Replacement for the SA80

I heard the other day that the L85A2 is only a stop gap measure until they get the new weapons ready for general issue.
They moved all the pattern room weapons to Leeds and are just waiting for the Imperial War Museum to move theirs up there too and will refurbish and issue to the TA first (they are really important you know  : ) followed by the cadets and finally the regular army.
Put me down for a sten gun please.
This is only happening though because Sierra Leone refused to sell/swap the old SLR's back too us.

 

Well I've always been one for the introduction of some kind of plasma cannon!  Yes, yes, the physics are impossible, but you gotta admit.. sounds better than Rifle 5.56mm, green and black, for shooting, x1. !!  

 

My two pennies worth doesn't mean much going by the fact I have less experience with weapons than an average 12 year old American schoolboy, but the SA80A2 has proved well in reliability trials. Reliability isn't everything of course, but it should be able to do the job. In the long run however, I think the replacement is currently set to be the Vektor CR21, another 5.56 jobby, with less weight, more plastic, more weird shapes, bigger mags (no more capacity mind), a highly effective flash hider (the manufacturer said so, it must be true!), and none of that green stuff. However going by the MoD's past performance, we'll soon be retraining on the Lee enfield .

 

prefer an of the shelf purchase of something that has a proven track record like C7A1,M16A2 or G36

 

Hope the SA80's replacement can be fired off both shoulders. That is it biggest design flaw and one teh MOD have turned a blind eye to for many years.

 

Blimey, 8 yrs!

To answer though, I believe the Army will not be going for a bullpup design next (2015/2020). It makes sense to have a commonality amongst the weapon group, maybe HK416 or newer model by then? (bearing in mind GMG, UGL are all HK family).

 

It's been 8 years and still no replacement, don't get your hopes up Tel

 

Reckon you win the prize for the oldest resurrected thread fellah. Nine years! Nine facking years!

 

I have said all along that we should have gone for the tried and tested Steyr Aug.

 

We need to move away from bullpup designs, not get another one!

 

Perhaps its time that the administrators thought about time barring threads. Lets say that once a thread is 2 years old it is locked and if any one thinks the topic warrants a comment after this period they should start a new thread.

 

I am a natural left hander and also have a weak right eye so the SA80 was a real no no for me. My personal weapon was the M16 or SLR but preferred the SLR. I have used the AUG on dozens of occasions and had no trouble firing left handed. It can be converted for lefties in a very short time. It is however a bit long in the tooth now but so is the SLR.

 

Why change a weapon that obviously works in the type of conflict we are currently, engaged in plus likely to be for the foreseeable fututre?