Rearlugs wrote:I carried an A2 during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Despite the improvements, it was still very prone to jamming in the desert conditions. I carried everywhere in a bin bag, but it still managed to suffer jams in the bolt, safety catch and change lever - sadly just when I needed the rifle during a stand-to. I'm very experienced with all sorts of firearms, particularly in military operations in very bad environments (jungle- desert- arctic- etc), but I have to say this particular A2 did not respond to careful cleaning and protection. I would note that the official "fix" of slathering the rifle in oil could not be directly followed - as the Army failed to provide any rifle oil (or sufficient ammo, night vision, maps, GPS, bin bags, shovels, etc, etc). We had to make do with engine oil out of the Land Rovers.
About two days into the invasion, I came across a culvert containing the stripped and smashed remains of about half a dozen AKs. I picked up some random parts, and made myself a rifle. That AK then became my personal weapon, as vast amounts of magazines and ammo were available (the Army had only given me 7 rounds for my HiPower, and I could only obtain 20 rounds for the borrowed A2). Later on, I had a great range day and fired about 600 rounds out of the AK - mostly in "bursts of 30 rounds". There were only two stoppages: examination revealed that these were due to rounds where a fired bullet had been re-inserted into an empty case by some Iraqi squaddie!
They've now managed to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear with the A2, but it has to be said that the original base rifle really was very poor indeed.
sign01 Mikhail Kaleshnikov saved you :cheers: Glad you made it back ok
It would appear there are alot of arm-chair warriors and book readers gripeing about a weapon system they have never used !!! Yes the A1 was a bag of crap, however the A2 is certainly a different beast keep it clean (as I am sure most analy retentive civies do with there personal rifles) and it works fine, if you cover it in oil in dusty sh!t holes of course its gonna attract and get stuck up with sh!t as per the 'pam' lightly oil.
As for its use on full auto seldom if ever used and a bagdad un-load is sure gonna fek up ur gas parts.
My main gripes would be misting up susat and cws fitting/use and stopping power, apart from that not an entirely bad weapon system sign92
It would appear there are alot of arm-chair warriors and book readers gripeing about a weapon system they have never used
How do you know who did or didn't use it. ? There are a lot of experts and weapon designers that have never being to war. That doesn't mean they do not know about weapon systems. John Browning. Eugene Stoner. For example. Some special forces have a choice on what firearms they carry how many picked the SA/80 how many other countries bought the SA/80.
I can name the other countries that adopted the SA80/L85A1 and A2....Jamaica, Bolivia, Sierra Leone and the UK. The Irish, Australian, New Zealand, Flakland Island defence force all use the Steyr AUG...even the Police (UK) here have the AUG, HK G36c, FN P-90, HK G3 over the SA80...thats why the Army have been so annoyed with the MoD as the Police were getting better stuff than they were. The MoD police are issued with HK MP7 smgs and SA80's. I dont need to go to war to see that the SA80 has never been adopted by many countries which is a clear sign of a lack of demand for the rifle. The AUG also eliminates the need for the L86LSW because of its barrel swapping abilities
Still could be, come to think of it. The EM-2 was accepted for service and so could just be produced and adopted today and there are no questions over the stopping power of its .280 cartridge...
Badger
CEO (Chief Excavatin' Officer)
Badger Korporashun
Quidquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
"Quelle style, so British"
Still could be, come to think of it. The EM-2 was accepted for service and so could just be produced and adopted today and there are no questions over the stopping power of its .280 cartridge...
Indeed :goodjob: After watching that Pathe vid in the other thread on the ME 2....can we put an SA80 in that sandstorm machine thing to see if it can work afterwards? :55:
Still could be, come to think of it. The EM-2 was accepted for service and so could just be produced and adopted today and there are no questions over the stopping power of its .280 cartridge...
Indeed :goodjob: After watching that Pathe vid in the other thread on the ME 2....can we put an SA80 in that sandstorm machine thing to see if it can work afterwards? :55:
The SA80 failed the sand tests, yet was still adopted!
Still could be, come to think of it. The EM-2 was accepted for service and so could just be produced and adopted today and there are no questions over the stopping power of its .280 cartridge...
Indeed :goodjob: After watching that Pathe vid in the other thread on the ME 2....can we put an SA80 in that sandstorm machine thing to see if it can work afterwards? :55:
The SA80 failed the sand tests, yet was still adopted!
Even the SA80a2 was brought to the test range in sealed bags with a shooting mat and fresh factory sealed ammunition..... The SA80 is nearly 30 years old and needs to be replaced not only because of the issues with the firearm but because 5.56mm NATO effectiveness has been questioned in Afghanistan as the US forces now carry M14's as well as M16's and M4's.
:55: