Country :United Kingdom United Kingdom
Type Assault Rifle
Ammunition 5.56×45mm NATO
Manufacturer Royal Enfield Arsenal
Period of use 1985-present
Weights and dimensions
Mass (unloaded) 4.1 kg
Mass (loaded) 4.98 kg
Length(s) 780 mm
Barrel length 518mm
Technical characteristics
Architecture Bullpup
Practical range 400 m
Rate of fire 650 rounds/min.
Muzzle velocity 940 m/s
Capacity 30 cartridges
Variants L85A1, L85A2 L86A1, L22A1 L22A2, L98A1 CGP LSW (Light Support Weapon)
Even if some German machine guns had a somewhat similar architecture, the British armory is practically at the origin of the “bullpup” principle which consists in moving the mechanism behind the trigger, into the butt. Indeed, from the very beginning of the 1950s, various prototypes were produced at Enfield, sometimes in very small specific calibers (4.25 mm) with the EM 2 rifle which was ultimately never adopted. The main advantage of such an arrangement is to be able to create a compact weapon while mounting a long barrel that allows you to take advantage of all the power of very small caliber cartridges. But also, the distribution of the masses makes it more comfortable to control the shooting in bursts. Among the disadvantages, we will especially note the impossible ambidextrous use without a minimum of disassembly, since the opening of the breech is done at the cheek of the shooter. In addition to the problem of adaptation to left-handers, this particularity is not without consequences on the use of the weapon, in particular in combat in an urban environment.
If reputable assault rifles, such as the French FAMAS, and especially the Austrian Steyr AUG are effective and appreciated "bullpups", the reputation of the L85 A1 is, on the other hand, rather controversial.
Belonging to the SA 80 (Small arms 1980) weapon system, the L85A1 assault rifle and the L86 light machine gun entered service in 1985 in the British Army.
The L85A1 experienced its baptism of fire during the Gulf War (Kuwait 1990-1991). Suffering from a bad reputation (nothing is planned to allow it to be shouldered on the left and it has shown questionable reliability) this rifle was not widely distributed outside Great Britain and was only sold to the Jamaica and Zimbabwe.
It was built from 1985 to 1994 by the Royal Arsenal at Enfield for the British Army (with the exception of the Special Air Service). Its operational life is expected until 2015.
The switch to the L85A2 version
Some of the shortcomings of the L85A1 were eliminated with the help of the German firm Heckler &Koch to become the L85A2. Many of the most important parts of the weapon have been redesigned:polishing of the internal parts to help with loading and extraction, change of the breech, the extractor, the ejector, the recoil spring , firing pin, cocking lever, magazines, gas cylinder, hammer, barrel (for the submachine gun version)1. It is derived from it a submachine gun:the L86A1 LSW. Similarly, a cadet rifle (L98A1) firing single-shot by manual repetition has been extrapolated for the training of young recruits, and a light rifle (L22A2) with a short barrel and a front handle. It would, however, be a very accurate weapon, which would have forced the British Army to reassess its test for snipers.