New Sight For The SA80

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UK assault rifle to receive lighter, improved sight
Andrew White Jane's Land Forces Reporter
London

The UK armed forces' L85A2 (SA80A2) assault rifle is to undergo another transformation as the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) starts negotiations to replace the L9A1 weapon sight.

The UK MoD's Future Infantry Soldier Technology (FIST) programme office wants an "improved and lighter" system to replace the United Scientific Instruments L9A1 Sight Unit Small Arms Trilux (SUSAT), currently in use with the SA80A2.

Industry sources said the UK MoD favours the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) TA31RCO 4 x 32 sight, produced by US aiming systems specialist Trijicon. The deal could have a potential value of up to GBP200 million (USD357.8 million).

In 2000, the SUSAT was exempt from arms specialist Heckler & Koch's (H&K's) GBP92 million revamp of the SA80.

The UK MoD contracted H&K to modify some 200,000 SA80 assault rifles and L86 Light Support weapons, with improvements including a new hammer, cocking handle, gas plug and firing pin. Monthly deliveries to the UK MoD of 4,000 SA80A2s started in December 2001 and the contract is due for completion 2006.

Trijicon's Military Division manager, Shaun Rategan, said: "We cannot comment on quantities or type. The FIST programme has tested and evaluated our ACOG and conveyed an interest in future business."

ACOG is currently favoured by the US Special Operations Command, including Green Berets, US Navy sea, air and land (SEAL) commandos and US Army Rangers as well as the UK's special forces. Designed for use with the M16 series of assault rifles, it is seen as a very robust sight despite being 137 g lighter than the 417 g SUSAT.

Other features include dual illustrated reticle, enhanced adjuster caps and chevron reticle and crosshair. A deal could also include the purchase of simple scissor-action mounts.

Since H&K's improvement programme, the SA80A2 has had "isolated difficulties", according to a UK National Audit Office report in December 2003, although post-operational reports indicated a general acceptance that the SA80A2 is effective and reliable.

In 2005, Trijicon won a USD660 million contract to provide Rifle Combat Optics (RCO), a modified version of the ACOG, for the US Marine Corps' M16 assault rifles.

The deal initially comprised 104,000 scopes, worth USD610 each, with an additional option for the US government to buy a maximum of 800,000 RCO scopes over the five-year contract period.

[Stinky]

Got to play with this bad boy today, and the red dot sight is neat . ACOG sight is nice aswell. Also if anybody has played the first mission of COD4 with the wooden moving targets, imagne playing that on a massive screen using real weapons but firing lazers instead, America's Army style. But it's not been a great day, not being paid 'again' so not been payed for 2 months 1 week now because as the army put it 'My money is floating about somewhere' or as I put it, 'It is lost'. Also today I went into the dentist, lay on the chair and was told 'Today you are having a fillling' , never knew anything about this before. Luckly there was no pain though... after the dentist injected my bone in the back of my jaw with something, twice because the first time did sweet F A (I have never had a filling before by the way).

[wato212]

Good news, much better sight then the susat. Its the same sight that is on the GMG. Will try an get a picture up soon.

[davidemmerson]

Stinky,

Hows the training going? What sort of stage are you at now?

David

[harry hackedoff]

Stinks, that`s shite mate Are they not subbing you cash till they sort the farker out? What a shambles

SUSAT was shite and the first versions fitted to the early SA80 were assembled in air. As soon as they went to Norge, the water vapour froze on the inside of the lens and frosted it over. Later models were assembled in nitrogen to prevent this. Not many people know that

[Stinky]

Yea they gave me £400 in cash today and said they would sort it out.

[Wholley]

Don't know much about the SUSAT.
I used the SUIT on my SLR.
Problem was it was mounted on the dust cover which made it tough to keep in zero.If you knocked it around you would be back at the range ASAP.
The Tritium top mount was a pain too.
Real easy to break.(As I found out,twice)

[Doc]

fark off Wholley, we all know you used a lick of the finger on the foresight of your lee enfield! SLR indeed, it wasnt issued until after you went into the "home"



I preferred Iron sights, soon as you had a look into a susat you lost all peripheral vision and a brigade of pissed up ghurkas following a fat Brecon heffer could have snuck past.

Anyone know where I can get a M4 cleaning kit (armalite varients will do)

Cheers Wholley

Doc

[adj125]

Anyone know where I can get a M4 cleaning kit (armalite varients will do)

Doc

http://www.soloint.co.uk/product.php?pr ... =36&page=1

[Wholley]

Anyone know where I can get a M4 cleaning kit

I do,but as your being so obnoxious I'm not going to tell you.
Ohh,alright then I forgive you.

www.gunbroker.com.

That would be AN M4

[Doc]

Cheers Adj

You still in the pit bud?

PM me

[Doc]

Cheers wholley, its A M4 as M is a constunnunnt!

[harry hackedoff]

You`re a fecking constunnnannnt, you constunnunnt!
Are you still using women`s perfume, btw