In short
- Five makers, two systems. G&G, ICS, Ares and Army Armament build the L85 as an electric rifle (AEG). WE builds it as a gas blowback rifle, in which gas cycles the bolt on every shot.
- A2 or A3 is a question of looks. Green furniture, the plastic parts you hold, and a carry-handle sight make an A2; a tan body and a slim handguard with rails make an A3. Pick the one that matches the years of your loadout.
- Electric L85s take M4 magazines. Ares says so on its own sheet, and G&G and ICS use the same pattern. The gas WE needs gas magazines.
- It is a bullpup. The magazine sits behind the grip: a full-length barrel in a short rifle, slower reloads, built for the right shoulder.
- MTP finishes it. Surplus in Multi-Terrain Pattern, the British camouflage since 2010, is plentiful second-hand. Leave rank and regimental badges off.
The SA80 family: L85, L86, L22
SA80 is the name of a family; the L85 is its rifle, the standard weapon of the British soldier. Shops list a replica as SA80, L85 or both. Every member is a bullpup: the magazine and the working parts sit behind the trigger, inside the stock, which fits a full-length barrel into a short weapon.
Three members, and the replica closest to each
L85 rifle
L86 support weapon
The LSW, light support weapon: a longer barrel, a bipod and a second grip behind the magazine. ICS builds it as the L86 A2. Ares lists its L85 LSW at 930 mm, against 780 mm for the rifle.
L22 carbine
The short one for vehicle crews. Replicas are sold as AFV, armoured fighting vehicle: Ares lists its AFV at 600 mm, with a Carbine at 710 mm in between.
A2 versus A3 furniture
Furniture is the word for the parts you hold: handguard, grip and cheek piece. On an A2 they are green plastic, and the sight sits on top like a carry handle. The A3 is the upgrade the Ministry of Defence announced in 2018: a tan coating called Flat Dark Earth, a slimmer fore grip and a bracket for night sights.
Replicas follow that split. An A2 has the green handguard of the picture below; an A3 has a tan body and a long handguard with rails for accessories, in aluminium on the Ares. Neither shoots better for it.
- lighter than the A2
- 100 g
- A2s upgraded in the first batch
- 5,000
- the year the rifle was to stay in service until, "and beyond"
- 2025
Source: Ministry of Defence, news release of 11 April 2018
The kit, in dates given by the Ministry of Defence
-
April 2010
MTP reaches Afghanistan
Soldiers begin wearing Multi-Terrain Pattern, the first change of camouflage pattern since 1968.
-
2012
MTP for everyone
The year by which the Ministry planned to issue it to all military personnel.
-
April 2018
The A3 is announced
Heckler & Koch upgrades A2 rifles to A3 at its Nottingham factory. Fielding of the first batch had begun in February.
The options: G&G, ICS, Ares, Army Armament, WE
Five brands cover the airsoft SA80. Four build it as an AEG, an electric rifle in which a battery and a motor drive a piston; one builds it on gas.
Below all of them sits the spring SA80 BB gun: a plastic rifle you cock by hand for every shot. Fine for cans in the garden, out of its depth in a game.
Every L85 option at a glance
| Brand | Versions | System | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| G&G | L85A2, L85A3, Carbine, AFV | Electric, with an electronic trigger (ETU) | In the range of our webshop; stock comes and goes |
| ICS | L85 A2, L85 A2 Carbine, L86 A2 | Electric | Stamped steel receivers; the handguard opens for the battery |
| Ares | L85 A2, Carbine, AFV, LSW, L85A3 | Electric; on the A3 the cocking handle moves with each shot | Steel and aluminium; takes M16-pattern magazines |
| Army Armament | L85 in A1 and A2 style, sold as R85 | Electric | The budget route |
| WE | L85 GBB | Gas blowback on green gas, the usual airsoft gas | 30 BBs per magazine; a CO2 magazine is sold separately |
Which L85 is yours?
How British does it need to be?
Current issue, as exact as I can
An A3 in tan
Ares and G&G both build the A3 with the tan body and rail handguard of the rifle in service now.
Rifles in the webshopThe classic green A2
A G&G or ICS A2, new or used
The look of the Afghanistan years. Used ones turn up with magazines and a sight.
Used electric riflesRecoil and a working bolt
The WE gas blowback
Thirty BBs to a magazine and a rifle that kicks. A summer gun in Britain, and the dearest to feed.
Used gas blowback gunsJust the look for a themed day
Any rifle, plus MTP
Surplus MTP makes the loadout British; the M4 you already own will do.
Used clothingAEG versus gas blowback
The electric L85 is the practical one: it fires in any weather, a magazine holds a hundred BBs or more and one battery lasts the day. The gas blowback rifle (GBB) from WE is the one for feel. Gas in the magazine fires the BB and throws the bolt back, so the rifle kicks and stops when the magazine is empty.
That realism costs: WE lists 30 BBs per magazine and just over 4 kg with one fitted.
Electric L85 against gas L85
- Electric (AEG)
- Gas blowback
-
Works in a British winter
- Electric (AEG)
- 5 out of 5
- Gas blowback
- 2 out of 5
gas loses pressure in the cold
-
Cheap to run
- Electric (AEG)
- 4 out of 5
- Gas blowback
- 2 out of 5
gas and gas magazines add up
-
BBs per magazine
- Electric (AEG)
- 5 out of 5
- Gas blowback
- 1 out of 5
Ares lists 130 for its electric magazine, WE 30
-
Feel and realism
- Electric (AEG)
- 2 out of 5
- Gas blowback
- 5 out of 5
recoil, a moving bolt, an empty magazine means stop
-
Easy upkeep
- Electric (AEG)
- 4 out of 5
- Gas blowback
- 2 out of 5
seals and valves want regular care
Magazines, batteries and bullpup quirks
Electric L85s are built around the M4 magazine. Ares states it on its own sheet, and G&G and ICS follow the same pattern, so the magazines of half your team fit. Fit differs a little per brand: try one before you buy six.
