Weapons File from Battle Action Force No. 598, dated 18 October 1986. The SA80 or Enfield Endeavour as it is called here. Introduced in the British Armed Forces in 1985, but upgraded by Heckler & Koch in the 2000's, it's probably more commonly referred to as the L85 family of guns with the most recent variant being the L85 A3.

It replaced the SLR (Self-Loading Rifle), otherwise known as the L1A1, the FAL (if you're a Call of Duty player) or "that gun with the wooden bits you got with Action Man".

The Light Support Weapon, the L86, shown above had also been given the commercial name of the Enfield Engager.

The L86 family are a "bullpup" design  where the trigger grip is located in front of the breech and magazine instead of behind them, reducing the overall length of the gun. In the case of the SA80, and some other bullpups, this made firing them left-handed (or with a dominant left eye) 'difficult' as the ejection port is next to the face and the bullet cases exited to the right. This could result in quite a mouthful. Some bullpups are ambidextrous so not sure why the L85 was set up like this other than tradition. The FAMAS, for example, was the first bullpup in military service in the 1970's but could be converted to either left or right handed use.

The L85 is going to be replaced soon. I don't think a final decision has been made however some parts of the UK Armed Forces are going to be issued with the non-bullpup Knight's Stoner 1 (KS-1, below).

the geese may have a right to fight

but so do I *fortunate son plays as I pull out an L85 SA80 A3*

Alright, just stay safe out there and pack a lunch!

(L86 LSW) The L86A1 LSW ('Light Support Weapon') is a magazine-fed squad automatic weapon originally intended to provide fire support at...

(L86 LSW) The L86A1 LSW ("Light Support Weapon") is a magazine-fed squad automatic weapon originally intended to provide fire support at a fireteam level. Its barrel is longer than the L85A1 and has a shorter handguard with a support stock with lightening holes protruding from the front holding a bipod. The stock has a shoulder strap and rear vertical grip. The weapon is otherwise identical to the L85 version on which it is based, and the same 30-round magazines and sighting systems are used. Like the L85 rifle, it has a selector on the left side behind the magazine housing, enabling either single shots or automatic fire. The bolt and trigger system are modified, so the gun can be fired from open bolt. The increased barrel length, bipod and the optical performance of the SUSAT give the weapon excellent accuracy, increased muzzle velocity and further stabilizes the bullet, giving a greater effective range. From its inception, the L86 was a target of criticism on much the same basis as the L85. 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 quick-change barrel, and belt feed. For a time, the primary use of the LSW shifted to that of a marksman's weapon within many infantry sections, capable of providing precision fire at ranges of over 600 m;[34] however, it was replaced in this role by the Rifle, 7.62 mm L129A1.[35] The role of a light support weapon is instead filled by the L110A2 Light Machine Gun FN Minimi, which is a belt fed weapon with a quick-change barrel. The L86A1 was upgraded to the L86A2 at the same time as L85A1 rifles were upgraded to L85A2 standards, undergoing the same set of modifications. (SA80) The SA80 is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO small arms, all of which are selective fire, gas-operated assault rifles. The L85 rifle variant of the SA80 family has been the standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 variant of the FN FAL. The first prototypes were created in 1976, with production ending in 1994. The A1 variant was significantly upgraded in the early 2000s by Heckler & Koch as the SA80A2 and remains in service as of 2017. In mid-2016 a prototype A3 variant was showcased which further improved on the weapon and is reportedly being considered to extend the out of service date beyond 2025. 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. (History) [Development] The system's history dates back to the late 1940s, when an ambitious programme to develop a new cartridge and new class of rifle was launched in the United Kingdom based on combat experience drawn from World War II. Two 7mm prototypes were built in a bullpup configuration, designated the EM-1 and EM-2. When NATO adopted the 7.62×51mm NATO rifle cartridge as the standard calibre for its service rifles, further development of these rifles was discontinued (the British Army chose to adopt the 7.62 mm L1A1 SLR semi-automatic rifle, which is a licence-built version of the Belgian FN FAL). (Production) After receiving feedback from users and incorporating the various design changes requested, including adapting the rifle for use with the heavier Belgian SS109 version of the 5.56×45mm round and improving reliability, the weapon system was accepted into service with the British Armed Forces in 1985 as the SA80. The SA80 family originally consisted of the L85A1 IW (Individual Weapon) and the L86A1 LSW (Light Support Weapon). The first rifle was issued on 2 October 1985 to Sergeant Gary Gavin, (Variants) There are four main variants that make up the SA80 family: the L85 IW Rifle, the L86 Light Support Weapon, the L22 Carbine and the L98 Cadet rifle. The family has currently consists of two major models, A1 variants being the first issue weapons, and A2 distinguishing weapons which have undergone H&K upgrades. The L and A in the weapon title mean Number and Mark I.e. Number 85 Mark 1 = L85A1.

