G&G Armament L85 AFV / L22 Carbine 2.0 GT Advanced AEG

If you're working on a British Army or Royal Marine loadout and are seeking a compact, milsim-friendly primary, the G&G Armament L85 AFV / L22 Carbine 2.0 GT Advanced AEG should be in your sights! A top-notch replica of the real steel SA80 L22, the compact PDW version of the full-sized L85A2, this beast boasts full metal construction with a high proportion of stamped steel in the mix, just like the real thing!

Inside, the L22 boasts G&G's unique L85 series split gearbox, equipped with 18:1 ratio steel gears running on 8mm brass bushings driven by the incredible G&G Orange IRFIT 25K high-speed motor, providing a beastly rate of fire and super-rapid trigger response. The G&G ETU/MOSFET system improves electrical efficiency and offers a 3-round burst fire mode option as an alternative to full auto, along with allowing 11.1V LiPo batteries to be used for game-dominating speed in both semi-auto and full auto. If you're after the L85 AFV look but need competitive performance, the G&G Armament L85 AFV / L22 Carbine 2.0 GT Advanced AEG should be your next primary!

Starting at the front, we can find the SA80-style birdcage flash hider, constructed from steel and mounted to the aluminium outer barrel's 14mm CCW male threading. Mounting a suppressor or tracer unit is also an option thanks to the common 14mm CCW threading, but be warned, this might upset the purists!

Following the flash hider, we come to the handguard assembly, a minimalist setup with a 20mm Picatinny rail on the bottom and right side, along with a sling point on the left side, ideally suited to SA80 slings. In service with the Royal Marines Fleet Protection Group boarding teams, the L22 would be equipped with a vertical foregrip and LLM-01 illumination device, but you have all the 20mm Picatinny options under the sun!

Moving rearwards, we come to the receiver, which is constructed in two parts from stamped steel, just like the real thing. Vent ports are present on each side above the pistol grip, just like the real deal. Below the ports, we can find the pistol grip, trigger guard and safety catch; all positioned up front in this "Bullpup" configuration rifle. The pistol grip features a storage compartment inside, designed for the standard SA80 tool, but can also be used to house tactical snacks, spare accessory batteries, or other tools you might need in the field. The trigger guard is constructed from steel, and the trigger is the A2 "snow-cutter" type, designed to cut through any obstruction which finds itself lodged behind the trigger.

The safety catch is a push-through design on the right side, above and in front of the grip. The safety is ideally placed for a right-handed user to hit it with the trigger finger as the rifle is raised to fire. When on safe, the button will protrude from the right, and when the platform is hot, it will protrude on the left. This safety controls the safe/fire function, but the fire selector switch is located further to the rear on the left side of the stock.

As we move rearwards, we reach the action, where the action happens! The magazine well is on the bottom, made from stamped steel and spot-welded onto the receiver itself. The mag release is on the left side and is protected with a welded-on magazine release fence, an addition to the "A2" variant of the real thing, intended to prevent magazines from being dropped and lost in the field as the L22 Carbine rubs against your gear.

Over on the right side, we can find the mock bolt carrier, though the charging handle is supplied separately in the box. To install the charging handle, simply place it over the nub on the mock bolt and tighten down the grub screw to secure it. This handle is the enlarged "A2" type, allowing the L22 to be cocked either over or under the platform while held in a firing grip and also serving as a brass deflector in the real thing.

The charging handle is attached directly to the bolt and reciprocates with each shot, thanks to the immersive blowback system, giving you a little bit of recoil and a violent "click-clank" of the bolt cycling rapidly. This makes the L22 far more fun to shoot than your usual AEG, drowning out the blatant gearbox cycling noise for a more intimidating firing report. Naturally, you'll need to be careful to keep your hands and equipment clear of the bolt while cycling, though this pays appropriate homage to the real SA80 rifle!

To the rear of the charging handle, a small olive green polymer plate serves as a dust cover. This cover helps to keep dirt and debris out of the action, but can be opened by sliding it back. The green lever just behind is the mock bolt lock catch, which serves in the real thing to allow the bolt to be manually locked open for malfunction clearing and inspection. This does function in the G&G L22 to provide access to the HOP-up unit, but it is also very satisfying to play with.

