SA80 History: The First L85 Mockups (Sterling and Stoner)
This video from Armament Research Services (ARES) delves into the early history of the SA80 rifle program, focusing on the very first mockups. It explores the British military's long-standing interest in reduced-power cartridges post-WWII, which eventually led to the SA80 family. The content highlights five initial wooden and metal mockups, examining their conventional and bullpup configurations, as well as variations in stock design. A key takeaway is the early consideration of a universal optical sight. The video also details the subsequent functional prototypes, which were conversions of existing rifles, specifically a Stoner 63 and a Sterling AR18, into bullpup configurations. The description emphasizes the iterative development process with features like safety and magazine catch being refined.














