#Sa80

The UK’s path to develop the SA80 is littered with fascinating kitbashed mock-ups and (some might say) abominations. These sort of mock-ups and prototypes are common within firearms development and the UK’s Royal Armouries is custodian of quite a few of them, including a series made during the design of the SA80 bullpup family of weapons. A couple of weeks ago we shared a video published by Murdoch & Co., a US-based company, who have just launched a line of American-made SA80 clones, which looked at a bullpup Stoner 63 assembled by UK’s Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield.

During the early development of what became known as the SA80 family of weapons the UK’s Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield built a bastardised bullpup Stoner 63. A new video from Murdoch & Co., the US-based company, who have just launched a line of American-made SA80 clones, has shared a video filmed at the UK’s Royal Armouries featuring the bullpup Stoner 63. Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum, explains the prototype to Evan Murdoch. Check out the video below:

It’s no small feat designing a new firearm and it's arguably even more complicated recreating one. It has to look right, it has to feel right and you’re working within the confines of expectation. This year at SHOT Show Murdoch & Co. launched one of the most ambitious clone projects I’ve ever seen. Murdoch & Co. describe their EM-85 as an improved, remanufactured semi-auto SA80. The name EM-85, is a nod back to another classic British bullpup rifle, the EM-2.

The UK Ministry of Defence has published an initial ‘Concept Stage’ tender for the replacement of the British military’s SA80 family of bullpup rifles. This preliminary tender notice officially launches Project Grayburn. The new rifle when selected will replace the SA80’s in-service variants including the L22, L98, L85A2 and the most recent mid-life upgrade - the L85A3. The UK is expected to require around 200,000 new rifles to replace the SA80 variants currently in service.