Why does no one clone the SA-80?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Why does no one clone the SA-80? (Page 1 of 4)

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:25:28 PM EDT

Surely a large number of people would be interested in owning a copy of Britain's service rifle.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:25:51 PM EDT

[#1]

It sucks.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:26:27 PM EDT

[#2]

Quote History

Quoted:
It sucks.

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Uncanny

FPNI

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:28:16 PM EDT

[#3]

Who would want one of those ugly things is probably why.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:32:18 PM EDT

[#4]

FAMAS maybe

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:32:45 PM EDT

[#5]

Probably because it's shit.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:34:25 PM EDT

[#6]

Enfield L85A1: Perhaps the Worst Modern Military Rifle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDCRop6CRwY

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:35:19 PM EDT

[#7]

I want one. Don't care if it sucks. I still want one.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:35:48 PM EDT

[#8]

it's like cloning cancer

why would you do that

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:35:51 PM EDT

[#9]

Forgotten Weapons did a 5-6 video series on it.

It was a long road for that thing.

It's 9lbs of crap stuffed into a 8lbs frame.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:38:40 PM EDT

[#10]

The original SA-80 was typical of the worst of post-war British industry: unreliable, poorly designed, sloppily made, and overpriced. With the added feature of being an AR-18 knock-off.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:41:10 PM EDT

[#11]

DO NOT WANT!

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:43:25 PM EDT

[#12]

Even knowing that it's an unmitigated sack of shit, I would still be interested in buying one. It would be fun to struggle with it at the range.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:48:22 PM EDT

[#13]

The SA-80 is already a clone. Bullpup mod for the AR-18/180.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:49:06 PM EDT

[#14]

I still remember reading Guns and Ammo in the early/mid 80s and the writer loved the Enfield bullpup that was going to become the UKs MBR.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:49:13 PM EDT

[#15]

Think about it, if they catastrophically screwed the clone up, it may actually run well...

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:49:48 PM EDT

[#16]

I would definitely buy one. Who cares if its not an optimal rifle its cool.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:50:23 PM EDT

[#17]

SA-80?

How about a FAMAS?

It might actually work.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:51:03 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDCRop6CRwY

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God what an ugly clunky looking gun.......

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:51:05 PM EDT

[#19]

Reliable as a Land Rover.

Still want one.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:51:16 PM EDT

[#20]

Just buy an AR180 and ruin it on your own time. That stupid piece of shit weighs 11 pounds loaded. It's almost impressive how bad they screwed up.

Posted: 1/21/2019 10:52:44 PM EDT

[#21]

FPNI.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:01:34 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Think about it, if they catastrophically screwed the clone up, it may actually run well...

View Quote

Just remember one thing.

Use thicker, better quality sheet steel for the reciever and you will already be ahead of that particular curve.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:02:09 PM EDT

[#23]

To give a complete answer. Building a clone would require every part to be produced here since there are no kits. That means the cost of production is going to he really high. Which will mean you have to sell it well above what similar guns cost. I guess its possible to use parts from existing AR-180 derivatives, but that will require more engineering. Even if you can keep the price reasonable the gun really sucks, so your market is limited to only collectors.

It would be interesting to modify the design and make it better, but the base design has a litany of problems, and you will alienate the collectors. Then, if you were successful in updating the design, it's still going to be deficiencient against more modern designs.

That being said, I always found the L85/SA80 interesting, and aim to shoot the L86 that Battlefield Vegas has. Prexis once had ambitions of making 80% receivers but those plans went no where.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:04:16 PM EDT

[#24]

I wouldn't mind having one, if the price was acceptable.

I remember wanting one as a kid watching 28 Days Later. Then I quickly realized the Steyr AUG is way better.

I never found a good answer as to why SAS stopped using the AUG. I think it was when they bought M4A1's (L119A1) from Diemaco to be like other nations' SF, and/or because they were making the L85 look bad.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:06:18 PM EDT

[#25]

Because we won 2 wars against their service rifle, and had to bail them out twice in World Wars. They aren't that good at designing service rifles.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:07:56 PM EDT

[#26]

British vet here. The A1 was a garbage gun, but the A2 is actually pretty decent.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:08:02 PM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:

Just remember one thing.

Use thicker, better quality sheet steel for the reciever and you will already be ahead of that particular curve.

View Quote

They are heavy as shit as it is.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:08:28 PM EDT

[#28]

Quote History

Quoted:
It sucks.

View Quote

/thread

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:08:36 PM EDT

[#29]

Quote History

Quoted:
I wouldn't mind having one, if the price was acceptable.

I remember wanting one as a kid watching 28 Days Later. Then I quickly realized the Steyr AUG is way better.

I never found a good answer as to why SAS stopped using the AUG. I think it was when they bought M4A1's (L119A1) from Diemaco to be like other nations' SF, and/or because they were making the L85 look bad.

View Quote View All Quotes

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Quote History

Quoted:
I wouldn't mind having one, if the price was acceptable.

I remember wanting one as a kid watching 28 Days Later. Then I quickly realized the Steyr AUG is way better.

