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Posted: 10/10/2007 10:29:36 AM EDT
| So I don't know much about the SA-80 series of rifles but maybe someone could answer this for me. 1. Were any Manufactured Pre-86 and if yes 2. Did any make it into the US? |
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From what I understand and have been told a few SA-80s are in this country and were brought in for research purposes by US Firearms Manufacturers which is pretty common. There may be one or two floating around as dealer samples. The British are extremely anti private ownership of firearms so they don't like to export them at all and even if they wanted to the 1992 import ban pretty much prevents that. I hear we're better off though. Even after the HK fix there are much better bullpups out there available to us. |
| I'm sure there are a couple post-sample SA-80s in the country for research puproses. Also I've heard a couple times that there are two semi-auto SA-80s floating around this country that are prototypes for a canceled venture to produce them over here. How much truth there is to that is anyone guess. |
There was a guy is known as LarryG36 who tried to build a US semi version built on a US receiver, but when British Aerospace purchased the Royal Ord plant they refused to send him the part kits The guns are known for their accuracy. Unfortunately they are also known for their lack of reliability. |
I've seen the semis. They were real. The guy was shopping them around for a year or two at the big gunshows looking for funding to make them here in the USA. He had the two semis, and enough parts for two more rifles. He was trying to get production going, and when he failed at that, he tried to sell the whole package, including manufacturing rights, for something like $35,000. That was back in the day as well, before the big bans. Given the market share bullpups had at the time, Styer, FAMAS and a couple odd-balls pretty much had serviced that market segment. The project simply didn't have any legs. Later, during the ban, a bullpup might have had traction if it were quality. Bushmaster had the right idea with the M17s, but just didn't develop it enough. Nowdays there's some good bullpups being made or on the horizon and again, there's really no segment that an SA-80 would do well in. Considering the semis that I saw were the early type SA's, it would have probably given bullpups a bad name anyway. Sometimes "it would be cool" gives way to fate, and in the end that might have been better. |
Well, it is sad because the UK used to produce some of the finest firearms in the world. I guess we're seeing what happens when a government kills private industry through practically banning private sales.  Will the UK politicians though ever admit that they made a mistake banning firearms and killing the industry there? Probably not. |
I agree, I just think that if the SA-80 did come to market it would have a lot to overcome in terms of the horrible reputation it has within the USA. |
Those are my words above from a previous thread, still holds true. To make emotional matters worse, SA80 A2 parts are for sale all over the Ebay UK site. Wouldn't take much for the current owner to upgrade to the A2. But to add to the OP's question, the semi SA80 didn't exist in 1986, so there would be no transferable MG versions out there. Post Samples are easy to find though. |
You guys do have AI. An AW in .338 Lapua is a way better bolt action than anything we produce "off the shelf". I bet british bolt actions are so good because you guys are so limited in what you can have as civilians. Isn't it something weird like you can't have any rifled auto loaders? But you can have a smooth bore autoloading shotgun? |
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