L64/65

Lore & Background

The L64/65 was developed by the Royal Small Arms Factory in the 1970s to fire a new 4.85mm round. This round was created by necking down the standard 5.56mm cartridge from the M16, offering similar weight but a smaller diameter bullet for better penetration and ballistics. The rifle's outward appearance resembled the earlier EM-2, but its firing mechanism was very similar to the ArmaLite AR-18, which was manufactured under license in Britain by the Sterling Armaments Company from 1975 to 1983. The first examples were available in 1972.

The British Army had previously considered bullpup designs with intermediate calibre rounds in the 1950s, adopting the .280 British in 1951 for the EM-2 and Taden gun. However, US intransigence during NATO standardization and Winston Churchill's interest in standards led to the adoption of the 7.62×51mm NATO round, which was too powerful for the earlier weapons. After the US adopted the M16 firing the .223 Remington, the British resumed research into lighter rounds in the 1970s, resulting in the 4.85mm round and the L64/65.

By 1976, NATO began standardizing on a small calibre round, with head-to-head testing starting in 1977. The British round performed well, but NATO selected Fabrique Nationale's 5.56mm SS-109 entry as the best all-round performer. The L64 pattern was later developed into the SA80 family of weapons, which entered service with the UK in the mid-1980s.

Reader's Guide

The L64/65 represents a key step in British small arms development, bridging the gap between the earlier EM-2 bullpup and the later SA80 family. Its development was driven by the British Army's renewed interest in intermediate calibre rounds after NATO's adoption of the 7.62×51mm round proved unsuitable for fully automatic fire. The 4.85mm round it fired was a direct response to the US M16's .223 Remington, aiming to provide better penetration and ballistics at a similar weight. Although the L64/65 was not adopted by NATO, its design pattern directly influenced the SA80 family, which entered UK service in the mid-1980s. The rifle's use of an AR-18 type firing mechanism, manufactured under license by Sterling Armaments Company, and its SUSAT sight, contributed to its technical legacy. The L64/65 thus stands as a prototype that tested concepts later refined in a service weapon, and its 4.85mm round was a contender in the NATO small calibre standardization trials that ultimately selected the 5.56mm SS-109.

Did You Know?

• The L64/65 was also called the Enfield Individual Weapon and the 4.85 Individual Weapon.
• The first examples of the L64/65 were available in 1972.