I like the SA80

[skiprat]

When the SA80 ( Individual weapon (I.W.) and light support weapon (L.S.W.)) were first on the drawing board, and the first mock ups were put in the hands of some troops. It was a very different type of weapon. Firing from the open bolt when automatic fire, closed bolt when on single shot, inclined bolt, and obviously a different caliber....
The conversation of the AR180s was just to trial the practicalities of a bullpup weapon ( aperantly it was "NEVER" intended to copy and past the working parts to make the new gun).... if you believe what is reported in the book

The 1st weapons that were made for the troop trial were well made by people with an interest in getting some government work. After that many parts were out sourced to small machine shops and quality and reliability went out the window...

. I would say reliability went in cycles from initially​ Good through to poor, depending on who was making the parts at the time, at one point we were changing 150 firing pins a month ( basic training regiment very high use)
faults also went up with the move to Nottingham! ( Different maker for the pressed steel parts)

We had about half a dozen common faults that would really affect reliability, all easy fixes and no weapon was out of use for longer than 1 hour for repair... only some of these faults have been " designed out" with the A2 ( plastic bits will always crack and fall off when given to the infantry! DO OTHER COUNTRY'S SOLDIERS EAT THE PLASTIC BITS?????? it's a common problem in the British army)

The user has been better educated in the care and use of the weapon, during the first Gulf war we were told to dry clean and use oil sparingly ( as we did with the L1A1) ....now with the A2 we have been shown it needs more oil....and it works.....