SA80-A2 Propblems Military Intelligence

 

 

British SA80-A2 Problems

MoD urged to replace misfiring rifle

Staff and agencies
Friday July 5, 2002


The Ministry of Defence should consider replacing the army's main assault rifle if an investigation demonstrates that it still has major problems, the Tories urged today.

Earlier this week, the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, said his department was probing claims that the SA80-A2 rifle misfires badly, after three formal equipment failure reports filed by troops in Afghanistan. A specialist team is in Afghanistan investigating the reports.

The Tories decision to pressurise the government over the rifle came on the day when the "full might" of the British army was going on public display when Mr Hoon attends its annual hardware showcase.

The Army 2002 display on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire will involve every section of the force and give a demonstration of its firepower. However, questions are now being raised over the effectiveness of an important element of that firepower.

The original SA80 rifle was suspended from the Nato nominated weapon list in 1997 after soldiers experienced problems such as jamming in extreme weather, and it was subjected to a £92m modification programme.

In the wake of the new problems, the shadow defence secretary, Bernard Jenkin, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is too early to say whether this is a fundamental problem or something relatively minor.

"But I can imagine the Ministry of Defence is very anxious about it, because there has been a long history to the problems with this rifle. If this turns out to be a continuation of the previous problems, I think it is going to be very, very difficult to sustain this rifle in the British army."

He said it was crucial in combat to have faith in your weapon. He added: "We questioned whether the latest upgrade was worth it or whether we should simply buy a reliable and proven replacement off the shelf."

Meanwhile, in Wiltshire, the Army were describing the display as "the biggest demonstration of military might ever held in Europe".

An army spokesman said there was "almost every weapon in the British Army's inventory taking part - tanks, artillery and infantry, supported by attack helicopters, transport aircraft and fast jet bombers".

But the army said the firepower demonstration is just one part of the event which runs from today to Sunday.

There will also be an army air corps display of historic aircraft, the Blue Eagles helicopter display ream and a chance to see the new Apache tank-busting helicopter.

The army adventure centre on Salisbury Plain will offer confidence courses, paintball ranges, climbing walls and competitions for the public.

The main arena will host bands, military dogs, a gun run and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery will provide the tournament and tattoo element of the show.

The latest computer-based training and aptitude tests will also be available alongside the 'living history' section - showing the history of soldiering from Roman times to today.

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TORIES URGE MoD TO REPLACE 'FAULTY' RIFLE
Friday 05 July 2002 9:43pm

The Tories say the Ministry of Defence should consider replacing the Army's main assault rifle if an investigation shows it still has major problems.

Earlier this week Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said his department was investigating claims the SA80-A2 rifle misfires badly.

It came after three formal equipment failure reports filed by troops in Afghanistan.

A specialist team is in Afghanistan investigating the reports.

The original SA80 was suspended from the Nato nominated weapon list in 1997 after soldiers experienced problems such as jamming in extreme weather, and it was subjected to a £92 million modification programme.

After the new problems, shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is too early to say whether this is a fundamental problem or something relatively minor.

"But I can imagine the Ministry of Defence is very anxious about it, because there has been a long history to the problems with this rifle.

"If this turns out to be a continuation of the previous problems, I think it is going to be very, very difficult to sustain this rifle in the British Army.

"If you are fighting a war and you hesitate because you haven't quite got the faith in your weapon that you should have, that is obviously fatal, and we can't put our soldiers in that position.

"We did challenge the Government in the last Parliament, when Iain Duncan Smith was shadow secretary of state, that unless they were absolutely sure that the modification would fix it, then they should spend the money on a new rifle. Well, this chicken could be coming home to roost."

(c) Copyright Ananova Ltd 2002, all rights reserved.

 

Probe into faulty army rifles
 
British soldier
Soldiers have complained about the new rifle
 
British soldiers in Afghanistan have said the army's new SA80-A2 rifles have three faults, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has promised that claims the weapon misfires badly will be looked into.


 
The SA80-A2 is operating in a very difficult environment in Afghanistan


 

Adam Ingram

The army's previous rifle suffered misfiring problems.

Armed forces minister Adam Ingram said three formal equipment failure reports had been filed from Afghanistan.

He said that this was in the context of a regime where all faults were reported, Mr Ingram said in a House of Commons written reply.

"The SA80-A2 is operating in a very difficult environment in Afghanistan with both dusty conditions and extremes of temperature," he said.

"In an operational environment any concerns are treated very seriously and a specialist team on the ground is investigating these reports as a matter of urgency."

Climate extremes

A series of problems with the previous SA80 rifle , including the weapon jamming in extreme temperatures, led to it being suspended from the Nato nominated weapon list in 1997.

The revised weapon, which arrived following £92m worth of modifications, was declared as one of the best available by the MoD.

It was introduced earlier than planned for use by troops in Afghanistan.

Friday, 5 July, 2002, 10:02 GMT 11:02 UK
MoD investigates 'faulty' forces rifle
 
A soldier using the SA80-A2
The modified SA80 still jams, say Marines
 
Claims that the armed forces' new SA80-A2 rifle badly misfires are being urgently checked by a Ministry of Defence inquiry team.

Marines in Afghanistan have said the new guns failed on at least three occasions - despite £92m worth of modifications following complaints about the previous model.


 
If this turns out to be a continuation of the previous problems it is going to be very difficult to sustain this rifle


 

Bernard Jenkin
Tory defence spokesman

The MoD team is flying out to Afghanistan to check the weapons on the ground.

The news comes amid reports that the defence budget will be boosted by about £1bn in the chancellor's comprehensive spending review to be published later this month.

The new version of the SA80 - which has been the standard model for British soldiers for 12 years - was introduced this year, being brought in especially early for the Afghan mission.

