections by the fact that it turns their single-shot GPs into semi-automatic weapons with IW-style cocking handles. A broken or missing safety-sear, not normally detected in the GP as it is irrelevent to single-shot use, will even cause automatic fire - this is occasionally encountered (and should be reported as a fault). Finally, the conversion kit is appreciated by smaller cadets as it practically eliminates all recoil.
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 bullpup 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 U.S. 5.56 mm cartridge from the M16 assault rifle. It was unsuccessful and the 5.56 mm SS109 round was accepted as NATO standard.
The XL65 was essentially an AR-18 reconfigured in bullpup layout. When the American caliber was selected, the XL65 was rechambered to fire the new NATO standard, a contingency that had been anticipated.
Criticisms
The initial version of the weapon quickly gained a reputation for unreliable function and fragility during trials. Because the magazine release lacked a guard, the magazine could fall due to snagging on webbing/belt kit. The walls of the receiver were thin and the bolt could be stopped from moving by squeezing or denting.
The springs used in the L85 magazine were of a weak/poor quality and while the magazine could hold a total of 30 rounds this was not recommended. A work-around was to only load the magazine with 25 or so rounds as the reduction in pressure made the magazines more reliable. This problem was largely corrected when Heckler & Koch redesigned the magazine in 2000. The gas mechanism was also notorious for occasionally popping open the top cover and needed to be taped down. The plastic parts were of a poor quality and known to fall apart or break.
Though not a fault of the rifle itself, an early batch of L85’s had incompatibility with the then standard-issue mosquito repellent resulting in the butt of the rifle melting. This problem was later rectified when the standard-issue mosquito repellent was changed to an L85 friendly variant.
Many problems were corrected with the A1 version which became the main production model, but its reputation continued. Reports of high malfunction rates continued, often attributed to a cocking handle that sometimes deflected empty cartridges back into the ejector port and also due to a 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. While 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 explicitly 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 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.
There are several other criticisms made of the rifle also stemming from poor design. Unlike the M16, the weapon lacks any effective internal means of storing a cleaning kit. The safety catch on the weapon is the source of one major criticism, as it requires either that the left hand is removed from the foregrip in order to operate, or that the right hand is removed from the firing position on the pistol grip. This makes quick engagement or disengagement of the safety difficult in the prone position whilst maintaining aim with the finger on the trigger. Also the weapon frequently jams, usually if there are too many bullets in the magazine, but also using a rifle that is manually loaded, bullets sometimes do not go into the chamber, but jam the whole mechanism.
The bayonet, whilst less important on today's battlefield, is also the source of some criticism. A comparably minor flaw is that that bayonet's handle is metal and directly on the metal of the barrel, and it can thus heat very rapidly when firing. A further set of problems arises from the metal used to make the blade, many users have complained about it bending and in some cases the blade breaking or shattering. There is, however, limited official documentation on this.
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 vastly increased reliability, making it one of the most reliable of bullpup configuration weapons.
In March 2005, the L85A2 was put through its paces against the M16, M4, AK-101, FAMAS G2 and G36E modern rifles. Template:Fact It outperformed all of them in accuracy (even without the SUSATs), reload speed (physically changing magazine on the move and static) and usability in urban and close-quarters combat (because of its shorter overall length and the ability to affix a bayonet). A2 upgraded versions also have a higher muzzle velocity. The AK-101 won reliability on multiple terrain, weather and climatic scenarios. The ranks in the test were:
- SA80
- G36E
- AK-101
- M16 family
- FAMAS G2
Weight remains the SA80's most cited drawback. A carbine variant has been developed with a 20-round magazine, and will enter service as a self-defence weapon for British Army tank crews during 2005. In 2006 a decision was made by the British Ministry of Defence that the carbine version of the SA80 is to be issued to Apache pilots of the Army Air Corps rather than the tank crews. This was based on the fact that the tank crews can use the standard L85A2 when they engage in combat, whereas the helicopter pilots would use the carbine version in extreme circumstances. Also many have consider this move by the British MOD as a cost cutting exercise.
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 AR-15 variant) and G36 rather than the SA80 because of their different combat requirements.
In a further Heckler & 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, called the UGL (Underslung Grenade Launcher).
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
- Magazine: 30-round detachable box
- Effective range: 300 m individual, 600 m section (600m is the range at which 50% of perfectly aimed shots will still miss)
- 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
- Magazine: 30-round detachable box
- Effective range: 1,100 m
- Cyclic rate of fire: 610 to 775 round/min
In fiction
Several works of fiction feature the SA80; most notably, computer and video games. Some examples:
- Battlefield 2 (EA Games/DICE)
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series (Ubisoft/Red Storm Entertainment)
- SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs series (Sony/Zipper Interactive) (as the IW-80-A2)
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (Ubisoft)
The 2002 film 28 Days Later features several British Army soldiers using, amongst others, SA80 rifles.
It's appeared in numerous sci-fi series including Firefly, Star Trek Voyager and most recently, Battlestar Galactica.