Wikipedia: The SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO service weapons used by the British Army.[5] The L85 Rifle variant has been the standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle. The first prototypes were created in 1976, with production of the A1 variant starting in 1985 and ending in 1994. The A2 variant came to be as the result of a significant upgrade in the early 2000s by Heckler & Koch and remains in service as of 2020. The A3 variant was first issued in 2018 with several new improvements.

The remainder of the SA80 family comprises the L86 Light Support Weapon, the short-barrelled L22 Carbine and the L98 Cadet rifle.

The SA80 was the last in a long line of British weapons (including the Lee–Enfield family) to come from the Royal Small Arms Factory, the national arms development and production facility at Enfield Lock, before its weapons factory was closed down in 1988.

Light Support Weapon
L86A2 LSW
British soldier providing instruction on the L86 to a Polish serviceman during the 2008 Kozacki Step exercises

The L86 Light Support Weapon (LSW) is a magazine-fed squad automatic weapon originally intended to provide fire support at a fireteam level. The weapon has a heavier, longer 646 mm (25.4 in) barrel than the rifle and features a shorter handguard with an integrated bipod protruding from the front.[61] The stock has a shoulder strap to take the weapon's weight in the prone position and a rear vertical grip for better control of the weapon when firing bursts. The weapon is otherwise identical to the L85 version on which it is based, and the same magazines and sighting systems are used.[3] In addition to British Armed Forces use, the LSW was also adopted by MOD-sponsored cadet organisations.[62]

The increased barrel length, bipod and the optical performance of the SUSAT give the weapon excellent accuracy, increased muzzle velocity and greater effective range. From its inception, the L86 was a target of criticism on much the same basis as the L85.[citation needed] The LSW has the additional issue (shared by any light support weapon derived from a rifle, for example the heavy-barrel FN FAL) of its inability to deliver sustained automatic fire as it lacks a belt feed.[33]

While the LSW was supposed to replace the L7A2 GPMG at the section level, the weapon's shortcomings meant that many units reverted to the GPMG (or held onto it if it had not already been replaced) and the role of a LSW was ultimately filled by the FN Minimi (known in service as the L110A1-A3 light machine gun), a belt fed weapon with a quick-change barrel in the same way as the GPMG.[63] Owing to its high level of accuracy in semi-automatic mode,[64] the primary use of the L86 shifted to that of a sharpshooter rifle following the introduction of the L110A1,[65] however it was replaced in this role by the L129A1 Sharpshooter Rifle.[66] The L86 was withdrawn from service in 2019.

Wikipedia SA80:
Type Bullpup assault rifle
Light support weapon (L86 LSW)
Carbine (L22)
Place of origin United Kingdom
Service history
In service 1985–present
Used by See Users
Wars See Conflicts
Production history
Designed 1970s–1980s
Manufacturer RSAF Enfield, Royal Ordnance, Heckler and Koch
Unit cost £1,300 (2015)[1]
Produced 1985–1994
No. built Approx. 350,000 (L85, L86)
Approx. 21,700 (L98)
Variants See Variants
Specifications (L85A2)
Mass 4.98 kg (11.0 lb) (L85A2 with SUSAT sight and loaded 30-round magazine)[2]
Length 785 mm (30.9 in) (L85A2)[2]
Barrel length 518 mm (20.4 in) (L85A2)[2]
Cartridge 5.56×45mm NATO
Action Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire 610–775 rpm[2]
Muzzle velocity 930–940 m/s (3,100–3,100 ft/s)[2]
Effective firing range 300–1,200 m depending on weapon on usage[2][3][4]
Feed system 30-round detachable STANAG magazine
30-round detachable polymer Magpul EMAG
Sights Telescopic SUSAT, ACOG and ELCAN LDS scopes, aperture iron sights

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