* Still Under Construction *

This section covers the basic infantry weapons that a infantry section would have been equipped with.

L9A1 Browning High Power

L2A3 Sterling Sub Machine Gun 

       After the war, with large numbers of Sten guns in the inventory there was little interest in replacing them with a superior design. However in 1947 a competitive trial between the Patchett, an Enfield design, a new BSA design and an experimental Australian design with the Sten for comparison was held. The trial was inconclusive but was followed by further development and more trials. Eventually the Patchett design won and the decision was made in 1951 for the British Army to adopt it. It started to replace the Sten in 1953 as the Sub-Machine Gun L2A1. The weapon is constructed entirely of steel and plastic and has a folding butt which folds up underneath. Although of conventional blowback design, there are some unusual features: for example the bolt has sharp grooves around it which cut away dirt in the receiver and help to keep it clean. The magazine follower, which pushes the cartridges into the feed port is equipped with rollers to reduce friction and the firing pin is arranged so that it does not line up with the percussion cap on the cartridge until the cartridge has entered the chamber.

    Sterlings have a reputation for excellent reliability under adverse conditions and (allowing for the fact that a blowback action is used) good accuracy. The Sterling can be difficult for left-handed users to operate, due to the inherent asymmetry of the design. In particular, the weapon is designed to be used resting on the right side of the body. However, contrary to popular movie and other contemporary depictions, the weapon should never be used with the left hand holding the magazine, rather the barrel jacket should be gripped. Spent shell ejection to the right constitutes an additional hazard for left-handed use

L1A1 SELF LOADING RIFLE (SLR)

  Great Britain developed its own variant of the FAL in 1957 as the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle (SLR). It was manufactured using Imperial measurements which also included minor changes. The early rifles were fitted with wooden furniture but latter these were changed to plastic. The  L1A1 FAL was produced as a semi-automatic only rifle, where as the original Belgian version could be used fully automatic. It was known for soldiers to modify their rifle's mechanism (normally by inserting a matchstick or coke can tab) to allow it to fire on automatic, resulting in all 20 rounds to be fired at once. A thirty round magazines from the 7.62 mm L4 light machine gun was used occasionally; but being designed for gravity assisted downward operation, they were not reliable and had to have the spring strengthened. 

              Later production rifles are noted for the availability of unique optional sights. The first of the optional sights included a folding dual-aperture day/night sight, commonly known as the "Hythe Sight". The Hythe sight was developed for close range, dusk and night use and incorporated two overlapping rear sight aperture leaves, and a permanently glowing (until radioactively decayed) tritium inserts in the front sight post for improved night visibility. Also noteworthy was a unique scope designed specifically for the L1A1 rifle. The scope, identified as the L2A1 "Site Unit, Infantry, Trilux" (SUIT) is a fixed-focus 4X magnification scope with an unusual prismatic offset, a unique inverted tapered tritium illuminated sight post reticule, and an integral bullet-drop compensation via a two-position mechanical cam. The offset prismatic design reduced overall length for improved clearance around the L1A1 action, reduced parallax errors and significantly reduced the effects of heat mirage from a hot rifle barrel. The inverted sight post allowed a very rapid target re-acquisition due to the fact that recoil typically raises the rifle barrel, leaving a clear sight picture under the inverted pointer, which combined with the pointer's thick taper promoted the quick target re-acquisition. Although relatively heavy, the SUIT scope was also noted for its durability, due to the very robust construction. It is also noteworthy that the during the Cold-War, the UK SUIT scope was copied virtually verbatim by the Soviet Union and designated as the 1P29 telescopic sight. Both the Hythe and SUIT sight options were commonly found on production UK L1A1 FAL rifles.

L85A1 Infantry Weapon (SA80) "Endeavour"

   The L85A1 is a selective-fire gas-operated assault rifle that uses ignited powder gases bled through a gas port above the barrel to provide the weapon’s automation. The rifle uses a short stroke gas piston system (the piston travels inside a gas tube located above the barrel) and a three-position adjustable gas regulator; the first gas setting is used for normal operation, the second – for use in difficult environmental conditions and the third setting is used to propel rifle grenades. The weapon uses a rotating cylindrical bolt that contains 7 radially-mounted locking lugs, an extractor and casing ejector. The bolt’s rotation is controlled via a cam pin that slides inside a camming guide machined into the bolt carrier. The weapon fires from a closed bolt and has a 30 round magazine.

L86A1 LSW "Engager"

 The Light Support Weapon (LSW) is a magazine-fed automatic weapon originally intended to provide fire support at a fireteam level. It has a longer barrel than the L85 and a bipod, buttstrap and rear pistol grip, together with a different design of handguard. Its longer barrel gives an increased muzzle velocity and further stabilizes the bullet, giving a greater effective range. The weapon is otherwise identical to the L85 version it is based on and the magazines and some internal parts are interchangeable. The lengthy, free-floating nature of the heavy barrel and the optical performance of the SUSAT gives the weapon excellent accuracy. From its inception, the L86 has been a target of criticism on much the same basis as the L85 with the additional issue of its inability to deliver sustained automatic fire unlike a belt fed weapon.

