Tag Archives: SA80A3

Swift and Bold

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Outside of Buckingham Palace this week stood A coy, 5 Rifles, mounting the Queens Guard, a role they assumed on public order duties from F Company Scots Guards, relieving the latter for training. Unlike Guards units, the Rifles do not carry bayonets on their SA80s, nor wear white gloves as they are “working infantry.”

Formed in 2007, the current unit is a mechanized infantry battalion assigned to 20 Armoured Brigade, within 3rd (UK) Division -“The Iron Division.” The Rifles regiment itself was formed from the historic Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, Royal Green Jackets, Light Infantry Regiment, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry, and the Rifle Volunteers– regiments with honors from around the globe.

In an ode to these previous units, they have a faster than normal marching pace at 140 paces per minute, maintaining the tradition of the Rifles motto, “Swift and Bold.” Their current uniform is distinctive and includes elements of all of their historical units. The silver bugle of the LI, Croix de Guerre sleeve insignia of the D&D, “Egypt” back badge of the RGDW, and black buttons of the RGJ.

As noted the HQ London District: “Variety is proving the spice of life for 5 RIFLES who after their public role guarding the Queen, the Crown Jewels at the Tower, and the Royal Palaces, will deploy back to BATUS in Canada again in April. Then in winter, they will deploy on OP CABRIT in Estonia as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence.”

A mix of old and new at Connaught

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This month is the annual Canadian Armed Forces Small Arms Concentration, in which some 300 shooters from Canada’s military as well as teams from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the United States are competing. First organized back in 1868, the modern event is held at the Connaught Ranges and Primary Training Centre in Ottawa and has lots of hardware on display, both old and new.

Nothing quite tells the story like this shot, showing a Canadian Forces member in CADPAT with their Colt-Canada C7A2 and Elcan sight, followed by a Britsh Army competitor in their newly-adopted Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) camouflage armed their likewise-new SA80A3 (L85A3) Enfield and holstered Glock 17. At the end, a Canadian Ranger with a No. 4 Lee-Enfield.

The Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, part-time soldiers who range across the country’s wildest expanses, are still outfitted with .303 Enfield rifles, although the C-19 Sako in .308 is replacing them:

(Photos: Canadian Forces)

Another classic, the Browning-Inglis Hi-Power, produced in Toronto during WWII, are also still in service with the Canadians. Note the Glock 17s used by the Brits and Dutch on the range.

British soldiers with the new and improved SA80A3, the latest version of the Enfield L85 bullpup rifle which, for better or worse, replaced the classic FAL in the 1980s.

More in my  column at Guns.com