Printable View
Today while looking around on the net, I came across a listing for a company (Prexis) making a semi-auto kit of the SA80, called the PL-85. Does anyone have any experience with these?
I can see it being interesting to have one just as a (legal) companion piece to an L1A1, their dubious service record notwithstanding.
I've used the A1 and A2 in service and I reckon the A2 is probably one of the best Rifles of its type. It may not be everyones cup of tea but its good enough for most of us. Since HK got to play with it, the quality has improved somewhat although they hadto work on what already existed, I'm sure if they had chance to redesign from scratch, build quality would be high on the agenda.
Who makes replacement parts for them, now that Enfield is no more?
I belive a lot is sub contracted out to small apporved engineering firms. I know H&K made gas plugs for sure. (On the DMA List.= Defence Manufacturers Association)Quote:
Originally Posted by enbloc8
They may well have done other componants as well.
Royal Ordanance markets spares for L85 series. But I think you have to be an approved end user!
I have seen metal bodied Airsoft Replicas modified into Sec.1 .22" Rifles. I think a company in Germany does this?
They certainy do the H&K MP5.
I think Charlie Kramer of Cave Creek has/is doing a semi SA80. H&K have just comleted a contract to semi-auto/self loading L96A2 self loader for Cadet Forces use. So, if you've got an old L96A1 rifle, keep it because they are no more, gone, finished.
I understand that there is a new build .22" RF SA80 rifle out in the US according to an article in a recent SA review
Brit Plumber is right about the current A2 rifle. It's as good and reliable as anything we've had so far now and while H&K seem to get all of the credit for this transformation, all they did was to put the whole series of already tried and tested modifications into one package
I've often wondered why there is not a readily available .22 SA80 in the gun trade . would make a dandy little rabbiter . I know Armi-Jaeger made a sort-of copy some years ago but it didn't look much like the real thing .
Is H&K an independent company or are they part of someone else ?
There IS a .22" RF version on he market a we speak Boulet! Or you could get a standard version and get a sub calibre kit. And very good they are too!
The Prexis Pl-85 is $2,900, and you have to form and weld the lower receiver yourself.
Also, that price doesn't include any sights.
You can now get a Steyr AUG for about $2,000,(less optics).
You can always rationalize buying an AUG by claiming to be expanding your collection to include Irish service rifles!
Aussie too!!Quote:
Originally Posted by crunch
So who is this other outfit (Cave Creek?) making a semi SA80?
I told you, Charlie Kramer of Cave Creek AZ
Thankyou Peter , but I have never seen any advertised in France ! I suspect a surplus SA80 could be a tad pricey for someone on a shoestring budget like me . I was saving my centimes for an L1A1 which seem quite available at the moment , though the sub-calibre kits are apparently somewhere in the hens teeth dept.. My immediate problem is trying to extricate my .455 MkV Webley out of Bisley without spending more than it's worth . All things have to await their turn .
Of L1A1 sub cal kits, it's just the magazines that are rocking horse manure prices. Or so I've been informed!
Peter, couldn't find Charlie in an internet search??
On the Prexis PL-85, for that price, I would want a completed, ready to go weapon. Sheesh! $2,900.00 US (1,817 GBP). There are a ton of things I could get for less. Hell, I could get a semi auto Bren for $2,900 and wouldn't have to final finish anything! And in the lower echelon of semi auto look-a-likes, they all only run as fast as the man on the trigger.
I tend to buy like governments. Show me a good weapon, but you better be competitive with the pricing. If I can launch a 5.56x45 bullet from a quality rifle for $600 unit price, then I am going to be hard pressed to justify $1,200 a unit to launch the same bullet. I understand how bean counters think, but also appreciate a weapon has to be utterly reliable if one is to go in harms way with it.
Some of us want value for money , some of us (not me) just want and they are rich enough to pay . It's called supply & demand . I can't think of any other reason why a Bren that costs 250squid de-activated in the UK jumps to 2,900bucks in your back yard , with no more than a bit of fire-select mod'ing !
In the late 1980's, a Canadian dealer cut a deal with Enfield for the manufacture of about 24 semi-auto SA80s (parts removed and altered to Canadian Gov't approval) which he imported and sold off rather quickly. Enfield played the game as they wanted to develop commerical sales. Further dealings fell apart when the issue was raised in the British house as to why were commercial sales being sought when the military did not have all they weapons as needed. So there are some floating around in Canada. A friend obtained one along with the SUIT sight. I could have shot it but being lefthanded it didn't seem worth the bother.
That's absolutely correct PB. Mnay of these single shot SA80's, that we call the L98A1 version, filtered their way back to the UK and are quite popular in shooting circles here. Alas, the L98A1 version has now been withdrawn from Cadet Forces in fabvour of an A2 version that is identical to the standard Army issue SA80/L85A2 except that the Cadet variant only fires in the semi auto role. I've got one - as you'd expect......., and it always attracts a bit of attention. But that's as far it goes because we can't have the self loading version privately
Peter the ones that came into Canada were not single shot but full functioning semiauto and were of the intial production level. I wonder if they are the only unaltered SA80's left in original condition?
Ah........, original configuration....... The Canadian Govt let them into the Country because they knew that within a year they'd be next to useless. There was a semi auto version available for commercial sale here too and a few did get into private hands. But shortly afterwards, semi's were banned. That was a true stroke of luck really because the Government had to buy them in so the public owners never got to know just how, er....., I need to be careful with my choice of words here........, er...., yes, dire they were.
I imported a single shot SA80 back from Canada (with odd serial number range). But I have to say that there are no complaints about it now and it's certainly coping with the hard work it's being asked to do in the 'warm climates'