L98A1 (SA80) does anyone own one?

[NorfolkPoacher]

i really like the idea of a straight pull assault rifle, ar15s, aug's and ak's are too common and i like the idea of british made. i know the cadet version of the SA80 is a single shot straight pull 5.56x45mm, question is can they be purchased now they have been de-commisioned. any info would be good cheers, Dave

[sg1]

Ahhh the good old Cadet GP 30 round mag and iron sights and very cold at first in your sleeping bag (no...really) . I could strip one of those in well under a minute (16 years ago) .

 

As for owning one, I guess it would have to be stamped up as .223 (i think) as 5.56 is a military calibre and permitted for military designation only(IIRC)

 

BTW it's an L85A1/L85A2(SA80) and L98A1/L98A2(Cadet GP)

[NorfolkPoacher]

yeah thats the kiddy, i know you can fire .223 through a 5.56 but not vice versa due to internal case pressures. so i can find ammo but no gun!! unless the mod just bin them?? would be a nice alternative to an ar15.

[Vince Green]

I've not seen any for sale, The MOD have probably still got them in store.

[HDAV]

Might be wrong speak to someone who works with cadets but sure a mate of mine said all the L98A1 were sent back to become L98A2 variants or something, there is a Rimfire version made by LEI in St Albans

[CZ550Kevlar]

I can see the fun factor of owning one but having owned a stright pull rifle i would never want to return to the hastle of one. Wouldn`t the novelty soon wear off.

[JMW]

Might be wrong speak to someone who works with cadets but sure a mate of mine said all the L98A1 were sent back to become L98A2 variants or something, there is a Rimfire version made by LEI in St Albans

 

The LEI website says it is under construction?

[cleaner4hire]

Ive heard on various forums that there are a few knocking about but the consensus was that they are like hens teeth and the owners can pretty much ask for whatever price they like, such is the rarity.

[Breastman]

Ive heard on various forums that there are a few knocking about but the consensus was that they are like hens teeth and the owners can pretty much ask for whatever price they like, such is the rarity.

 

 

I can see the appeal to want to be different to the other straight-pulls but why would you want a rifle as poor as an SA80?? Plus it would be terrible for PR (and generally) with the cocking handle where it is. If you want to stand out from the crowd i'd just customised the **** out of an AR or AUG

 

Mark

Edited October 12, 2010 by Breastman

[Canis]

I also can remember stripping the L98 in about 30 seconds flat and think that i could still do it blindfold.

 

spent lots of range time with the L98 in my teens on the cadet reg'tl shooting team, I spent nearly all that time wishing it was an L1A1 SLR!

 

while the bullpup idea was a good one (particularly when first come up with in 1949( google/wiki EM2 in 4.7mm for details)) the action was lifted out of the AR180 which was not eugene stoners finest hour . For such a piddly round as the 5.56 even in the SS109 ball nato version rather than the M855? original us version, making the frame of the rifle out of steel rather than alloy made it far heavier than it needed to be.

 

It was also more cheaply made than my webley 810semi aurto shotgun

 

in short listen to the reccomendations of Steyr or Armalite if you want a straight pull military rifle-

 

Do FN do a straight pull version of the FNC carbine ?

[Breastman]

Do FN do a straight pull version of the FNC carbine ?

 

Sabre Defence used to do them but i think they're starting to get rare too

 

Mark

[Beardo]

How about a HEckler and Koch SL8 / R8? Though again rare as hen's teeth (about £3.5k last time i saw one for sale)

[roundy]

H&K (i think) used to do a straight .22 conversion kit, we used to fit them to the L98 and then go use the under hut tunnel ranges, then remove when finished. Was quite cool as it also converted it to semi auto.

