Isnt it about time our army had a new rifle

Tab · Post by **Tab** » Sat 28 Jun, 2003 1:55 pm

Bring back to old Lee Enfield .303 Very accurate,never jams, geat hitting power, and when you run out of ammo it makes a good club.

owdun · Post by **owdun** » Sat 28 Jun, 2003 10:29 pm

Only problem there, Tab, is that you would have to teach 'em to shoot,not just aim in the general direction.

Aye Owdun.

Andy O'Pray · Post by **Andy O'Pray** » Sat 28 Jun, 2003 10:59 pm

Reminds me of the Dar-es-Salam run in 1963 when we discovered that we had no live 7.62 ammunition. We borrowed the ships 303's. Many of the young marines had never trained on a 303. They were given a couple of minutes instruction before being sent ashore. I passed one young guy who had fired a round and kept pressing the trigger and wondering why it wouldn't fire again.

Aye - Andy.

JR · Post by JR » Sat 28 Jun, 2003 11:06 pm

Andy,He probably had too many 'Tuskers'.Aye JR

El Prez · Post by **El Prez** » Sun 29 Jun, 2003 3:31 pm

Podge Overbury told me all about the trip to Dar-Es-Salam, it sounded hilarious, especially when he discovered his accommodation was the TQs store!

Andy O'Pray · Post by **Andy O'Pray** » Sun 29 Jun, 2003 4:04 pm

Rob, Did he tell you about the trip back???

Aye - Andy.

El Prez · Post by **El Prez** » Sun 29 Jun, 2003 5:50 pm

He certainly did, complete with the newly acquirred mess silver. those were mad times.

judy29 · Post by **judy29** » Mon 12 Jan, 2004 4:23 pm

i think the SA80 is a damm fine rifle

shemulie · Post by **shemulie** » Wed 11 Feb, 2004 1:22 am

Personally I never had any major probs withe the rifle. I think the biggest probs, firing pins breaking and the such are problems that can, and hopefully have been easily sorted out. The basic design of the rifle is sound. If cleaned and kept in good order it is a sterling rifle... but I s'pose that is the problem! It is a bitch to clean at times!

I am currently at an academy in the USA, and get to play with M16's, 203's and M-60's (now replaced with 240B, or GPMG to you and me!) Now, the M16 is meant to be a superior rifle... and it is a good rifle. But guess what... they bitch about it more than we do the SA80, and I have heard plenty of stories of them just literally fallling apart!

They envy our SUSAT, and the short design, (although most 'high speed' US units now use the M4 carbine). But in the end... our bayonet is far superior. The old M16 bayonet was the same design for the M1 of WW2 and does not fit effectivly, the barrel petrudes a good inch 1/2 over the blade. The new M16 bayonet looks more like a fighting knife, like ours, but is dam heavy and again does not fit quite well!

But I guess in the end, they don't like to fix the cold steel and "stick it up 'em"!

anglo-saxon · Post by **anglo-saxon** » Wed 11 Feb, 2004 5:21 pm

I don't mind the C7. They are just not as robust as I would like. Overall, not a bad little rifle, though there are just a few too many that are so damned wobbly between the upp/lower receiver. In my view, the C79 sight is a piece of crap. It lacks the robustness of a military sight, is only 3.5 power, and sucks the firer into "tunnel-vision" mode too damned quickly (peripheral vision is VERY underrated!). I prefer iron sights and teaching soldiers how to shoot properly.

Also, I'm really not that keen on 5.56mm. Give me the 7.62 NATO any day. Yes, I've heard all of the argumets for 5.56mm and have been involved in many myself. The fact remains that I simply like the 7.62 better.

New rifles are supposed to be coming online in the CF in the next couple of years. Supposed to be upgraded C7s. Shorter and coloured green. We'll see what the beancounters have come up with this time.

I have used the SA80. My bn was issued it just before I came to Canada in 1990. As I recall, there were significant problems with the mags falling off and handguards breaking. I also couldn't understand why in this day and age we would have a mag-fed LSW.

I do like the Minimi (designated the C9 in Canada). Any LSW modelled on the MAG 58 can't be bad. The guts are exacly the same. It's a great little piece of kit. Too bad some winner went and decided they should have C79's on them. What stupidity. Obviously he wasn't a machine-gunner! Why put an optic sight on an area weapon uless it's in an SF role? Makes no sense at all.

voodoo sprout · Post by **voodoo sprout** » Wed 11 Feb, 2004 6:19 pm

A-S, I believe this is the C7 replacement you mean?

anglo-saxon · Post by **anglo-saxon** » Wed 11 Feb, 2004 9:06 pm

That looks more like just a CADPAT-ized C8 to me. The rifle I have seen a pic of is different. I'll see if I can't dig it up from my home e-mail account.

In the mean time, here are some interesting comments:

http://nightoperations.com/Doc/Infantry ... rbine1.pdf

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Sun 15 Feb, 2004 5:41 pm

Read this. Probably the best article on the SA-80 you will ever read.

http://www.magnagunclub.co.uk/news_arti ... s/art2.php

stinkypinky · Post by **stinkypinky** » Thu 19 Feb, 2004 10:21 am

the SA80 A2 is a exellent weapon,having fired it "in action" it has given the confidence back to the soldier on the ground.the only problem is the magazines,they get buckled really easy.the minimi is the best section support weapon i have ever used .it should be issued to all.

mercury · Post by **mercury** » Fri 20 Feb, 2004 8:02 am

I thought "we" were replacing the mags ?

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