The SAS employ the services of various companies to supply their weapons:
Pistols:
The Browning Hi-Power still remains in the
service, and has done since WW2, although the SIG-Sauer P226 is preferred
in the counter-terrorist role. The Walther PPK has been used by operatives
needing a more easily concealed firearm for undercover work in places such as
Northern Ireland.
Submachine guns:
The SMG is a far less important weapon than in the
past, but is still used by SAS troops on CRW duties. The standard weapon is the
Heckler and Koch MP5, which comes in several different versions, including a
silenced type and the MP5K, a smaller variant for easier movement, or for
better concealment.
Rifles and carbines:
The M16A2, known by its predecessors as the Armalite, is the primary weapon of today's SAS. It first saw known operational use in the Gulf War and more often than not had the M203 grenade launcher attached. The Heckler & Koch G3, a 7.62mm automatic rifle, was first used by SAS teams in Northern Ireland, and would presumably be used whenever its range and stopping power outweigh the weight penalty. Its smaller stable-mate, the 5.56mm HK53 carbine, is also in service, again originally being used in Ulster.
The Accuracy International PM, designated L96A1 in
army service, replaced the Lee-Enfield in the late 1980s. Like its predecessor,
it is 7.62mm bolt-action weapon, but of an ultra-modern type, being one of the
few rifles specifically designed for sniping. More recently the Barrett Model
82A1, a .50 sniper rifle, has entered service. The standard British rifle today,
the SA80, is only used by 22 SAS men when they are 'disguised' as regular
troops, as they were in Vietnam, though it is the main weapon of the
Territorial Army SAS regiments (21 SAS, 23 SAS).
Machine guns:
The GPMG remains in popular service, but is today more
often vehicle-mounted. Long-range foot patrols use the FN Minimi, a 5.56mm light
machine gun known in the US as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The Minimi uses
the same 5.56mm round as the M16 and is usually fed from a 200-round box. The
seemingly irreplaceable .50 Browning ( British L1A1) also remains, usually
vehicle-mounted, but it can be fired from a tripod if necessary.
INFORMATION ON SEPARATE WEAPONS IS SHOWN ON DIFFERENT PAGES