Sounds like it got a rail and a free-floated barrel.
Army chiefs have spent more than £5million upgrading the SA80 to give it enhanced accuracy, improved camouflage and a more comfortable grip along with a lighter weight.
The rifle's bolstered accuracy was highlighted at a recent international military shooting tournament in Canada, where British soldiers armed with the SA80 A3 came away with multiple awards.
For the first time ever, the Canadian Queen’s medal winner, the country’s top military shot, was beaten by two British soldiers firing the new weapon.
The rifle's manufacturer said the SA80 A3's improved precision would help allay fears of enemy troops advancing to within dangerous ranges on the battlefield.
The SA80 was originally conceived in the 1980s but has had continual problems with jamming and not firing.
The earlier SA80s were ridiculed to such an extent it was nicknamed in military circles as the “civil servant” with soldiers quipping, “it didn't work and you couldn't fire it”.
However the new improved model has earned praise from military chiefs, with Major Ollie Pope, of the Infantry Trials and Development Unit (ITDU) based in Warminster, Wilts, saying: "It is a fundamentally different weapon today.
“We have a more accurate, more lethal weapon than almost anyone else out there.”
UPGRADE: The SA80 A2 rifle has received a £5million upgrade (Pic: MoD)
A spokesman for Heckler and Koch Great Britain, manufacturer of the weapon, said: “There was concern the bad guys were getting too close before the 5.56mm round could take them out”.
Other improvements include a one-piece sight rail which enables accessories such as thermal imagers to be added without moving the existing sight.
Additionally, the housing of the barrel is separate to the hand guard, thereby inducing less vibration aimed at contributing to a more accurate shot.
Army chiefs have spent more than £5million upgrading the SA80 to give it enhanced accuracy, improved camouflage and a more comfortable grip along with a lighter weight.
The rifle's bolstered accuracy was highlighted at a recent international military shooting tournament in Canada, where British soldiers armed with the SA80 A3 came away with multiple awards.
For the first time ever, the Canadian Queen’s medal winner, the country’s top military shot, was beaten by two British soldiers firing the new weapon.
The rifle's manufacturer said the SA80 A3's improved precision would help allay fears of enemy troops advancing to within dangerous ranges on the battlefield.
The SA80 was originally conceived in the 1980s but has had continual problems with jamming and not firing.
The earlier SA80s were ridiculed to such an extent it was nicknamed in military circles as the “civil servant” with soldiers quipping, “it didn't work and you couldn't fire it”.
However the new improved model has earned praise from military chiefs, with Major Ollie Pope, of the Infantry Trials and Development Unit (ITDU) based in Warminster, Wilts, saying: "It is a fundamentally different weapon today.
“We have a more accurate, more lethal weapon than almost anyone else out there.”
UPGRADE: The SA80 A2 rifle has received a £5million upgrade (Pic: MoD)
A spokesman for Heckler and Koch Great Britain, manufacturer of the weapon, said: “There was concern the bad guys were getting too close before the 5.56mm round could take them out”.
Other improvements include a one-piece sight rail which enables accessories such as thermal imagers to be added without moving the existing sight.
Additionally, the housing of the barrel is separate to the hand guard, thereby inducing less vibration aimed at contributing to a more accurate shot.
. I guess the closest we'll get is an M17s.
