ARmy Rumour SErvice

**Carlos_Sanchez_IX** · 18-08-2012, 19:10

Originally Posted by oldmanron

i wonder if given the difference between now and 20 years ago whether squaddies nowadays would prefer a rifle accurate to 600 mtrs in the right hands compared to the SA80 which i would have had wet dreams of in NI. Surely over the terrain in afghan the more powerful and show stopping SLR would be their weapon of choice all be it withagood optical sight system.!!

There are 7.62 firing weapons that are comparable in size to the SA80 A2. To be honest I defy anyone who has deployed to recent theatres and that have been in contact regularly to say it isn't a workable and competent weapon, the guts of it have been changed, the magazines are fit for purpose and the add-ons and additions to its usability work a fucking treat, I remember how shite the A1 was, as do most but after deploying with other weapons and having access to them operationally the A2 holds its corner well bearing in mind that dependant on where you were in Afghan you were frequently under contact at less than 3-400 metres, the terrain dictated that, plus with the introduction of the Minimi and the UGL, and lets not forget, the reappearance of the GPMP as a section weapon for some units, the bog standard section of bayonets on the ground were and are more than adequately equipped, the only objections seems to come from those that haven't had the fortune to base their opinions on a weapon they havent used in an environment, with complete respect, that they have no comparable experience of save for Aden/Oman/Radfan ect.

There's also the weight issue, if you tot up the gear the average Tom humps when out and about you'd be surprised how delicate the balance can be between too much and just right, especially when your primary mode of transport is BCH! for hours at a time!

Just saying like..

**smartascarrots** · 18-08-2012, 19:35

Originally Posted by Drlligaf

Oh just what we needed, another SLR thread. Almost as if the subject had never been raised before.
Search facility anyone?

SLR threads are much better than SA80 threads. Stop a discussion in its tracks, they will.

Real man's threads, SLR threads.

**CAARPS** · 18-08-2012, 19:37

Why every time this reaches the top of the new threads list do I keep seeing 'why did they replace the Sir'

f*cking confusing I can tell you

**RoofRat** · 18-08-2012, 19:42

Originally Posted by CAARPS

Why every time this reaches the top of the new threads list do I keep seeing 'why did they replace the Sir'

f*cking confusing I can tell you

Should 'ave gone to Spec Savers!

**Drlligaf** · 18-08-2012, 20:17

Originally Posted by smartascarrots

SLR threads are much better than SA80 threads. Stop a discussion in its tracks, they will.

Real man's threads, SLR threads.

I'm as much a fan of the SLR as anyone else, however enough is enough.

**putteesinmyhands** · 18-08-2012, 20:34

Originally Posted by Drlligaf

Oh just what we needed, another SLR thread. Almost as if the subject had never been raised before.
Search facility anyone?

Another SLR thread? Have you got a link to the other one?

**ugly** · 18-08-2012, 20:42

Originally Posted by putteesinmyhands

As I recall, the LSW was supposed to relegate the GPMG to a vehicle role and the LMG was already supposedly obsolete, only leaving the Sniper Rifle as a footslogger's 7.62mm calibre weapon. This was intended to ease the distribution of ammo - no more pistols or SMGs, therefore no need for any 9mm either. LSW proved to be unsuitable (not sure why, couldn't have been because it was mag-fed as the LMG was still favoured by many, maybe it was a half-way face-saving exercise - SA80 family is crap but we've invested too much in the Rifle to admit it so we'll drop the LSW because we haven't bought so many of them?), so GPMG was brought back in for a while.

If 7.62mm had been retained as the common grunts' ammo, the SLR would still have been due for replacement. It was 30 years old (not just the technology, but the weapons themselves) and bits were becoming wobbly through wear. I don't know what the SLR's successor would have been but I doubt that we would have just ordered a fresh batch of them. At the time, I don't think the British Army had really contemplated short-range engagements and, notwithstanding the Falklands, was training to fight a defensive war. It's probably lucky that we were forced into smaller calibre weaponry otherwise there'd have been a few large UORs for assault rifles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

GPMG never left us on Ops, the Bn re equipped but we kept the gimpy in each fire team as we needed the weight of fire! In Berlin it was relegated to SF pln sadly but after that I couldn't say apart from on ops we kept getting the GPMG back at fire team!
The L4 lmg was quietly phased out in the run up to the L85/86 change over but the rifle platoon patrols usually took one along if they couldn't get a GPMG! Brigade told us to take what we needed for the job and for almost a year we kept a handful of L1A1 in the armoury, just in case!

Sent from my Blackberry 9780 using Tapatalk

**Carlos_Sanchez_IX** · 18-08-2012, 20:47

Originally Posted by ugly

GPMG never left us on Ops, the Bn re equipped but we kept the gimpy in each fire team as we needed the weight of fire! In Berlin it was relegated to SF pln sadly but after that I couldn't say apart from on ops we kept getting the GPMG back at fire team!
The L4 lmg was quietly phased out in the run up to the L85/86 change over but the rifle platoon patrols usually took one along if they couldn't get a GPMG! Brigade told us to take what we needed for the job and for almost a year we kept a handful of L1A1 in the armoury, just in case!

Sent from my Blackberry 9780 using Tapatalk

We took it out every time, in the bastardised words of Tarantino,.... 'GPMG, the very best there is. When you absolutely, positively, got to kill every motherfucker in the mid to far ground? accept no substitutes'

**17THSEPTEMBER1944** · 18-08-2012, 21:02

Originally Posted by putteesinmyhands

As I recall, the LSW was supposed to relegate the GPMG to a vehicle role and the LMG was already supposedly obsolete, only leaving the Sniper Rifle as a footslogger's 7.62mm calibre weapon. This was intended to ease the distribution of ammo - no more pistols or SMGs, therefore no need for any 9mm either. LSW proved to be unsuitable (not sure why, couldn't have been because it was mag-fed as the LMG was still favoured by many, maybe it was a half-way face-saving exercise - SA80 family is crap but we've invested too much in the Rifle to admit it so we'll drop the LSW because we haven't bought so many of them?), so GPMG was brought back in for a while.

If 7.62mm had been retained as the common grunts' ammo, the SLR would still have been due for replacement. It was 30 years old (not just the technology, but the weapons themselves) and bits were becoming wobbly through wear. I don't know what the SLR's successor would have been but I doubt that we would have just ordered a fresh batch of them. At the time, I don't think the British Army had really contemplated short-range engagements and, notwithstanding the Falklands, was training to fight a defensive war. It's probably lucky that we were forced into smaller calibre weaponry otherwise there'd have been a few large UORs for assault rifles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But where we turned out fighting for years we now realise 7.62 or bigger is the way forward.

**Grumblegrunt** · 18-08-2012, 21:05

they could have just built a short barrel 5.56 slr like the brazillians or actually been original I mean what had RO been doing since the em2 was kicked out the pram

the yanks bought the fal rights and tooling and are making some serious new ones with the best bits of the slr thrown in

I liked the slr but would have preferred a short heavy barrel, reflex sight and a folding bit at the back. as a lefty if I couldn't have an m16 then I would have preferred to get an AUG or FAMAS than an SA80.

we shoudl have been given UZIs for banner though