'Still jamming'

Defence officials said when it first came out that it was among the most reliable 5.56mm guns in the world.

BBC correspondent Andrew Gilligan said the troops in Afghanistan - the first to actually use the SA80-A2 - complained the new model still jammed and could not cope with extreme heat, cold, sand or dust.

Earlier this week, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram confirmed in the Commons that three official failure reports had been filed from Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon, Defence Secretary
The defence secretary is reported to have won a £1bn budget boost
 

That is despite almost no actual fighting by the Marines, the first troops to use the rifle.

Conservative shadow defence secretary Bernard Jenkin said it was too early to speculate on whether the failures were a major problem or were relatively minor.

Mr Jenkin told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "If this turns out to be a continuation of the previous problems I think it is going to be very difficult to sustain this rifle in the British army.

"If you are fighting a war and you hesitate because you have not quite got the faith in the weapon that you should have that is obviously fatal."

On Thursday more than 300 marines arrived home following their three-month mission in search of al-Qaeda fighters.

They were the first of the UK's 4,000-strong force in and around Afghanistan to return home. Most will be back by August.

 

Subject: SA80
Posted By:
HoiPolloi2000 - Registered User
Posts: 60
Posted At: (6/13/02 2:26:29 pm)
Reply
 

Rifles up-dated in time for invasion
By Thomas Harding
(Filed: 16/10/2001)
 

TEN thousand rifles have been modernised in time for British troops to use them if they are sent into Afghanistan, defence sources confirmed yesterday.

The SA80, once the bane of infantrymen, has undergone a £90 million refit and is now acclaimed as one of the best weapons available.

Since its introduction in 1986 - three years behind schedule - the rifle has been prone to serious malfunctions, some of which have endangered soldiers' lives. From the Gulf War to Kosovo and Sierra Leone the SA80 has jammed, bent and fallen apart.

After exhaustive testing in Kuwait, Brunei and Alaska the weapon, which is to be renamed the SA80 A2, is said to be totally reliable. But they may face their toughest test in the mountains of Afghanistan.

An MoD source said: "The new weapon was meant to be issued next year but we have managed to build up a stock that will go to any operational units if they are deployed abroad. There is clearly an urgent requirement in the present crisis and this is just such an opportunity for the A2 to be used."

The troops most likely to receive them are the Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade, who are mountain warfare specialists, or the 1 Bn The Parachute Regiment, who are the spearhead unit for rapid deployment.

The SA80 is not used by the SAS. One of their main objections is the loud click the safety catch makes, a problem that the £450-per-rifle conversion has apparently not cured.

Members of 45 Commando, the marines unit being sent to Afghanistan, during their final live training with the new SA80 A2 rifle at a firing range near Dundee, Scotland Tuesday March 19, 2002. Britain will be sending an infantry battle group of 1,700 to Afghanistan, its largest military deployment for combat operations since the Gulf War. (AP Photo/ David Cheskin, PA)

 

Chat Response
To be brief - it's a good weapon. Allied with the SUSAT sight, its amongst the most accurate standard issue 5.56 weapons of any army. Shorter than M16 due to the bullpup design, the thinking was that it would be easier to handle within the confines of an armoured infantry vehicle - although ironically enough the british army decided not to bother with firing ports on the Warrior - unlike the Bradley.

Main problem with the original SA80s were never accuracy however - rather maintainability. The pistol grip sub mechanism proved far too fragile, and the mechanism was prone to foreign object damage. Operating in hot desert conditions in particular did not agree with the weapon. For many years the MOD tried to spin the SA80 as "a weapon that needs more care and respect, in line with its more advanced technology".

Only recently did they bite the bullet and accept that they needed some refurbishment and redesign. Quarter of a billion later, and a damn good job done by H&K - we have the SA80 A2 - which is a damn fine rifle in my opinion - however entirely consistent with the way we british do things - is only now delivering on the promises the original should've in the first place.

In some instances you may indeed see british soldiers carrying M16s or MINIMIS instead of SA80s or LSWs in the interim - as about a quarter million weapons are being *rotated through* H&K for the A2 upgrade.

As for special forces - they're tend to be able to choose whatever weapons they like, for the mission at hand.

FYI - SUSAT is actually more expensive than the rifle itself, and is issued only to infantry bttns (including TA). Other supporting arms make do with the inbuilt iron sights.

Since SA80 entered service, pass rate on the annual shooting tests have increased from ~75% to 99%, and those acheiving marksman standard has increased from ~20% to 50%.

One quick final point however - if your experience is such that you *learnt* on an M16 or an SLR - then you will ALWAYS think that that's the better rifle - the SA80 just wont *feel* right to you!

For me - I learnt on the SA80 - so I cant see past it. Although I had a quick shot on a Steyr and that seemed quite nice - but thats another subject....

Hoi

THE ARMED FORCES MINISTER ANNOUNCES THE SA80 A2's RELIABILITY

Press Release Number: 237/01
Date: 18 October 2001
 

The Armed Forces Minister, Adam Ingram, today announced the results of the exhaustive SA80 A2 modification trials programme. As a result of the modifications the A2 is one of, if not the most reliable 5.56mm rifle in the world.

Both variants of the SA80 A2, the Individual Weapon (IW) and the Light Support Weapon (LSW) were subjected to a series of gruelling tests during which over 3 million rounds were fired. The trials were conducted in four phases and were designed to test the A2's reliability in a range of challenging climatic conditions.

The tests set by the MOD are the toughest reliability criteria imposed by any nation. On average, across all of the trials, the IW fired an average of 25,200 rounds before it failed a test, known as a battlefield mission.

The LSW, which has a much tougher mission requirement, fired an average of 12,897 rounds before it too failed.

This compares very favourably to all of the small arms in its class and exceeds the expected service life of the A2 (10,000 rounds, after which it is refurbished). It is, therefore, possible for an A2 to suffer no failures during its service life.

