The next French rifle might well be German ...

[saddler]

We'd have saved millions by just adopting the AR18 - but the "cheap" option was for the Enfield bods to steal the design from the bods at Sterling & bypass patent issues/licensing agreements, etc.

Instead we have the SA80 = the single biggest export success story of the last century (NOT)

[Fedaykin]

It is interesting to note that Sterling were keen on subcontracting on the SA80, they had decades of experience with stamped metal guns and the AR18 license production agreement. Apparently they spent a fair amount of time and resources ironing out issues with the AR18 and had further developed the improved SAR87.

It is a rather sordid story really, the owner of Sterling James Edmiston had sent his chief designer to an arms fair to have a look at it with an eye to sub contracts. Imagine their horror when the designer stripped the rifle down and found Sterling marked components in it. Nevertheless they still tried to pursue sub contracting (with an eye to offer the SAR87 as an interim solution possibly) only to be compulsory purchased and handed over to British Aerospace. Which then led to the final step in the farce, so British Aerospace now owns a factory with tooling geared up to make stamped rifles with a workforce not only experienced in the techniques to make such rifles but have also produced the rifle that the SA80 is based upon. The sensible solution would be to bring them in to help iron out the issues and transfer part of the production to the Dagenham site.

Noooooo that would be too sensible, instead lay off the workforce and close the factory!

Personally I think the Sterling designer should have taken pictures and then James Edmiston and Sterling should have lawyer-ed up as the approved licensed producer of the AR18 platform. The same time they should have sent the pictures with cross comparisons to the press and kicked up a fuss, also the local MP to get some questions raised in parliament about the theft of ip! Sterling allowed themselves to be walked all over with the hope that they might get some scraps off the table in the form of sub contracts but instead got knocked out of the industry.

Not the first time ROF ripped off Sterling, after the Sterling L2A3 was adopted ROF announced they were going to make it and not Sterling. No mention of any partnership, or even royalties. In the end, Sterling sued them and won.

[MistAgain]

I remember reading a book about Stirling written by Edmiston .

Plenty of detail about the way the Government treated Stirling .

[froggy]

Hopefully, when the HK starts beeing issued, part of the stock could be converted to SA and sold to nice people like ... ME !!!
Bearing in mind that the current value of civilian FAMAS chambered in 222 surf the GBP 3,000, it would be an easy way to make a few bobs. After all, it would also be a nice gesture, as us, good citizens' taxes already part paid them... however given the various French Gvnt past track records, those lovely FAMAS will probably end-up at the bottom of the ocean or exported with a "non-return" clause