Rifle 5.56mm M16 /AR15

L4 LMG Bren

    With the British Army's adoption of the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge, the Bren was re-designed to 7.62 mm calibre, fitted with a new barrel and magazine, and continued in service. It was redesignated as the L4 Light Machine Gun and continued in British Army service well into the 1990s. The change from a rimmed to rimless cartridge and nearly-straight magazine improved feeding considerably, and allowed use of 20-round magazines from the SLR to be used in emergencies. The conical flash hider was also replaced by a slotted type similar to that of the SLR and GPMG.

L4 Variants:

© MOD

L7A2 GPMG "The General"

The LSW was intended to replace both the L7 and the L4 in the light machinegun role, but dissatisfaction with the L86's firepower and reliability resulted in combat units continuing to utilize the L7 whenever possible (although neither it, nor its 7.62mm NATO ammunition were supposed to be issued to infantry platoons). 

Also see the Support Weapons page.

© E Nevill

L1A1 LAW66

    The L1A1 is the British designation for the American M72A1 and M72A2 HEAT rocket launchers. Designed to replace the 3.5" Bazooka it is intended as a 'one-shot and throw away' device. These weapons although outdated by the late eighties due to the increase in Soviet Armour thickness they were found to be during the Falklands conflict effective at taking out the enemies fire trenches and sanger emplacements.

84mm MAW "Charlie G"

    The Carl Gustav is the common name for the 84mm recoilless rifle anti-tank weapon from Bofors Anti Armour AB in Sweden. The Carl Gustav was first introduced in 1946, and while similar weapons of the era have generally disappeared, the Carl Gustav remains in widespread use today, and is even being introduced into new roles. British troops refer to it as the Charlie G. Designed to destroy the armour of the day, the Charlie G was able to fire three types of  rounds; HEAT, Illumination and White Prosperous Smoke. This weapon was used to great effect during the Falklands conflict, nearly sinking a Argentinean Destroyer and was effective against the heavy machine gun sangers. It was phased out by the late 1980's being replaced by the more cumbersome and less versatile LAW 80.

84mm LAW 80

    The LAW80 was undergoing field trials around 1985 and was expected in service by 1987. Designed to be a one-shot throw away weapon. The LAW 80 came with an inbuilt 9mm spotting rifle which was used to aim the weapon, a sort of "Ping, Ping, Ping....BANG!" approach to taking out armour. Designed to replace the LAW 66 and Charlie G this weapon has proved effective if some what cumbersome and timely in readying for action. It is of note though that although a similar weapon is used by the US army, the weapon it replaced, the Charlie G has now been taken into service by the US Army and several other armed forces; time to make your own conclusions about the introduction of the LAW 80 and withdrawal from British service the Charlie G.

40mm Grenade Launcher  M79

Light Mortar 2-in

    Designed and used in World War Two the standard service version of the 2-inch mortar had a barrel length of 21 inches and could fire a high explosive bomb weighing 2.25lb out to a range of 500 yards. With such a short barrel the normal firing method, where the bomb was dropped down the tube and a pin in the base of the barrel struck the detonator in the tail of the bomb, would not work so firing was by a small trigger mechanism at the breech. Originally the 2-inch mortar was fitted with a large collimating sight with elevating and cross-level bubbles, but this was soon dropped as unnecessary in a front-line unit. It was replaced instead with a simple white line painted up the length of the barrel. The firer only had to line this up in the direction of the target and fire a number of bombs for effect. Whilst this method of operation may sound rather haphazard, it worked well and the practice continued long after the war. The mortar evolved in other directions too, with the original large base plate being replaced by a simple curved model, to give it a combat weight of 10.25lb. Due to its small size, and for simplicity the mortar had no forward strut or bipod like larger designs needed. The barrel would be held at the correct angle by one soldier while the other loaded and fired the round. It could achieve a firing rate of some eight rounds per minute. The bombs were cylindrical with a (perforated) four finned tail. For the HE projectile an impact fuse was fitted in the nose of the bomb. The illuminating round weighed 1lb and the smoke round weighed 2.25lb. A whole range of other ammunition was also developed including a specialized bomb that cast a lightweight explosive-filled net over patches in minefields so that it could be detonated to clear a path. 

By the late 1970's the 2-in mortar was being slowly phased out. Used only for Smoke and Illumination It was replaced in the early 1980's by the 51mm Mortar L9A1 but continued in service with some units. It was also issued for use in the Falklands War.

51mm Mortar L9A1

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