"There's another aspect, too...
If I was a Brit soldier issued an L85A1 who was unable to obtain another arm, I wouldn't open fire either - because it's foolish to start a firefight with a weapon that you know is going to jam, explode, or just stop working for no apparent reason.
Even H&K can't make the L85 work reliably."
Do you have any idea why the British soldiers are issued such a weapon? Is this the standard infantry weapon for them?
It's their standard infantry weapon. It was adopted, despite the existence of far better arms that could have been license-built, because it was the only domestic Brit weapon offered. It continues to be used because of the British Unwarranted Cultural Superiority syndrome - the same thing that sank their auto industry (along with their unions).
The smarter Brit soldiers cadge M-16s from us whenever they can, in-theater, and this causes a bit of scandal. Some of it has even hit the press and has been reported here on FR over the years.
Standard infantry weapon for UK Army is the SA80A. Modified for desert use, it has proven very reliable in combat this time round. It more accurate than the M16 given to bullpup design which allows for better weight distribution and handling.
Very good rifles.
I think it was because everyone who was handed the L85A1 set personal bests on their markmanship test. This gun was so accurate that they had to redesign the test by moving the target distances out because too many people were scoring at or near perfect.
Thus, I can see why your experience with the gun shows reliability problems. Similar to why the AK is the worlds gun of choice for it's durability and simplicity when compared with the M-16.