L85A3

Latest upgrade of the British Army's bullpup service rifle, refining the SA80 family with a new barrel, improved furniture and enhanced reliability after decades of incremental fixes to the original 1980s design. It remains the standard individual weapon of UK armed forces.

In service since 2018 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

400

m range

775

rpm

940

m/s

rds

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

UK export-licensed

Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.

Channel: Government-to-government or direct

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2018. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

5.56×45 NATO

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Effective range Distance at which the weapon reliably hits point targets. Higher extends engagement envelope.: 400 m

Stronger than 26% of rifles
Rate of fire Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.: 775 rpm

Stronger than 70% of rifles
Muzzle velocity Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.: 940 m/s

Top 9% of rifles

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 5.56×45mm NATO bullpup assault rifle
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 5.6 mm
Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.: 30

Stronger than 58% of rifles

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 0.79 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 5 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 1
Barrel length Barrel length — longer improves muzzle velocity and accuracy, shorter improves handling.: 508 mm

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Bottom 6% of rifles

Specifications compiled from public BAE Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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