The SA80 was intended to injure
Where the SLR and 7.62 would blow you to bits, the SA80 was a change in tactics to injure with it's much lower powered round. But... wiping out the smiles of lefties was an unforseen bonus. Also, the twats who used to use the sling to carry it on their back with the multi sling, and catch it on the tailgate of a bedford, forcing the butt into the back of the skull was a good one.

Oh... and the hours spent looking for lost magazines on training areas because the mag-release was shit...

Oh... and the box of spares you had to carry because the cocking handle came off in your cocking hand....

I often felt the IRA were better armed than we were!
( Piper Alpha is being a grumpy northerm bastard on:, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:31, 3 replies)

I lost a mag minus two rounds (blanks, thank fuck)
on exercise once and got my arse kicked back to the stone age. Those mag releases were fucking awful.

I thought part of the purpose of the SA was that smaller rounds meant a smaller gun and it all saver weight, and you could carry more rounds?
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:36, closed)

The ones we used had a bit welded over the magazine-release catch to try and solve the massive design flaw there
We were also told that under no cicumstances should we try to store the little plastic bottle of oil in the compartment designed to hold the little plastic bottle of oil, being as it was directly above the barrel and once the barrel was used for the purpose of firing bullets, it would heat up, melt the little plastic bottle and set fire to the oil, turning the end of your rifle into a flaming death-trap.

What a superb piece of equipment.
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:36, closed)

Oh, I always wondered what that was for! good job I never tried to put the oil there.

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:38, closed)

I liked how the blank surpressors had a habit of flying off into the bushes/the target/the opposing team's faces.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:43, closed)

For some reason we didn't use blank suppressors.
Being shot in the knee with powdered glass travelling at 1000 mph by some fuckwitted 15 year old smarts a bit, it turns out.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 11:46, closed)

We never had them either
during section attacks I used to dive behind the biggest clump of bracken or gorse I could find and blow the shit out of it with blank fire
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 12:04, closed)

I hated the SA80
fucking Fisher Price piece of shit; all the ones I ever used had the mag held in with a piece of paracord gaffer taped to the housing. We always got shit range scores because none of ours had SUSAT, and popup targets are a tad difficult to hit at 600m with iron sights.
( uncle bastard is twanging a dan moi, Wed 25 Aug 2010, 21:49, closed)