The A2 will be issued on a phased basis from December 2001. Although the unmodified SA80 is a capable weapon the modification programme can be brought forward, if there is an operational requirement to do so. There are currently around 10,000 modified weapons in stock.

The modification programme will cost around £92 million, including the cost of spares, trials etc. Around 200,000 weapons will be modified.

The Armed Forces Minister, Adam Ingram said:

"The trials were designed to push the weapons to the very limit of their endurance. I'm delighted to say that the SA80 A2 passed with flying colours. It is more than capable of the task that we have given it and it will equip our armed forces until a new small arm is introduced in around 2015."

Major Andrew MacDonald (Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (PWRR)), the head of the trials team said:

"I'm convinced that the SA80 A2 is the best 5.56mm rifle in the world, if there is a better one I haven't seen it yet."

He added,

"If I was going to go to war tomorrow I couldn't think of a more reliable and accurate weapon to take with me than the A2. It would certainly be my weapon of choice."

Flight Lieutenant Ian Caesar (RAF Regiment) added:

"I was in Brunei for the tests where I was impressed to the point of boredom. Whenever there was a stoppage, which was very rare, people woke up and came running to have a look. The reliability of this weapon has been hugely improved".

A media facility is being held today at Warminster.


 

Thursday, 11 March, 1999, 11:01 GMT
Desert 'too tough' for Army's rifle
 
The Royal Ordnance made SA80 rifle
"Soldiers are unhappy with the SA80's performance in the desert"
 
The rifle used by UK military forces in the Gulf does not work properly in hot and dry conditions, the Ministry of Defence has admitted.

Thousands of SA 80s are in use as the personal standard issue weapon for the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and RAF.

But since its introduction in 1986 soldiers have been dissatisfied with it.

'Mostly works'

Now the MoD has admitted "work is under way to identify problems" with the weapon, which was manufactured by Royal Ordnance.

A spokesman refused to say what the problem with the weapon was, but it is believed it may jam under severe conditions.

"It is the case that there are problems in the most extreme hot and dry conditions," said the spokesman.

But he was keen to play the problem down, stressing "in most conditions" the rifle works well.

The spokesman said a programme of improvements to the rifle would be introduced, but he could give no indication when that would happen.

'Jams in the desert'

Lord Gilbert, the defence procurement minister, wrote to the defence committee about the problem last year. The letter was published on Wednesday as part of the committee's annual report.

The letter said the results of trials dating back to 1995 had shown there could be underlying reliability problems.

The Special Air Service and the Special Boat Service do not use the SA80, preferring instead to opt for American weapons.

More than 330,000 of the rifles have been bought by the Ministry of Defence at a cost of £384m.

Thursday July 4, 04:13 AM

 

 
 
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Troops dogged by more rifle glitches

By Sinead O'Hanlon

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Soldiers fighting in Afghanistan have reported a series of faults with a new rifle -- only months after the army boasted it was the most reliable of its kind in the world, according to the Ministry of Defence.

 

The problems with the SA80-A2 rifle, which were issued to troops after a 92 million pounds upgrade, are the latest in catalogue of troubles with weapons and equipment that have plagued the armed forces in recent years.

 

In a written statement to parliament on Wednesday, Defence Ministry Adam Ingram said three formal equipment failure reports relating to the rifle have been filed from Afghanistan so far.

 

"The SA80-A2 is operating in a very difficult environment in Afghanistan with both dusty conditions and extremes of temperature.

 

"In an operational environment, any concerns are treated very seriously and a specialist team on the ground in Afghanistan is investigating these reports as a matter of urgency."

 

Soldiers have complained about the SA80 since it was first introduced in 1986, particularly during the Gulf War and in Sierra Leone, when they said it kept jamming.

 

As a result, the army spent 92 million pounds improving and testing the accident-prone firearm and last October boasted that it was the best 5.56mm rifle in the world.

 

The modified version was issued to UK troops in Afghanistan, whose main role has been to help flush out remnants of the Taliban and al Qaeda network.

 

LIST OF WOES

 

Trouble with weapons and equipment are not new to British forces, also plagued by recruitment and retention problems.

 

Last October, the army's Chief of General Staff, General Sir Michael Walker, admitted that half of Britain's tanks taking part in a major exercise in Oman had broken down because they could not cope with the sand.

 

Within the last two years, the entire fleet of 12 nuclear powered "hunter-killer" submarines was recalled and the Royal Navy grounded most of its Lynx helicopters after major safety scares.

 

A billion pound upgrade of the Tornado bomber aircraft -- the backbone of the RAF bomber force for a quarter of a century -- left it unable to drop some bombs.

 

Government and internal army reports said that British forces operating in Kosovo had suffered from critical shortages of munitions, poor radio equipment and out-of-date medicines.

 

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said on Tuesday that British troops, who will start pulling out of Afghanistan soon, would head back to the country immediately if needed.

 

The 1,700 commandos, engineers and support staff make up Britain's largest combat mission since the 1991 Gulf War.

 

SA80 A2 � Questions and Answers 
 

Q What is the SA80 A2 weapon system?

A It is the name given to the SA80 Individual Weapon (IW) and Light Support Weapon (LSW) that were introduced into service in 1986 as the new general purpose small arm for the Armed Forces. The A2 variant is the modified version of both the IW and LSW. 
 

Q How does the MOD measure reliability?

A It is measured by how often the weapon fails during a battlefield mission. It is presented in terms of Mean Rounds Between Failure (MRBF).

Q What is MRBF?

A This is a measure of the average number of rounds that are fired between failures of a battlefield mission test. The battlefield mission requires the IW to fire 150 rounds in 8 minutes 40 seconds and for the LSW to fire 960 round in 36 minutes (see the Q&A on the SA80�s initial in-service reliability on page 5 for further information). 
 

