The iconic (if troublesome) SA-80 bull-pup individual weapon may be very well nearing the end of its service life, as the British MoD is planning its replacement with Project "Grayburn", but that doesn't mean it loosing its appeal on the civilian market.

Many US-based companies are currently working on, or already have available for sale, semi-spurious clones of the SA-80; among those is not Murdoch & Co., a company established by British craftsmen, which at the 2026 edition of SHOT Show announced that – at the end of a 4-years long development phase – they're close to launching the EM85 line of 1/1, stamped steel clones of the SA-80 service rifles, made on order and 100% faithful to the original (albeit admittedly vastly troubleshot to prevent a repeat of the issues that plagues the SA-80 line in military service).

The rifles will be entirely manufactured in the United States, starting from scratch and not from parts kits. They will be semi-automatic only, dedicated to the civilian shooters' and collectors' markets, and available in three variants.

The EM85-A1 will be a replica of the original L85-A1 rifle introduced in 1985, and will be the only one to feature some components from original SA-80s – chiefly furniture saved from scrapped rifles, for authenticity.

The EM85-A2 will replicate to a tee the L85-A2 upgraded version developed by Heckler & Koch in the early 2000s and deployed by the British Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, down to the bespoke quad-rail handguard provided by the original supplier Daniel Defense.

Finally, the EM85-A3 will be a replica of the currently-issued British service rifle, the L85-A3, and feature the same ergonomic and functional upgrades, including a new optics mount and M-LOK handguard.

The Murdoch & Co. EM85 rifles will be manufactured only on order, at a staggering price of $12,000.

The first samples are estimated to ship in Spring or Summer of 2026, in a custom hard case that includes a detailed collector's manual, an original HK USGI-type magazine, and a British Army ration brew kit.

Orders can be placed directly on the Murdoch & Co. website.

• Type of firearm: Rifle
• Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO
• Action: Semi-automatic, gas-operated
• Barrel Length: 20.4" (518mm)
• Capacity: Compatible with USGI/STANAG 4179 magazines of various makes and capacity
• Trigger System: Single-action
• Furniture: Polymer or machined aluminum
• Sights: Optics mount for numerous 
• Safety: Manual, rotary
• Notes: Available only on order, in three variants