Combat ready SA-80 L85A rifle in 1996.
From US Army Image DM-SD-98-00176 available
The L85A1 is a selective-fire gas-operated assault rifle that uses ignited powder gases bled through a gas port above the barrel to provide the weapon’s automation. The rifle uses a short stroke gas piston system (the piston travels inside a gas tube located above the barrel) and a three-position adjustable gas regulator; the first gas setting is used for normal operation, the second – for use in difficult environmental conditions and the third setting is used to propel rifle grenades. The weapon uses a rotating cylindrical bolt that contains 7 radially-mounted locking lugs, an extractor and casing ejector. The bolt’s rotation is controlled via a cam pin that slides inside a camming guide machined into the bolt carrier. The weapon fires from a closed bolt.
The rifle is fed from a STANAG magazine, usually with the 30-round capacity. The magazine release button is placed above the magazine housing, at the left side of the receiver.
The L85A1 is equipped with a hammer striking mechanism and a trigger mechanism with a fire-control selector that enables semi-automatic fire and fully automatic fire (the fire selector lever is located at the left side of the receiver, just aft of the magazine). A cross-bolt type safety that prevents accidental firing is located above the trigger; the “safe” setting disables the trigger. When the last cartridge is fired from the magazine the bolt and bolt carrier assembly lock to the rear.
The rifle features a barrel with a slotted flash suppressor, which also serves as the base for attaching and launching rifle grenades and mounting a bayonet.
The rifle is built in a “bullpup” configuration, with a forward mounted pistol grip. The main advantage of this configuration is the overall length of the rifle can be reduced without compromising the barrel length, hence the overall length is shorter than the M4 Carbine, but the barrel length is longer than the M16. However, the adoption of this layout without a conversion kit such as that available for the FAMAS or Steyr AUG, also means the rifle must be used exclusively right-handed since the ejection port and cocking handle (which reciprocates during firing) are on the right side of the receiver, making left-handed firing impossible.
L85A1 rifles used by the Royal Marines, Infantry Soldiers (and other soldiers with a dismounted Close Combat role) and the RAF Regiment are equipped with a SUSAT (Sight Unit Small Arms, Trilux) optical sight, with a fixed 4x magnification and an illuminated aiming pointer powered by a variable tritium light source (as of 2006 almost all British Army personnel deploying on operations have been issued SUSATs). Mounted on the SUSAT’s one-piece, pressure die-cast aluminium body is a mechanical back-up iron sight that consists of a front post and small rear aperture. Rifles used with other branches of the armed forces when not on operations are configured with fixed iron sights, consisting of a flip rear aperture (housed inside a carry handle, mounted to the top of the receiver, replacing the SUSAT sight) and a forward post, installed on a bracket above the gas block. The rear sight can be adjusted for windage, and the foresight – elevation. In place of the SUSAT a passive night vision CWS scope can be used, and also – independent of the SUSAT – a laser pointer can be mounted.
The L85A1 comes equipped with: a sling, blank firing adapter, cleaning kit and a blade-type bayonet, which coupled with the sheath can double as a wire cutter (the sheath contains a small saw). The rifle can be adapted to use .22 LR ammunition with a special conversion kit. The rifle can also accommodate a 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher.
The weapon’s receiver is made from stamped steel, reinforced with welded and riveted machined steel inserts. Synthetics were also used (i.e. the handguards, pistol grip, butt pad and cheek rest were all fabricated from nylon).