Q What is the A2�s MRBF?

A The MRBF varied in each of the test environments and between weapon variants: 
 

 

Individual Weapon

Light Support Weapon

Trials Type/Location

MRBF

MRBF

Cold/Dry - Alaska

31,50043,200
Temperate - UK>31,50016,000
Hot/wet - Brunei>31,5009,600
Hot/Dry - Kuwait7,8758,728
Average25,20012,897

 
 

The minimum expected life of the new components is 10,000 rounds. It is, therefore, possible for an A2 to suffer no stoppages during its life.

Q Why does the MRBF vary between environments?

A Each test environment � arctic, jungle, desert and temperate � places different demands on the weapon system. Deserts, for example, are the most challenging environments for all mechanical devices, not just weapons. Sand makes its way into the weapons mechanism and this causes advanced wear and can foul the working parts. All weapon systems, such as the M16 and AK47 display different levels of reliability in each climatic environment.

Q Where were the tests run?

A The arctic tests were run in Alaska (US Army�s Cold Regions Test Centre in Fort Greely), the jungle tests in Brunei (Seria), the desert tests in Kuwait (Kazma) and the temperate tests in the UK (Warminster).

Q What has been modified?

A The list includes: 
 

  1. Breech block,
  2. Breech bolt,
  3. Cartridge extractor,
  4. Cartridge ejector,
  5. Recoil springs,
  6. Extractor spring,
  7. Firing pin,
  8. Cocking handle,
  9. Magazine (the whole magazine has been replaced),
  10. Gas plug and cylinder,
  11. Hammer,
  12. Barrel extension
  13. Barrel (LSW only).

Q Do these minor changes really make that much of a difference?

A Yes. For example, the firing pin, a known problem area, has not suffered a single problem during the trial programme � around 3 million rounds have been fired without one breakage. 
 

Q How much will the modification programme cost?

A The modification programme is expected to be around £92 million. This includes the cost of spares, trials etc. The cost is within the overall cost envelope approved in June 2000 (£92.25 million).  
 

Q How long will it take for all of our Armed Services to receive A2s?

A Based on the current estimate it will take four years and three months � from December 2001 to February 2006.  
 

Q Why is it taking so long?

A This isn�t a particularly long time. The MOD is modifying around 200,000 weapons. These have to be withdrawn from service, modified and reissued. This all takes time. Ideally we would like to issue all of the armed forces with the modified weapons at the same time but this isn�t practical. Nor is it unusual for weapons to be gradually introduced into service. When the SA80 A1, for example, was originally introduced it was phased into service between 1986-93.  
 

Q How many A2�s are there?

A We currently have 10,000 modified SA80's in stock. This will increase to 15,000 in

    December 2001.  
 

Q Can the modification programme be put into a higher gear?

A Currently H&K are modifying 3,000 weapons a month. This is already planned to

     increase to 4,000 a month in May 2002.  It is theoretically possible to

     increase these numbers still further . This would, however, increase the cost of the

     programme. 
 

Q Are there plans to increase the number of SA80's modified each month?

A Currently no. The details of the UK�s participation in the current conflict are undecided. A decision will be made in light of any possible military involvement. 
 
 
 

Q Are there plans to issue A2�s to any troops who may be involved in combating international terrorism?

A The SA80 A1 is a good weapon. The A2, however, is more reliable in extreme environments. It is the MOD�s intention to ensure that our troops have the best weapons available to them. If and when any troops are deployed they will be equipped with equipment appropriate to the task. The A2 is already available in considerable numbers, and if we need to bring forward the issue of the weapons we will do so.  
 

Q Why does the MOD have a stock of A2s?

A It was always the MOD�s intention to shave an operational stockpile for just this sort of contingency. This is designed to give the MOD the option of issuing A2�s, if appropriate, to units ahead of the planned rollout programme. 
 

Q Why were A2�s not issued to troops involved in exercise Saif Sareea?

A The troops involved in exercise Saif Sareea deployed at a time when the MOD was building up the operational stockpile. Issuing A2�s would have eaten into the stockpile. There are, moreover, no current plans to deploy any troops involved in exercise Saif Sareea at the end of the exercise. 
 

Q Will the phased introduction reduce the combat effectiveness of our Armed Forces?

A The unmodified SA80 is a capable weapon system. So units who have not received the modified weapon will still remain effective. It is, however, fair to say that the modified SA80 system will increase the combat effectiveness of the units that are issued with them in extreme environments. Priority will be given to units in the JRRF and in operational theatres. In this way the troops who have the most urgent operational requirements will receive the weapons first.  
 

Q When will X unit receive the modified SA80?

A The issue programme is still being drawn-up. The current plan, however, is for the Infantry Training Centre (ITC) Wales to be the first to receive supplies of the modified weapon (December 2001). The ITC conducts the key battle courses for junior and senior NCOs. The full rollout will commence in the New Year with 3 Commando Brigade (May 2002). We will, of course release further information in due course.  
 

Q Which units are the lowest priority?

A The units with the lowest operational requirement. 
 

Q How will the modified weapons be issued?

A The modified weapon will be issued to whole formations, such as 3 Commando Brigade, in one go. All of the units that make up the formation such as infantry, armour, artillery and signals will receive modified weapons. This will avoid any problems associated with having a mixed fleet of weapons e.g. fitting unmodified spares to the modified weapon. 
 
 
 

Q What would happen if modified and unmodified components were mixed?

A Depending on the part the most serious effect would be to reduce the weapons reliability. At worst the weapon would fail to function. There are no known safety risks. 
 

Q How difficult is the A2 to maintain?

A It isn�t difficult to maintain. As with any mechanical system good cleaning and preventative maintenance are essential to ensure the best performance.  
 

