L85 Jams
- Thread starter Riflechair
- Start date
I've fired the A2 version,the HK update, It's an ok gun. Royal Marines loves it...
Here's the pro and con that I have noticed:
The scope is ok, not more, C79A2 is better. The iron sight are #### (issued to non combat troops), made of plastic
Excellent balance
Pain to clean and strip
I like my the AR type better.
Only fired it on 25m range... cannot judge precision
Here's the pro and con that I have noticed:
The scope is ok, not more, C79A2 is better. The iron sight are #### (issued to non combat troops), made of plastic
Excellent balance
Pain to clean and strip
I like my the AR type better.
Only fired it on 25m range... cannot judge precision
Well gents I carried I carried the A1 for my last year on ops in Ulster with one up the spout the whole time and then it was a whole lot better than the tiredold AR we had in recce pln. I did regret giving back my LMG and SLR but on leaving the regs and joining the TA I got a really nice wood stocked SLR!
I never saw the SA80's jam particularly badly in range conditions. They weren't well made, and had too may parts, so I can believe they had problems in adverse conditions. Other than that most people were happy with them. They weren't a total POS, just not good enough.
The video starts with the rifle lying on the ground. I would have gotten my ass kicked for that.
The video starts with the rifle lying on the ground. I would have gotten my ass kicked for that.
Last edited:
- Location
- Calgary, Alberta
Those guns are the A1 model, well known as not being reliable. The new mags are actually made in Germany by H&K, I've got two of them, in fact they're probably the only two in Canada and no I'm not selling them!
I'm constantly amazed at the amount of SA80 crap I've collected over the years even though I don't really like the SA80 that much. From a rested position with the magazine on the ground it can be accurate, but the trigger pull is awful and made worse by successive fiddling with it.
I had an L85A1 of my own before they were banned in the UK, the original trigger was crap but the second version which was thicker (back to front) was much better and it worked. Then there were complaints about use in the artic, ice would build up behind the trigger, so they redesigned it again, and that version is crap, IMO. It has an angled back to cut through ice, but the curve in the trigger is too high up and you can't get enough leverage on it, which is really important with the long trigger bar on a bullpup.
Hardly anyone uses the SA80 in the artic, mostly only UKSF goes up there and they all have Diemacos so I could never see the issue myself. I'm sure there was a better fix.
The mag release thing was also a fiasco, with the glue on guard that fell off. Then they redesigned it, put in a stronger spring and made it flatter and now it is really hard to operate. Personally I much preferred the original design, it was positive and it did work, the real solution I think was to make the end of the button larger and flatter, so it was still easy to operate, but they just made it flatter and now it's too fiddly. In that video you see the soldier having difficulty seating the magazine - that's because the mag catch spring is too strong.
Only the FA MAS G2 is harder to reload. That's a four letter word starting with "C" and ending in "T".
I'm constantly amazed at the amount of SA80 crap I've collected over the years even though I don't really like the SA80 that much. From a rested position with the magazine on the ground it can be accurate, but the trigger pull is awful and made worse by successive fiddling with it.
I had an L85A1 of my own before they were banned in the UK, the original trigger was crap but the second version which was thicker (back to front) was much better and it worked. Then there were complaints about use in the artic, ice would build up behind the trigger, so they redesigned it again, and that version is crap, IMO. It has an angled back to cut through ice, but the curve in the trigger is too high up and you can't get enough leverage on it, which is really important with the long trigger bar on a bullpup.
Hardly anyone uses the SA80 in the artic, mostly only UKSF goes up there and they all have Diemacos so I could never see the issue myself. I'm sure there was a better fix.
The mag release thing was also a fiasco, with the glue on guard that fell off. Then they redesigned it, put in a stronger spring and made it flatter and now it is really hard to operate. Personally I much preferred the original design, it was positive and it did work, the real solution I think was to make the end of the button larger and flatter, so it was still easy to operate, but they just made it flatter and now it's too fiddly. In that video you see the soldier having difficulty seating the magazine - that's because the mag catch spring is too strong.
Only the FA MAS G2 is harder to reload. That's a four letter word starting with "C" and ending in "T".
- Location
- Calgary, Alberta
CZ85Combat said:
You are joking?
- Location
- SW Ontario
cantom said:
The L1a1 isn't considered in the same category as the SA80 or the M16. It isn't really fair. But I would go with the L1A1.
I had a "bolt action" C7 twice and I had dropped the magazine out of an L85 twice more wile running with the weapon slung across my chest. That was one of the earlier models. Never had issues with an L1a1 nor the Belgian FN.
Most of all I fancy the compactness of the L85, the bayonet and the sling. The FN is a sludge hammer compared to the other two. It could be a pain in the arse to carry unless you get used to it. The M16 and C series are light and manageable. Very ergonomic for me, but those two occasions with malfunctions really put me off. Equally down with the times when I lost the magazines off the L85.
cybershooters said:
No seriously, the one I've fired had the HK 40mm grenade launcher on it, and believe me, balance is 5x better that the C7A1 with M203 that I had on my previous deployment. You don't end up with all the weight in the front, since the 40mm is closer to the center and the full mag is in the back.
Hummm 203
- Location
- SW Ontario
Bullpup is the way to go. The Irish, Australians, IDF, Austrians, French all use BP's. With todays's urban troubles and tight manouvering certainly would be handier.
I wonder if someday there would ever be a 7.62mm Nato bullpup?
I would love to check that out.
For the Falklands the L1a1 was fantastic - open ground, same round as the gimpy and rock and roll...... Mind you I remeber a great number of paras using the L2a3 as well and still survived (don't ask me how????) I wonder how the L85 would have held up back then?
I wonder if someday there would ever be a 7.62mm Nato bullpup?
I would love to check that out. For the Falklands the L1a1 was fantastic - open ground, same round as the gimpy and rock and roll...... Mind you I remeber a great number of paras using the L2a3 as well and still survived (don't ask me how????) I wonder how the L85 would have held up back then?
- Location
- Calgary, Alberta
CZ85Combat said:No seriously, the one I've fired had the HK 40mm grenade launcher on it, and believe me, balance is 5x better that the C7A1 with M203 that I had on my previous deployment. You don't end up with all the weight in the front, since the 40mm is closer to the center and the full mag is in the back.
Hummm 203
Haven't tried one with the AG36 bolted on. But the standard rifle is the most poorly balanced I have ever used.
