The British Army’s standard assault rifle, the SA80, carries a controversial legacy stretching back over three decades. Despite efforts to refine the weapon and its upgrades, the rifle has struggled to shake off a history of unreliability and unpopularity among the troops, earning it a reputation as one of the military’s most contentious firearms.
Introduced in 1985, the SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) was envisaged as a modern replacement for the L1A1 Self Loading Rifle. It came at a time when the British military, along with the Ministry of Defense, was eager to equip its soldiers with a compact, technologically superior weapon that could compete with global advancements in assault rifles. However, the SA80 quickly became the subject of criticism for its numerous design flaws and reliability issues.
The problems were glaring during the Persian Gulf War in 1990 when British troops discovered that their SA80s were ill-equipped to handle the harsh desert conditions. The rifle suffered from frequent jams, a magazine release catch that was prone to accidental engagement, and a lack of ambidextrous handling, leaving left-handed soldiers at a significant disadvantage. “The main issue with the SA80 is now one of confidence,” remarked Terry Gander, editor of Jane’s Infantry Weapons. Soldiers’ trust in the weapon had diminished, amplified by the rifle’s shortcomings.
Despite this, the SA80 underwent a series of upgrades. The L85A2, introduced in 2001, sought to address these issues. Heckler & Koch were commissioned for a significant upgrade package in the early 2000s. The A2 variant featured improvements like a new cocking handle and a more reliable bolt carrier group, which remedied the stoppages that plagued the A1 variant.
While some soldiers acknowledged the L85A2’s increased reliability, the weapon still failed to win the universal confidence of the British Armed Forces. Elite units such as the SAS and the Royal Marines continued to prefer alternative firearms, like the Canadian-made C8 Diemaco, over the SA80. Additionally, the rifle’s poor reputation cemented its status as a commercial failure on the international arms market, with only a couple of small nations opting to adopt it.
Despite its persistent critiques, economic and political considerations have kept the SA80 in service. A freedom of information response from the Ministry of Defence dated 2015 revealed a projected £94m cost for the rifle’s maintenance over the next ten years, with an out-of-service date set for 2030. Moreover, the Ministry of Defence committed to further upgrading the rifle to the L85A3 variant, a process with an initial investment of £5.4m.
Relevant articles:
– Introducing the SA80: The Worst Military Rifle Ever?, The National Interest, Feb 19, 2019
– SA80 Rifle: Want To Know All Of The Gen?, Forces Network, Oct 14, 2019
– Here’s why you should love the SA80A2 bullpup as much as the Brits do, Military Times, Nov 26, 2019