New Updated L85A3 Offically Enters Service

On the 11th April, the British Ministry of Defence announced the official adoption of the newly updated L85A3. I covered this several weeks ago, discussing in-depth the changes made to the rifles, but the Press Release offers some new details. The SA80 or L85 is being upgraded to a new specification designated the A3, as […]

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New Updated L85A3 Offically Enters Service

On the 11th April, the British Ministry of Defence announced the official adoption of the newly updated L85A3. I covered this several weeks ago, discussing in-depth the changes made to the rifles, but the Press Release offers some new details. The SA80 or L85 is being upgraded to a new specification designated the A3, as […]

Read More …

The post New Updated L85A3 Offically Enters Service appeared first on The Firearm Blog.

from The Firearm Blog https://ift.tt/2vo9dLs via IFTTT

New Updated L85A3 Offically Enters Service

On the 11th April, the British Ministry of Defence announced the official adoption of the newly updated L85A3. I covered this several weeks ago, discussing in-depth the changes made to the rifles, but the Press Release offers some new details. The SA80 or L85 is being upgraded to a new specification designated the A3, as […]

Read More …

The post New Updated L85A3 Offically Enters Service appeared first on The Firearm Blog.

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SA80 History: L85 A1 vs A2 (and the coming A3)

Upgrading the British Army's SA80A2 Assault Rifle

Upgrading the British Army’s SA80A2 Assault Rifle

Heckler & Koch in Multi-Million Deal for SA80A3

The SA80 (L85) is the designation for a revolutionary family of assault weapons. On its initial introduction, the assault rifle proved so accurate that the British Army marksmanship tests had to be redesigned. Now, the SA80A2 assault rifle will be upgraded to the A3 model under the Mid Life Improvement (MLI) project. This will ensure that the…

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SA80 History: L85 A1 vs A2 (and the coming A3)

At last, we have reached the L85A2, when the rifle was finally made into something reliable and effective. In 1995, after extensive public scandal from the L85A1's shortcomings being blatantly exposed in the first Gulf War, Heckler & Koch was given a contract to retrofit the rifles. At the time H&K was owned by British Aerospace, so this remained an arguably British program. The H&K retrofit consisted largely of subtle changes to materials, tolerancing, and finish, but it would lead to very significant improvements in performance (these were the ares where the original Enfield design team had the least experience). The parts changed included:

Cocking handle, bolt, extractor, extractor pin, ejector, ejector pin, firing pin, cam stud, hold-open, barrel extension, gas system, handguard, magazine, bolt carrier, hammer stop, hammer, barrel, ejection post, and all springs.

The new A2 rifles were introduced into service starting in 2001, and have receiver widely positive reviews. This is the rifle that the L85 could have and should have been from the very beginning. In addition, further improvements will likely lead to an A3 variant in the relatively near future. Currently the main improvement is HK's "A3" (not yet a government designation) upper receiver, which is stronger and has an improved optics mounting rail.

• 93R • ACR 6,8 • AKS74u • AS VAL • agosto A3 • CZ805 • Famas • G36C • Glock 18 • Granada • MP5K • Faca • Vector KRISS • L85 • M4A1 • M40A3 • M1911 • M416 • RPK74M • Scar-L • DAO-12 • M98B • SVU • AN94 • AEK-971 • M79 • G3A3 • PKM

via: http://eexponews.com/coalition-multiplayer-fps-v3323-mod-apk_4852899218194432