American firearm enthusiasts are a lucky lot. We represent a large enough market that most firearms end up making their way to our shores in one form or another. When it comes to military-style guns, most every modern service rifle is sold here in semi-automatic, civilian-legal form. There is one glaring exception, and that is the United Kingdom’s L85. Murdoch & Co., an American company, is changing that reality with its EM85.
The British government experimented with service rifles in a bullpup configuration since the turn of the 20th century, but development accelerated after World War II. While the EM-1/EM-2 lost out to the FAL-inspired L1A1 at the beginning of the Cold War, by the 1970s, a 5.56 mm bullpup design was reaching fruition that would be the SA80. Officially adopted in 1985 as the L85, it would be the iconic British service rifle from that point to the present.
Other bullpup rifles from that era, like the Steyr AUG, have long been available in this country. Although it is extremely rare, even the French FAMAS has been sold here in semi-automatic form. A civilian-legal British L85, however, remained elusive.
Company proprietor Evan Murdoch sought not to replicate the L85, but to re-engineer and remanufacture it in semi-auto form. The process of how that happened is fascinating, but beyond the scope of this preview. Look for the full story in future American Rifleman coverage.
The EM85 is offered in a variety of configurations including A1, A2 and A3 variants, with Cadet and Light Support Weapon (LSW) versions promised in the future. Sighting options include iron sights, the Sight Unit Small Arms, Trilux (SUSAT), the ACOG, and the ELCAN SpecterOS. Rifles are built on order after the customer pays a deposit. Prices vary between $4,500 for the EM85A3 version to $12,000 for the Collector Series model, that utilizes original parts in its build. For more information on Murdoch & Co.’s EM85, visit the company’s website.
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