[Beardo]

R8 is a .223 straight pull version of the SL-8 (civvy G36) built for the Australian market....

http://www.hksystems.com.au/r8.htm

[NorfolkPoacher]

 

I can see the appeal to want to be different to the other straight-pulls but why would you want a rifle as poor as an SA80?? Plus it would be terrible for PR (and generally) with the cocking handle where it is. If you want to stand out from the crowd i'd just customised the **** out of an AR or AUG

 

Mark

 

cheers for the insight, to be honest it was merely a pipe dream, i really like the AR platform, especially with .308 just a bit expensive atm, maybe i should wait until after my AI stock for my brand new 700 .243

[geordieh]

i really like the idea of a straight pull assault rifle, ar15s, aug's and ak's are too common and i like the idea of british made. i know the cadet version of the SA80 is a single shot straight pull 5.56x45mm, question is can they be purchased now they have been de-commisioned. any info would be good cheers, Dave

Hi Dave

One of my mates has two, the lsw version, straight pull in 5.56 and he has the h+k conversions for both of them so they are semi auto in .22 rimfire but will he sell me one, will he hell

Geordie

[Dr_Scholl]

R8 is a .223 straight pull version of the SL-8 (civvy G36) built for the Australian market....

http://www.hksystems.com.au/r8.htm

 

Australia just banned them saying they were easy to convert to semi-automatic. :blink:

[welshwarrior]

Just wait for the RAF to be dispanded very soon and they should have loads for sale.

[Dr_Scholl]

Just wait for the RAF to be dispanded very soon and they should have loads for sale.

 

Somebody was selling them over here as a parts kit. But they were expensive, around $2,500.

[the running man]

Why anyone would want a kit one is beyond my comprehension for rational thought. A .22 fun gun plinker,or a 5.56 straight pull for fun maybe,but the price would have to be under £400 . People forget the sa80 is quite bulky,and although they've ironed out most kinks with it and it shoots well,it remains un sold in the global arms market, keynya had a batch for 2 days and sent them back. With the acquisition of m4 type rifles by sas/sbs para reg rmc and other british groups,I can't see the sa80 surviving much longer.

[Alycidon]

I have used the semi version of the SA80 on an indoor range, sights are ****, trigger is pretty heavy, contol layout is Ok though and it is comfortable to shoot.

 

I have had a fondle (but not actually a shot) of a Bradley Arms AR15 in 223, with a Giselle? trigger, far far better tool. Fitted with a S&B scope its one top hole truck foxing gun.

 

A

[Alycidon]

Might be wrong speak to someone who works with cadets but sure a mate of mine said all the L98A1 were sent back to become L98A2 variants or something, there is a Rimfire version made by LEI in St Albans

 

I am involoved with the cadet organisiation.

 

Cadets are moving over to the A2 version, this has been ongoing for some months, weapons are standard military issue. Cadets need to weapons handing qualify on the A2 before being allowed to use it. Qualification of interested cadets will take over a year though as there are a lot to get through. Once all qualified then the A1 single shot straight pull versions will be converted back to semi A2s.

 

A

[Canis]

I am involoved with the cadet organisiation.

 

Cadets are moving over to the A2 version, this has been ongoing for some months, weapons are standard military issue. Cadets need to weapons handing qualify on the A2 before being allowed to use it. Qualification of interested cadets will take over a year though as there are a lot to get through. Once all qualified then the A1 single shot straight pull versions will be converted back to semi A2s.

 

A

for the current cadets thats good to hear.

 

near the end of my time with the cadet force they had just started to issue the lsw rasther than the Bren When i was in the cadet force it seemed a shame that the l98A1 had no gas parts despite the fact that it might as well have been a muzzleloader for the number of rounds we actually got issued with!

[libs]

Were issued A2s soon as part of the UOTC, I'll see if i can get one signed onto my ticket for you guys to have a play with, 5.56NATO=.223 right

 

 

THE LAST PART IS A JOKE PLEASE DON'T CALL THE MOD POLICE ON ME, THANKS.

[welshwarrior]

With the acquisition of m4 type rifles by sas/sbs para reg rmc and other british groups,I can't see the sa80 surviving much longer.

 

 

Since when have Para Reg had M4?? And who are the other British Groups?

 

Only ones who have anything different are the SF Group and they have Demarcos not M4s.