Q How lethal is the A2?

A Because of its accuracy the A2 is very lethal. The average user of an A2 has a higher probability of incapacitating their target than they would using a comparable service rifle, particularly at longer ranges. 
 

Q The A2 fires the 5.56mm round. Aren�t larger rounds better at penetrating body armour etc?

A The 5.56mm round travels at a very high velocity. When it comes into contact with a target a great deal of force is directed in a small area and this gives it very good penetration characteristics. 
 

Q Will the A2 be able to be fired from the left shoulder?

A No. They will continue to be fired from the right shoulder. Left-handed troops are, however, able to accurately fire the weapon from their right shoulder. 
 

Q The design goes back to 1945 so it isn�t surprising that the SA80 is unreliable?

A No. The Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield produced the first bullpup prototype in 1945. The current SA80 bears only a superficial resemblance to the 1945 model. The technology, materials, optics, manufacturing processes etc have all moved on since 1945. Indeed, the gas operating system used in the modern automatic and semi-automatic rifles first appeared in 1905.  So just because it is an old principle it doesn�t mean that it is flawed!  
 

Q Will the A2 be readmitted to the NATO nominated weapon list?

A The SA80 is fully compatible with all of the 5.56mm rounds produced by other NATO countries. We fully expect the SA80 to be readmitted and the trials are currently ongoing. The results of the trials are expected by February 2002. 
 

Q Isn�t the modification programme an admission that the SA80 is seriously flawed?

A No. Weapons are routinely modified during the course of their service life. The SLR, for example, was modified 54 times. 
 

Q How many weapons will be modified?

A The MOD expects to modify around 200,000 weapons. Any unmodified weapons will, as far as possible, be cannibalised for spares.  
 

Q How many lives have been lost as a result of the SA80�s reliability problems?

A None. 
 

Q How will the Armed Forces be able to tell the difference between a modified and unmodified weapon?

A For five reasons:

  1. The soldiers will be issued with their own modified SA80,
  2. The modified weapons will have H&KA2 stamped on it,
  3. The cocking handle is visibly different,
  4. Some internal components will be differently coloured,
  5. It will be more reliable.

 
 

Q Why wasn�t the SA80 reliable when it was introduced?

A When the SA80 was accepted into service the stated battlefield mission, which determined the characteristics of the weapon, was for the rifle to fire 120 rounds over a 24 hour period. The LSW had to fire 800 rounds in 24 hours. Against these criteria the unmodified weapons are very reliable. Today the battlefield mission is for the IW to fire 150 rounds in 8 minutes 40 seconds. The LSW needs to fire 960 round in 36 minutes. It is, therefore, not surprising that the SA80 weapon system needs to be modified. Comparing the battlefield requirements set for the SA80 system in the late 1980s to the current one is similar to comparing the Vauxhall Astra of 1986 to the current model. The latest version is much more reliable. It is the same with the SA80.  NB In the original trials any number of stoppages that could be cleared by the firer were not counted as failures. In the trials of the modified weapon more than one stoppage, including those that can be cleared by the firer, counts as a failure. 
 

Mission

Rifle

LSW

Old Mission120 round in 24 hours800 round in 24 hours
New Mission30 rpm (single shot for 40 seconds

10 rpm (single shot) for 6 minutes

30 rpm (single shot) for 1 minute 10 x 4 rounds (in bursts) 1 minute

Total 150 rounds in 8 minutes 40 seconds

60 rpm (in bursts) for 3 minutes Wait of 1 minute (replicates change of position)

60 rpm (in bursts) for 3 minutes

Wait of 2 minutes (replicates refill 5 magazines and move)

60 rpm (in bursts) for 2 minutes 30 seconds

Wait of 10 minutes (replicates move, reload, receive orders and move)

30 rpm (single shot) for 10 minutes

Wait of 2 minutes (replicates refill 5 magazines and move)

60 rpm (in bursts) for 2 minutes 30 seconds

Total 960 rounds in 36 minutes

 
 

A battlefield mission was counted as a failure when there was more than one stoppage that the soldier could clear immediately on their own or there was a stoppage that required an armourer or a tool to clear. 
 
 

Q Why didn�t the MOD replace the SA80 weapon system with a new weapon system?

A There are two reasons: 
 

  1. The A2 would achieve the required levels of reliability.
  2. It is more cost effective to modify the SA80 than it is to buy a new weapon system. To procure and support a new system would cost around £500 million . This includes spares, additional infrastructure (rifle racks, blank firing adapters etc), training etc. The modification programme is expected to cost around £92 million � a fifth of the cost of procuring a new weapon system.

 
 

Q Why doesn�t the A2 use a plastic magazine?

A The A2�s magazine housing, where the magazine fits into the body of the weapon, cannot be increased in size to accommodate the larger plastic magazine that would be required. The walls of a plastic magazine must be thicker than its metal equivalent to provide the same strength, making a plastic magazine bulkier. 
 

    Plastic magazines also require horizontal reinforcing ridges around the walls to provide rigidity. These ridges and the additional bulk cause the magazines to jam in ammo pouches or pockets. A thin plastic magazine also flexes and this can cause further failures � the round is not correctly inserted into the feed mechanism. These problems make them inappropriate for use by the British Army. 
 

   It has also been suggested that transparent plastic magazines would help soldiers know how many rounds they had in their weapon. This is true to a degree but where the magazine attaches to the rest of the weapon the magazine is obscured. 
 

Q Why wasn�t the weight of the A2 reduced?

A The weight of the weapon contributes to its low recoil. This is a major factor in its accuracy. Moreover, the A2 isn�t that much heavier than most other rifles when the optical sight is removed from the weapon. The optical sight is only issued to troops involved in dismounted close combat e.g. infantry.  
 

