SA80
Sign in to saveThe SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO service weapons used by the British Army. 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 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 2025. The A3 variant was first issued in 2018 with several new improvements.
Key facts
- Weapon.variants
- See Variants
- Weapon.name
- SA80
- Weapon.image
- SA80 A2 (L85A2) 5.56mm Rifle MOD 45162150.jpg
- Weapon.image_size
- 300
- Weapon.caption
- L85A2 with ELCAN LDS and 2009 upgrade suite
- Weapon.origin
- United Kingdom
- Weapon.type
- Bullpup assault rifle (L85)Light support weapon (L86 LSW)Carbine (L22)
- Weapon.is_ranged
- yes
- Weapon.is_UK
- yes
- Weapon.service
- 1985–present
- Weapon.used_by
- See Users
- Weapon.wars
- See Conflicts
- Weapon.design_date
- 1970s–1980s
- Weapon.production_date
- 1985–1994
- Weapon.number
- Approx. 350,000 (L85, L86)Approx. 21,700 (L98)
- Weapon.spec_label
- L85A2
- Weapon.weight
- (L85A2 with SUSAT sight and loaded 30-round magazine)
- Weapon.length
- (L85A2)
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
34 sectionsContents
- Development
- Post-war intermediate weapon development
- 1960s – 1970s: 4.85×49mm, XL64, XL65, XL68
- 1970s – 1980s: 5.56×45mm, XL70, XL73, XL78
- 1980s, 5.56×45mm, XL85, XL86
- Production
- Accepted into service: 5.56×45mm, L85A1, L86A1, L98A1
- Design flaws
- A2 upgrade programme <span class="anchor" id="L85A2"></span>
- A3 upgrade programme
- Design details
- Operating mechanism
- Features
- Sights
- Magazines
- Bayonet
- Accessories
- Variants
- Rifle
- Light Support Weapon
- Carbine
- Cadet General Purpose Rifle <span class="anchor" id="L98 Cadet General Purpose Rifles"></span>
- L402A1 0.22 Small Bore Rifle
- EIW97
- Conflicts
- Replacement
- Users
- Former Users
- Non-state users
- See also
- Notes
- Citations
- References
- External links
The SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO service weapons used by the British Army. 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 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 2025. The A3 variant was first issued in 2018 with several new improvements.
The remainder of the SA80 family consists of the L86 Light Support Weapon, the short-barrelled L22 Carbine and the L98 Cadet rifle.