Thread: L98s, what happens to them once withdrawn?

As we know the L98 is a SA80 lookalike the ACF use. To conform to UK civvy law it is a 'straight-pull' in 5.56. Many have been withdrawn in favour of the SA80.

Now... As a keen target shooter (as others are I'm sure) is would be very desierable for me to purchase one.

As I said they are 'legal' under the 1998 act and would be a real boost to the coffers of the ACF, which is much needed TBH, if they were sold off and not crushed. Anyone know what actually does happen to them? Yes I have asked the detachment and they didn't know.

Cheers.

sold off to a ''3rd world developing country'' the same as all the old 58 webbing and surplus clothing...... or is that just me being cynical???

Ours have been de-commisioned all be it minus the sights, and we are awaiting delivery of new weapons.
I heard they are going to be scrap.

Originally Posted by clanker

Ours have been de-commisioned all be it minus the sights, and we are awaiting delivery of new weapons.
I heard they are going to be scrap.

Such a waste if true and such a waste of much needed revenue to the ACF. There cannot be any real reason for this apart from PC surely?

Originally Posted by Stan_Da_Bout

Originally Posted by clanker

Ours have been de-commisioned all be it minus the sights, and we are awaiting delivery of new weapons.
I heard they are going to be scrap.

Such a waste if true and such a waste of much needed revenue to the ACF. There cannot be any real reason for this apart from PC surely?

Why would the ACF get the cash? Any money gained from withdrawing the weapons will just end up in the ravening maw of the Treasury.

We already have the new L98 A2 as both DP and 'live'. For the moment the old iron fore and rear sights have been transferred onto the new weapons pending new sights coming through the system. So far it seems a vast improvement over the A1 as the little cadets can cock it easier and only have to do it once.
The old A1's should really go for scrap as that is about all they are good for, however I suspect they will be sold off somewhere abroad.

Originally Posted by Stan_Da_Bout

Originally Posted by clanker

Ours have been de-commisioned all be it minus the sights, and we are awaiting delivery of new weapons.
I heard they are going to be scrap.

Such a waste if true and such a waste of much needed revenue to the ACF. There cannot be any real reason for this apart from PC surely?

What planet do you live on that makes you think that any money made from the sale of these toys would or should go back to the ACF?

You're been given a whole new weapon and you want to sell off the old one and keep the money!

The Defence Budget bought them. The Defence Budget replaced them. Any money made from the sale of the replaced weapons should go where?

Perhaps if you so-called 'volunteers' didn't get paid and claim expenses for your hobby, there'd be more money to spend on what the ACF is all about, the cadets!

I expect the recievers will be put back into the system as they're wearing out at a rate, the rest of the bits will become manhole covers.

Why the hell would you want to buy yourself a weapon that has on average 8-9 stoppages every mag?

Originally Posted by Faustic

Why the hell would you want to buy yourself a weapon that has on average 8-9 stoppages every mag?

and isn't very accurate at that - if it's .223 target shooting you want to do, there's far better rifles out there, and if it's .22 you want to target shoot, see previous.

The only thing that it's really worth having for is 'Practical Rifle' or as a collector's piece, one that breaks a lot.

8 or 9 stoppages per mag? May I suggest bad drills, + bad instruction more like! Don't blame the weapon. If properly cocked the weapon fired every time,the exception being when the cocking lever roll pin broke,usually due to an overenthusiastic user. Mind you I regarded the weapon as an abortion,it has, I hope, been totally scrapped!

Originally Posted by countymounty

8 or 9 stoppages per mag? May I suggest bad drills, + bad instruction more like! Don't blame the weapon. If properly cocked the weapon fired every time,the exception being when the cocking lever roll pin broke,usually due to an overenthusiastic user. Mind you I regarded the weapon as an abortion,it has, I hope, been totally scrapped!

Well, on my last exercise in the ACF, this January, the weapons were giving me stoppages at a rate of at least 3 per magazine, usually because the spring wasn't feeding properly or I was collecting 2 or once even 3 rounds every when I cocked the thing. I was having to re-oil the cocking handle rail in the middle of firefights, despite the obsessive cleaning in harbor locations that was required to keep it together. Gopping, gopping pieces of kit.
I was ecstatic when I was given the LSW because the original section gunner had come down with a case of the runs!

They are being stripped of useable bit's (foregrip,breechparts ect) & the rest cut up & melted down for scrap.

are they that different to the A2? could they not just be converted and put back into normal service

Originally Posted by tank6275

are they that different to the A2? could they not just be converted and put back into normal service

No.We had 12 issued to us at RAF Kinloss when they first came out,over half of them failed the initial pre issue inspection & had to be returned.

Besides,they are mostly all A1's in build & therefore it'd cost too much.