  • IW unloaded (without SUSAT)  3.8 Kg
  • M16A3 unloaded                        3.4 Kg
  • G36 unloaded                              3.3 Kg

 
 

Q Why use optical sights if they are so heavy?

A To enhance the capability of the soldier in the field by making target easier to locate and engage. These are contributory factors to its accuracy. The SUSAT also greatly enhances the soldier�s ability to engage targets in low light (dawn, dusk and moonlight) and provides every user with a magnifying observation device. The SUSAT adds 0.8 Kg to the weapons overall weight. 
 

Q What grenade launching ability does the A2 have?

A It fires a rifle grenade. This is slipped over the barrel of the IW and fired using an ordinary round of ammunition. The round strikes a bullet trap on the grenade and this provides the energy to launch the grenade. The MOD is content with the capability of the current rifle grenade.  
 

Q Is it true that the optical sights zero is destroyed when a rifle grenade is fired from the A2?

A. No. The standard rifle grenade that is currently used will not affect the optical sight's accuracy.  
 

Q Will the Cadet Forces receive A2s?

A No. There is no operational requirement. 
 

Q Why has it taken so long to modify the SA80?

A It hasn�t taken that long. The SA80, in common with all weapon systems, has been subject to constant revisions throughout its life. The current programme is a major refurbishment programme that will extend the weapons in service life until 2020. The trials programme can�t be rushed through. It is important to properly test the weapon. The trials have, indeed, identified a number of minor issues that have been addressed.  
 

Q Will the A2 be upgraded again?

A There are no large-scale modifications planned. A small number are expected to be modified in 2009 to include a rapid area effects weapon that is part of the FIST roll out plan.

 

Q Will the Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) make the A2?

A Not initially. The A2 is expected to remain in service until 2020 and will form part of the initial operating capability of the FIST programme 
 

Q Will the blank firing adapter (BFA) be modified?

A The BFA is being modified slightly to ensure its reliability of function. 
 

Q Do the UK�s Special Forces use the SA80 weapon system?

A I am sure you will understand that the MOD cannot divulge details of the weapons used by the SF as this would assist potential adversaries in countering or neutralising UKSF capabilities. 
 

Q Why did the Police recently buy the G36 and not the SA80 IW or LSW?

A The SA80 IW and LSW are no longer in production. The last one to roll-off the production line did so over eight years ago. It was not, therefore, possible for the police to acquire either the unmodified or modified SA80.

     NB The MOD Police make extensive use of the SA80 IW to guard certain establishments.

Q Is a belt fed machine gun better than the LSW?

A A belt fed machine gun and a LSW have different capabilities. The current belt fed machine gun used by the Armed forces is the GPMG. Although this has a greater rate of fire than the LSW it is much heavier, less accurate and the ammunition is not compatible with the IW. The capabilities are, however, complimentary.

So I thought it was time for some facts

The SA80 & M16s maximum ROF is 700 rounds p/m
The SA80 & M16s both carry 30 round mags. as std.
The SA80 & M16s share the same rifling 6 RH
The SA80 & M16s fire the same round 5.56 x 45mm NATO
The SA80 is 215mm shorter than the M16A2 (1000mm)
The SA80 is almost 2KG (1980g) lighter than the M16A2 (5780g - 5.78Kg, unloaded weights)
The M16A2s barrel is only 8mm shorter than the SA80 (518mm)

Src: Janes "Gun Recognition Guide" Ian Hogg 2nd Ed.
(A very handy book for a security consultant)
 

 

Found this on BritaininCanada.org


The Army's standard rifle, the SA80, has had a bad press over the years. Now, though, its shortcomings have been addressed, and the first re-engineered weapons are entering service. Graham Thomas went to HQ Infantry in Warminster to discover how the ghosts of the old SA80 have been laid to rest.


The rifle re-engineered

A - Reshaped cocking handle to improve ejection
B - New gas parts to improve cycling of weapon
C - Heavier barrel on LSW to improve durability and heat dispersal
D - Internal machining to clear feed and extraction paths
E - All steel magazine to improve feed and durability
F - Stronger recoil spring to improve cycling of weapon
G - Modified hammer and internal components to improve system stability and durability
H - New bolt assembly to improve extraction and rejection. More durable firing pin

The man-shaped target is 300 metres away, and clearly visible through the optical sight. Switch to automatic, click off the safety catch, squeeze the trigger lightly, and the SA80 A2 (as the modified version of this weapon is called) releases a short burst, knocking cardboard man flat.

Not bad for a civilian Focus reporter, firing a weapon that has become rather notorious in recent years. But this is the re-engineered version, and Major Andrew Macdonald of the Infantry Training and Development Unit at Warminster considers the new A2 to be the best personal weapon system in the world. He says that it has shown 98.5 per cent reliability in a series of tough trials.

The SA80 story started in 1973 when it was selected to replace the old 7.62mm self-loading rifle. The prototype was 4.85mm calibre, but production was delayed when NATO decided to switch to 5.56mm ammunition. That was in 1979, and a further seven years passed before the new, remarkably compact rifle began to replace the old SLRs. By the Gulf War all infantry units had it. Then, problems. In 1997 the SA80 was dropped from NATO's list of approved weapons because it was having difficulty firing NATO approved ammunition reliably. "That was what sparked the MOD to look closely at the weapon," says Andrew Macdonald.

But he says it was a little unfair to blame manufacturers and designers for the faults. "A lot of the reliability issues go back to moving the goal posts. The requirement in 1973 was that the weapon had to fire 120 rounds in 24 hours."

Originally the SA80 was to be used in Europe against a Soviet attack, with heavy support from armoured divisions and air power. "Now we expect our infantry to generate far more of their own firepower," says the major.

