U.S Army plans to adopt new caliber infantry rifle

[ordnance]

The L1A1 was designed as a battle rifle, not a target rifle. The SA/80 might be more accurate but in all other aspects its inferior to the SLR. The designers even managed to make the 5.65 firing S/A 80 heaver than the L1A1 it replaced and then tried to BS everyone that it was a in the design to help accuracy. The L1A1 was a design success selling to armies world wide, the SA/80 was a design disaster that you couldn't give away.