Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool2.mu.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: bxr307@csc.anu.edu.au Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Using the rifle suited to the previous war? Message-ID: <1991Jan19.042033.5429@cbnews.att.com> Date: 19 Jan 91 04:20:33 GMT References: <1991Jan9.041850.20766@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Computer Services, Australian National University Lines: 46 Approved: military@att.att.com From: bxr307@csc.anu.edu.au In article <1991Jan9.041850.20766@cbnews.att.com>, wmartin@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL (Will Martin) writes: > > > From: Will Martin >>Britain now uses the L85 5.56mm bullpup rifle, which has the added bonus of a >>low-magnification sighting scope. > > Recent TV news footage of British soldiers in Saudi participating in > live-fire desert-warfare training exercises showed them using the new > bullpup rifles; the reporter commented on how the rifles were jamming in > the sandy conditions. I wondered as I watched it how many of those > soldiers would be interested in trading their newfangled weapons in for > some old reliable FN FALs like the British army used before they adopted > the L85s... The British version of the FN FAL, the "Rifle, Self-loading, L1a1" to give its full title, differed from the FN FAL in several aspects. Perhaps the major one was that it was rendered incapable of firing on full-automatice by a change to the change lever and the trigger sear. Externally the major differences was the use of a non-recipocating cocking handle (it locked to the body after the weapon was cocked and did not move with the bolt-carrier when firing took place, whereas the FN FAL's did) and the flash eliminator which was replaced with on incompatable with rifle grenades. The L1a1, like any semi/fully automatic weapon is prone to stoppages caused by ingestion of sand and mud if not kept clean properly. One of the main reasons why the Australian Army decided not to follow the British lead in adopting the L85 bullpup rifle was because of that types problems with operating in arid environments. Instead we decided to adopt the Steyr AUG which features a more tightly sealed butt assemble which excludes the intrusion of sand. Having read the Australian Army report on the British Army hot weather trials conducted in Australia on behalf of the British Army of the L85 and its derivatives, its no wonder they are encountering problems with them in the Saudi desert. One wonders if this is not a case of the British Army being caught with its pants down. They had obviously decided that it was worthwhile having a weapon which was optimised for use in European conditions, rather than a weapon which could be used effectively in other environments as well. It will be interesting to see what other deficiencies are brought to light after the dust has settled. Brian Ross