Moved goalposts or not, heavier use in environments far more hostile than Western Europe was a reality, and in 1998 Heckler and Koch were tasked to come up with a modified version that could cope. This became the SA80 A2.

Tests for 21st century
"We had to set tests for the 21st century," says Major Macdonald. The performance target for the longer-barrelled Light Support Weapon (LSW) was 960 rounds in 36 minutes without a stoppage. "There are very few automatic weapons around that can meet that battlefield mission. The modified LSW did."

The test for the Individual Weapon (IW), with its shorter barrel, was 150 rounds in eight minutes and 40 seconds without a stoppage. The IW met the challenge.

In 1998 Heckler and Koch were given a contract to produce 200 modified weapons, and these were delivered at the beginning of 1999. A series of trials in the harsh environments of Alaska, Kuwait and Brunei, as well as the UK, compared the modified weapons with the standard SA80. "We saw ten times the reliability of the unmodified weapons," says the Major.

Then, in June 2000, MOD gave the approval for production of up to 200,000 modified weapons. By January 2001 the first production modified SA80 A2 weapons were delivered to the Infantry training Development Unit at Warminster for trials. "We were expecting the production standard A2 to perform a little worse because the prototypes had been hand-built by H & K," says Andrew Macdonald. But the opposite was true. "We saw considerable improvement again."

40 per cent of the stoppages had been attributed to the magazine which was built partly of plastic. A new all-metal magazine has taken care of that problem, while the gas plug and gas cylinder have been replaced along with the hammer. A stronger recoil spring was added to push rounds into the chamber harder and faster. A new bolt assembly, extractor and ejector were added to get rounds in and out more efficiently, while a new cocking handle deflects the round away from the gun. The LSW has had all these improvements plus a new heavier barrel so it can fire at much higher rates. In short, the new SA80 A2 is a far more robust weapon.

By the end of the year all trials will be completed and the first SA80 A2 will be delivered to the Infantry Battle School. By August 2002, 40,000 modified weapons should be with units. Full delivery should be completed by 2006.

But back to the Focus trial: after firing 500 rounds in less than an hour without a stoppage, and hitting the targets most of the time, this reporter is ready to believe the modified SA80 A2 is simply the best.

 

The SA80

Perhaps no other small arm has been as vilified as the SA80 (Small Arm for the 80s), the standard issue rifle (and machinegun) to the British armed forces.  Given that British shooters also get vilified on a fairly regular basis I could think of no better choice for our inaugural review!

The gun featured in this review is a late production L98A1, better known as the Cadet General Purpose Rifle, which is essentially a straight-pull bolt-action version of the SA80.  This one has been fitted with a flash hider and SUSAT (Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux), however the standard L98A1 is fitted with iron sights and has no flash hider.  The SUSAT is the standard sight fitted on SA80s issued to infantry units in the Army.

The L98A1 is one of three versions of the SA80 adopted by the British Army, for use by Army Cadet Forces.  To avoid needless red tape the gun was designed specifically to be a Section 1 firearm, although rumour has it that cadets may be issued soon with the standard L85A1 Individual Weapon, as the MoD is awash with them due to scaling down of the armed forces.

For the purposes of a shooting test, there isn't much difference between the L85A1 and the gun pictured here, the main difference between the two guns is that the L98A1 lacks a gas system, however, about 90% of the components between the two guns are identical.

The remaining version of the SA80 adopted by the British Army is the L86A1 Light Support Weapon (LSW), essentially a version of the rifle with a longer barrel and bipod fitted on an outrigger, as well as a rear grip.  There is another version of the SA80 not adopted by the Army, which is basically the LSW with the Cadet rifle's straight-pull system.  This gun has been sold on the commercial market for target shooters, mainly in Canada, although several have found their way back into this country.

One thing I would like to point out before going any further is that a lot of the criticism of the SA80 that you will read has been written by people who have never even touched an SA80, let alone fired one.  There are genuine flaws with the SA80, but many of them have been exaggerated or are confined to early production guns (e.g. the one about being able to squeeze in the sides of the receiver and stop the bolt moving).  To cut a long story short, the SA80 is not as awful as some people make it out to be, though it does have shortcomings.

I'll cover what I did like and didn't like as I go through this review.

First, I did like the cocking system on the L98A1.

This is by far the fastest straight-pull rifle I have ever used, far quicker than the slew of straight-pull AR-15s, Mini-14s etc. that have appeared since the 1989 ban on semi-autos.  Rapid aimed fire with this rifle is only slightly slower than a semi-auto, although obviously you can do "spray and pray" much faster with a semi-auto.  The only really major flaw as you can see from the photo is that the cocking handle bar partially obscures the ejection port when you pull back the cocking handle, however, this appeared to be the cause of only one malfunction during testing.

Operation is very simple, simply pull back the handle all the way and release, the springs are still in there so the bolt goes forward automatically.  I did find that if you ride the handle forward the sear sometimes failed to re-engage, so don't ride the handle!

The SA80 has a reputation for accuracy, this is due largely to the heavy barrel that is nearly free-floating on the L98A1 (but for the fore-end screw), plus the SUSAT x4 optical sight, a higher magnification than any other military rifle I am aware of.  I did find the SA80 to be accurate, although not as accurate as I had hoped due largely to the trigger pull, which is rough.

This is due to the long trigger bar, which is endemic to bullpup rifles.

The above pictures show how long the trigger bar is.  Having said that, the SA80 has a better trigger pull than any other bullpup rifle I have tried, including the Steyr AUG and the FA MAS.  If it weren't for the stiff trigger pull, I feel my accuracy testing would have turned in some really superb groups.  Endlessly in a ten-shot group I would get five or six shots into two inches or less with several flyers, opening the groups up to about four inches (at 100m, using ammo loaded with Sierra Matchking 69gr HPBTs).  The other problem with extracting accuracy from the SA80 is the shape of the trigger.