I never found a good answer as to why SAS stopped using the AUG. I think it was when they bought M4A1's (L119A1) from Diemaco to be like other nations' SF, and/or because they were making the L85 look bad.

The SAS were the original users of the AR-15. They've been using them for many years. I believe the last American M16 they used was the M16A2. After that it seems like they mostly went to the Canadian rifles. I don't think they ever used the AUG much.

I've heard good things about the reliability of the L85A2. Those were pretty much rebuilt and tweaked very much by HK.

Edit:

Quoted:
British vet here. The A1 was a garbage gun, but the A2 is actually pretty decent.

Chalk that up as another example.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:09:26 PM EDT

[#30]

For the same reason Armalite bailed on a new AR-180, didn't wan't to foot the R&D cost for new dies and stamps for a niche weapon.

Some people make flats occasionally, and there is a few bending jigs in the wild. But yea it's not worth anyone's time or money to produce, so it isn't.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:10:23 PM EDT

[#31]

Quote History

Quoted:
...but the A2 is actually pretty decent.

View Quote

Yeah because HK fixed it.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:11:12 PM EDT

[#32]

it sucks and weights more than the FAL it replaced

The FAMAS is at least an interesting operating system. Wake me when they make a clone of that.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:12:26 PM EDT

[#33]

I would probably get one just for collection purposes,but I would rather have a FAMAS clone.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:15:05 PM EDT

[#34]

Not even HK could save that POS.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:15:13 PM EDT

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:
Uncanny

FPNI

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
It sucks.

Uncanny

FPNI

This right here, folks.

That thing is a dumpster fire compared to the M4, the Aug, the Tavor, etc.

Even the Famas is a step up... And that's saying something, because the Famas is a hot mess.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:16:42 PM EDT

[#36]

Quote History

Quoted:
Uncanny

FPNI

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
It sucks.

Uncanny

FPNI

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:17:53 PM EDT

[#37]

Sign me up for a FAMAS.

Hot sexy French girl.

SA80 = Ugly British bird.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:18:02 PM EDT

[#38]

Quote History

Quoted:
I want one. Don't care if it sucks. I still want one.

View Quote

I'm in this boat too. There's something about it. I want one too.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:18:06 PM EDT

[#39]

Quote History

Quoted:
Uncanny

FPNI

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
It sucks.

Uncanny

FPNI

Yup ^^^^^

You can polish a turd all you want and it's still a turd

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:19:27 PM EDT

[#40]

Quote History

Quoted:
The SAS were the original users of the AR-15. They've been using them for many years. I believe the last American M16 they used was the M16A2. After that it seems like they mostly went to the Canadian rifles. I don't think they ever used the AUG much.

View Quote

Yeah I know they had some Colt 602's back in the 60's and kept up with developments.

They used HK33K and HK53 also (in Ireland and other places in the 70's/80's).

Seems they used many different models until more-or-less settling on an M4A1 type as their "default".

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:20:16 PM EDT

[#41]

IDK an L22A2 clone would be pretty cool. I think there's enough gun know how in the US to get a gun to work.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:29:57 PM EDT

[#42]

Because the AUG uses a similar operating mechanism, is readily available in the US, and it actually works.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:36:04 PM EDT

[#43]

I'd buy an L85 Clone in a heartbeat.

I wouldn't buy a SA80 as it isn't a gun, it's the name of the project that created the L85.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:42:17 PM EDT

[#44]

Because the British are a bunch of wankers with bad teeth. The SA-80 is all fur coat and no trousers.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:43:33 PM EDT

[#45]

Quote History

Quoted:
Sign me up for a FAMAS.
https://www.rockislandauction.com/html/dev_cdn/57/447.jpg
Hot sexy French girl.

SA80 = Ugly British bird.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/guns/images/7/77/L85A1.png/revision/latest?cb=20181028123427

View Quote

The SA80's a right munter.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:46:33 PM EDT

[#46]

Quote History

Quoted:
I want one. Don't care if it sucks. I still want one.

View Quote

#metoo

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:50:23 PM EDT

[#47]

Quote History

Quoted:
Sign me up for a FAMAS.
https://www.rockislandauction.com/html/dev_cdn/57/447.jpg
Hot sexy French girl.

SA80 = Ugly British bird.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/guns/images/7/77/L85A1.png/revision/latest?cb=20181028123427

View Quote

Both are pretty cool looking. I had a single shot airsoft of an SA80, and an automatic Tokyo Marui Famas when I was in highschool. Unfortunately nobody else played airsoft. Eventually got rid of them. It'd be cool to have the options. I just want a Tavor at this point though, I think it's cooler looking than either. And looks is what matters most.

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:51:08 PM EDT

[#48]

It's got an interesting bayonet

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:53:44 PM EDT

[#49]

Cause it sucks

Posted: 1/21/2019 11:55:02 PM EDT

[#50]

I played around with an A2 when I worked with some Brits. I really, really preferred my M4. I still want one because it's unusual and kind of fun in that weird cousin you don't really like but still go out drinking with sort of way

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Why does no one clone the SA-80? (Page 1 of 4)

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