On 29 Sep 2003 19:49:55 -0700, Steyr wrote:

I spoke to some Brits in North Belfast last year and they told us that their new
rifle was 'complete crap'. I think they were detached from a field gun
formation, possibbly Royal Artillery. The Welch Fusilers were in the same area.

Bear in mind a non-infantry unit going out on roulement to NI oppress
you on your way to the newsie's to get your regular "Aeroplane
Spotter" will be last on the list for the A2 version. All the
refitted A2's will have gone to Iraq, as the main focus of Treasury
approved-MoD spending, even if they haven't sent any water, tents or
generators. It will of course be a matter of critical importance to
the average citizen of Basra that the troops ordering them into queues
for collecting drinking water will have the A2 as opposed to the A1
version. They might feel a little let down and question coalition
priorities if they knew it was the latter.

A teenager from the Welch was blown up by a UDA frag device a few days
previously. I have no opinion on the SA80 matter other than to note that I've
not actually encountered a favourable review of the weapon from a serving
soldier.

I always wanted to know why it was just as heavy as the SLR.

The Brits were stuck in a Saxon APC and had to eat, **** and pee in the darn
contraption which looks more like an armoured telephone repair van rather than a
real APC. I thought it looked like a relic from the 1950s.

You seem unfamiliar with standard MoD APC procurement policy in regard
to the Saxon, which ran along the lines of "find a Leyland production
line that needs to be kept open after losing their markets to the
Germans, and stick some armour on it".

Gavin Bailey

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