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The first "Bullpup" design was a 7mm weapon designed by the Royal Ordance Factory in circa 1950 or their abouts.

As the Yanks ruled 7.62mm was chosen, hence the SLR. A lump of total rubbish to be honest. Every time you broke it to clean it the zeroing went to ratsh*t.

The SA80 was designed by a Commitee and put together by a very hacked bunch of people who were to be honest none to happy about being sold off to the cheapest bidder!

I rest my case.

Artist

The Lee Enfield Rifle MK 1-5 has been used throughout the world, and as you say, modified to take different calibres other than .303; I have even heard of it being bored out and used as a riot control 410 shot gun!

The fact that the SMLE was still being used, through out the world, as a sniper rifle long after the SLR was introduced goes along way in showing its pedigree.

Whilst I was in Patrols Pltn we had regular training and range days with the L96. Although I never did the Skill at Arms or Sniper course I was still quite tasty with it.

Even now I can remember the Sniper's telephone number

The L96 is probably one of 3 weapons that I would rate still used by the British Army. We use to hit targets (fall when hit) over a mile away, the round was spent almost, but it was still semi accurate at that range - it was a fu**ing good piece of kit.

The GPMG in 2nd place, the blokes named it the widow maker and rightly so.

The HK53 was the other (again in Patrol Pltn), typical German made, seriously well engineered weapon. No stoppages with the NATO 5.56 (unlike the SA80 with the same round) could use the American 5.56 with out stoppages too (unlike the SA80). The bolt was an absolute nightmare to strip down and took a lot of practice to master.

I think I would rank the SA80 just above the 84mm Carly G, which should have been issued with its own Joe Crow to carry it. It was still referred to as 'Anti Tank' in my day, but would just about strip the paint work off a T72. We used it for bunker busting and considering the weight of the thing, it was stupid.

(I remember a Gobby Crow be shot in the arse with the 84 on TPTP once, f*cking hilarious! Those were the days, can you still beast new blokes and Gobby Crows like that and get away with it??)

The L96 was a weapon I never used to be honest.

And to correct my last the first Bullpup was designed by Lee Enfield and not the RO. But was built by the RO.

Once saw the prototype many moons ago. Wonderfully engineered bit O kit it was. All wooden bits were hand crafted. It's weight was akin to the old SLR. But the balance was bang on.

Just wish they had perservered with the design and changed it to 7.62mm. Or indeed if they had made it 5.56mm it would still be in service to this day. A true British weapon that anybody worth their salt would have loved.

Artist

The L98 (Cadet Version of L96) is also a joke.

It is the most unbalanced weapon I have held and you had to cock it after each shot. After a full blown section attack (4 to 6 magazines for our CCF) your arm was completely useless!

Seemed quite heavy at the time but maybe that is because I was younger and a lot weaker then.

Just my opinion.

T

Artist,

Would that be the Enfield EM-2, shown here?...

http://world.guns.ru/assault/as59-e.htm

One of my gun books at home shows it with an experimental 4.85 mm (.19 cal) round which was under-powered. The link above shows it configured with the 7mm or .280 cal round as you mentioned.

A little info on the 4.85mm (.19 cal) round now used as a varminter round in the US...

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/19cal_article2.html

AS

Yes that looks like the Bunny!

The AK74 is 4.85mm with no centre of gravity. In other words it spins when it comes into contact with flesh. Some say it is more like a Dum Dum bullet as its centre of gravity makes it very unstable in flight.

Artist

Just being picky here, the XM-29 OICW is not the only new weapon proposed to replace the M16. The H&K XM8 is also said to be put into service by 2010, however is still more of a test weapon at the moment, still in the early stages of the project. The XM8 is based on the core of the OICW and will function even better.

Quote

"Along with its basic components, the XM8 will complement the XM29, with such features as identical accessory mounts. In the future, these weapons will meet the small-arms needs of the U.S. Army. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XM8

Interesting, but I can't see how there is the necessity to make everything look so damned space age these days. There looks like a lot of unnecessary rurface orea on the XM8.