The trigger has been redesigned twice, and my personal view is that the second trigger design was superior to the third one shown.  The current trigger is too wide and places your finger too high to gain proper trigger control.  From the picture you can also see the push button cross-bolt safety just at the top of the picture.  This has been made considerably stiffer to operate compared to early SA80s, to prevent being accidentally knocked into the "on" position (the problem the Australian Army is currently having with their AUGs).

Another redesign is the magazine catch.

Early magazine releases were prone to being depressed accidentally when rubbing up against a soldier's clothing or webbing, causing the magazine to drop out accidentally.  Royal Ordnance solved this by putting in a much stronger spring and recessing the front of the magazine button, as shown in the picture.  It works, but I have to say I preferred the older catch for target shooting, it was much easier to operate.

Another redesign is the fore-end.

The plastic cover on top had a habit of popping open on its own, this rifle still has the old fore-end, but current issue SA80s have a new cover opening which is extremely difficult to open, even when you want to!  On the L98A1 there is seldom any need to do so as there is no gas system, thus there is no need to open the cover.

One thing that needs changing is the design of the magazine floorplate.

The magazine uses a push-button design to allow for easy removal of the floorplate, however, it has a tendency to slide off on its own!  A more secure method of fixture is needed.  In testing I found a wide variety of magazines intended for the M16 would work with the SA80, including Colt's, Adventure Line, Kay's and so on.  The Ram-Line and Thermold magazines would not work because they have ridges on the side that prevent them from fitting into the deeper magazine well of the SA80.  I didn't have any malfunctions during testing that could be attributed to the magazine.

In examining the SA80 in detail, one is struck by the "Meccano" set style of manufacture, the bolt carrier for example looks like it was machined by a Mongolian desert tribesman using a pocket file, but despite the looks it does work properly.  The one exception is the barrel, which can't have been made by Royal Ordnance, the quality is too good.  Rumour has it these were sourced from H&K in Oberndorf, which is mildly amusing because H&K has recently won an £80 million contract to refurbish 200,000 SA80s (out of about 380,000), including replacement of the barrel!

The SA80 also has a rather good sight on it, the SUSAT.

This one has the newer scope mount, with a drum on the left that can be used to raise the SUSAT for longer range shooting.  I've only tried it at 100m so I can't comment on whether it works or not.  One thing I will say is that whomever designed the elevation adjustment is a total idiot, you can see the nut just under the front of the scope.  The only way I could adjust it was using a set of needle-nose pliers!  (There is a tool specifically for this purpose - nice if you have one, I don't).  The SUSAT does have a tritium element in it that illuminates the sight post in weak light, unfortunately it was dead on this one.  The SUSAT can be adjusted fore and aft on the scope rail, however I found I had to put it all the way forward.  Even then it has a tendency to whack your forehead during recoil, however it doesn't hurt because of the thick rubber cup.  The x4 magnification makes shooting at targets 100m easy though.  If you don't want a SUSAT there are always the iron sights.

I didn't think these sights were as bad as I've heard, the main problem is the very short sight radius.  However, it does have an adjustable aperture size that is a novelty on a rifle like this (only H&K and SIG have something similar, and it's more bulky).  Elevation must be accomplished on the front sight, which is a pain.

The last picture is a picture of the ejection port cover.

This has a reputation for breaking off, although it seems reasonably sturdy to me.  I didn't have any problems with it.

My main complaint about the SA80 is the weight of the piece (although it looks plastic there is a lot of steel in this gun), and the balance.  It weighs in at about five kilos, which is heavier than the old L1A1 SLR!  That aside, the weight is to the rear, which makes muzzle control more difficult, despite the heavy barrel.  From prone the way around this is to rest the magazine on the ground.

One thing I will say is that this is the easiest rifle to clean I have ever come across.  It uses rotary locking, so virtually no dirt ingresses the action of the gun, and the bore is chrome-lined, so a bit of bore solvent and a few wipes through and it's done!

 

 

Tornado, Jaguar and a CF18
The rifle re-engineered
A - Reshaped cocking handle to improve ejection
B - New gas parts to improve cycling of weapon
C - Heavier barrel on LSW to improve durability and heat dispersal
D - Internal machining to clear feed and extraction paths
E - All steel magazine to improve feed and durability
F - Stronger recoil spring to improve cycling of weapon
G - Modified hammer and internal components to improve system stability and durability
H - New bolt assembly to improve extraction and rejection. More durable firing pin

Heckler & Koch

                Heckler & Koch (UK) manufactures small arms.

                In January 1991 Royal Ordnance bought Heckler & Koch of Germany.

                In December 1999 BAE Systems signed a letter of intent to sell Heckler & Koch to Colt of the US.

                The SA80 Rifle

                The Royal Ordnance developed the SA80 rifle for the Armed Forces.

                In 1983 problems with the SA80 were first reported to the Ministry of Defence.

                In 1986 the Ministry of Defence placed a £384m order for SA80s.  The rifles were produced at the Royal Ordnance factory in Nottingham.

                In April 1987 the government sold Royal Ordnance to British Aerospace for £180m.

                Following British Aerospace's acquisition of Heckler & Koch that company took over responsibility for the SA80.

                In February 2000 it was reported that all of the Armed Forces's 300,000 SA80s were going to be recalled for modification.  It was reported that 382,000 SA80s had been built in total.

                In June 2000 the Ministry of Defence announced a six-year, £80m programme to modify the Army's 200,000 SA80s.

                In August 2000 it was reported that the bulk of SA80 modifications would be carried out at a factory in Oberndorf, Germany.  It was expected that Royal Ordnance would close Britain’s last remaining small arms factory in Nottingham.

                In October 2001 it was reported that SA80 A2 would be used by British troops if they fought in Afghanistan.