Enfield L85A1 Individual Weapon (SA80)

The Enfield L85A1 Individual Weapon entered service with the British Army in 1985. The rifle first appeared in NATO assault rifle trials held in the late 1970's which saw this base form firing a 4.85mm cartridge. The weapon was designed in a bullpup configuration, with the ammunition entry to the rear of the pistol grip and featured an integrated optics system. The SA80 series has evolved into other forms including shortened carbine variant.

With the NATO trials complete, the 5.56x45mm round was selected by the organization as the standard ammunition set. As a result, the L85 was reconfigured to utilize ammunition standard and the SA80/L85A1 system as seen today was born. The bullpup layout allowed for a shortened design without sacrificing much to overall functionality for an assault rifle type. Ammunition capacity is provided through a 30-round curved magazine. An integrated carrying handle is also provided as are iron sights.

Initial acceptance of the system was very lukewarm as defects in the production process soon became apparent. Nonetheless, with a newly-formed production center and years of service behind it, the L85A1 system has come to be a respected assault rifle. Later production models also feature the ability to fire from the M16 magazine.

History text ©2003-2009 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Without Permission • Corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com