Battery space is tight in every version. On the ICS the handguard opens for it, and Ares recommends an 11.1 V lithium battery for its A3.
A bullpup as your rifle
Pros
- A full-length barrel in a rifle of about 80 cm
- The weight sits at your shoulder, so it holds steady
- Electric versions take common M4 magazines
- Nobody mistakes it for one more M4
Cons
- Slower reloads: the magazine goes in behind your grip hand
- Built for the right shoulder
- Heavy: 3.5 to 4 kg on the makers' sheets
- The gearbox hums next to your ear
- Fewer spare parts and fewer technicians who know it
Completing the loadout: MTP, Osprey, Virtus
The rifle is half the picture. The other half is MTP, Multi-Terrain Pattern. MTP camo is easy to find as British Army surplus, and issued shirts and trousers are tough. Look through the used clothing first, or the combat clothing in the webshop.
Over it goes the armour. Osprey is the body armour of the Afghanistan years, a bulky vest covered in loops for pouches; Virtus is the lighter system that followed it. In airsoft you need neither plates nor weight: a plate carrier, a vest built to hold plates, in a matching colour does the job.
Three eras, three loadouts
A1 or A2 with DPM
DPM, the older green and brown woodland pattern, with webbing worn on a belt.
A2 with MTP and Osprey
Green furniture on the rifle, MTP clothing and an Osprey cover with pouches over it.
A3 with MTP and Virtus
The tan rifle and Virtus armour. Virtus is harder to find as surplus; a plain plate carrier stands in.
A British loadout, piece by piece
0 of 9 ticked
Combat clothing in the webshop
New shirts and trousers; pick the pattern that matches your surplus.
In stock, ships right away
Combat Shirt — MARPAT
In stock, ships right away
Combat Shirt — Ranger Green
In stock, ships right away
Combat Shirt — Digital Flora
In stock, ships right away
Combat Shirt — OD GreenUsed clothing on the marketplace
Surplus and barely worn kit from other players.
New and second-hand prices
No amounts here: the blocks below read them live. As a class, a new electric L85 sits in the upper mid-range, above an entry-level M4. Army Armament is the budget way in, and the WE with its gas magazines is the dearest to run.
Second-hand is where most A2s change hands. When we looked on 12 November 2026, the G&G models in our webshop were sold out, while the marketplace had used G&G, ICS and WE rifles on offer. Search the used airsoft guns for L85 and save the search.
Electric rifles right now: used against new
All electric rifles together, not only the SA80.
- listings in AEG on the marketplace
- more than 800
- middle asking price: half ask less, half ask more
- €280
- eight out of ten asking prices fall in this range
- €125 – €600
- products in stock in Rifles in the webshop
- 37
- lowest price of what is in stock in Rifles
- €147
- brands in stock in Rifles
- 4
Airsoft Bazaar data Measured on 13 November 2026
Used electric rifles on the marketplace
L85s appear here between the M4s and the AKs.
Choose the version by the years your loadout shows, not by performance.
Frequently asked questions
Which SA80 airsoft gun is best?
For most players an electric L85 from G&G or ICS: both take M4 magazines and turn up used most often. Choose Ares for the current A3 look, and the WE only if you want gas recoil. Our judgement, not a test.
What is the difference between the L85A2 and the L85A3?
On the real rifle the A3 is the 2018 upgrade: 100 g lighter, with a slimmer fore grip, a tan Flat Dark Earth coating and a bracket for night sights. On replicas it comes down to looks: green furniture and a carry-handle sight on an A2, a tan body with a rail handguard on an A3.
Is there a gas blowback L85?
Yes, from WE. Its own page lists the L85 GBB at 80 cm, with 30 BBs per magazine, running on green gas. Our webshop does not ship gas to the UK, so buy that from a British shop.
Do M4 magazines fit an airsoft SA80?
In the electric versions, yes. Ares lists its L85 as compatible with M16 magazines, and G&G and ICS use the same pattern. Some brands of magazine sit tight, so test one first. The gas WE takes gas magazines only.
Is a bullpup good for a beginner?
It can be, if you want this rifle and no other. It is short and steady, but heavy, slower to reload and harder to get fixed than an M4. If you only want an easy first gun, start with an M4 and add the L85 later.
What does a British Army loadout need besides the rifle?
MTP shirt and trousers, brown boots, a vest or plate carrier in a matching colour, a helmet with an MTP cover and a sling. A 4x sight completes the outline. Leave rank and regimental badges off: the Uniforms Act 1894 restricts wearing the uniform and its distinctive marks.
Sources
- British Army's rifle set for multi-million-pound upgrade (11 April 2018) Ministry of Defence, GOV.UK, 12 November 2026
- New camouflage arrives in Afghanistan (21 May 2010) Ministry of Defence, GOV.UK, 12 November 2026
- Uniforms Act 1894, section 2 legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, section 36 legislation.gov.uk, 12 November 2026
- L85A3 and L85 product pages ARES Airsoft, 12 November 2026
2 more sources
- L85 A2 Assault Rifle (ICS-85) ICS Airsoft, 12 November 2026
- WE L85 GBB (WE-R-L001) WE Airsoft, 12 November 2026