To lock the bolt open manually and access the HOP-up unit, simply pull the charging handle back and downwards on the lever. This will reveal the gear HOP-up adjuster at the front of the ejection port. The HOP-up allows you to tune the L22 for different ammo weights and extend maximum range, seeking the flattest possible trajectory. While this is the ageing gear style adjuster, the dial itself is very firm and relatively immune to loosening during firing. The pre-installed HOP-up bucking is the G&G green cold-resistant bucking, widely known for its solid performance at UK power levels.

Once your adjustment is complete, you can release the mock bolt carrier by pushing the bolt lock catch up, and the bolt will return with a satisfying "clack", just like the real deal. The secondary bolt release, a square button-style catch on the left side, is non-functional, but still included to keep the build authentic.

The fire selector switch is on the rear left of the stock, providing two fire modes: semi-automatic and fully automatic. The semi-auto position is denoted with an "R" which stands for "Repetition" and the full auto mode with an "A" for "Automatic", in classic British style and matching the real SA80 series perfectly. The pre-installed MOSFET also allows for 3-round burst mode to be programmed in as an alternative to full auto, providing increased hit probability over semi-auto while helping you avoid wasting ammo.

Above the fire selector switch, we have an olive green polymer cheek rest designed to allow for a comfortable cheek weld when using either the included iron sights or a SUSAT, ACOG or ELCAN Specter LDS optic. On the upper receiver, the L22 is equipped with a 19mm STANAG Dovetail rail, the standard rail of the L85A1 and A2 rifles. The 19mm Dovetail rail is only compatible with SUSAT-style optics, but 20mm Picatinny adapters are available on the aftermarket so you can add a more modern optic and complete the contemporary Squaddie loadout. We hope to have them available soon, but in the meantime, some optical sights for 20mm Picatinny without recoil lugs (squared protrusions designed to interface with Picatinny rail slots) under the mount will fit this rail, including the Theta Optics Rhino FPCO and Theta Optics Battle Reflex Sight.

Included in the box, we have a carry handle which mounts to the 19mm Dovetail rail, equipped with a rear "ghost ring" iron sight. The iron sights are adjustable for windage via the dial on the right side. There is a detent pin just below holding the adjustment dial in place, and to turn the dial, you will need to hold this down. This is quite difficult, but if you want to loosen it up, you can carefully loosen the screw on the left side of the sight. The lack of a front sight may make aiming at long range a challenge, but it is necessary to complete the realistic L22 silhouette.

At the very rear of the L22, we are treated to a grippy rubber butt plate complete with serrations for maximum traction. A sling point is also present on each side, ideally used with an SA80 sling but compatible with other hook slings with the addition of a loop of paracord. The butt plate is a comfortable design made from grippy rubber, boasting deep serrations and a curved profile to match the shooter's shoulder.

Inside, the G&G L22 is equipped with a unique gearbox design, making use of a long PSG-1 type piston and 18:1 steel gears running on 8mm brass bushings for a smooth, unlaboured gearbox report. The G&G MOSFET/ETU system keeps everything cycling reliably and boosts electrical efficiency for an RoF and trigger response boost. The pre-installed motor is the highly rated G&G Orange IRFIT 25K RPM high-speed motor, further enhancing the impressive rate of fire and trigger response, especially with an 11.1V LiPo battery!

The highlight of the build is the Electric Blowback System, providing a more immersive firing experience and fully drowning out the usual AEG firing noise. Coupled with the speedy motor and ETU, the EBB system is far more impressive than older G&G L85 rifles without the ETU of the newer generation and even provides a tickle of recoil in the shoulder, which always brings a grin to our faces!

If you're into the iconic SA80 series design but want something short, the L22 is the one to go for! A menacing little beast with incredible performance, rock-solid build quality and ready for 11.1V LiPo madness with exciting electric blowback to top it off, the G&G Armament L85 AFV / L22 Carbine 2.0 GT Advanced AEG is probably the best SA80 AEG on the market!

Features

• Full metal construction - Mostly stamped steel
• Electric Blowback Rifle - Bolt carrier cycles with each shot, loads of fun!
• 11.1V LiPo Ready - Super snappy trigger, speedy full auto RoF
• 14mm CCW Male threaded outer barrel - Tracer/suppressor ready
• 20mm Picatinny railed handguard - Ready for a vertical grip, laser or flashlight
• Olive green polymer furniture - Matches the real L22 perfectly, great quality polymer
• Steel upper & lower receiver - Stamped steel, just like the real thing
• Push through safety button - Just above the pistol grip, easily accessed from a firing grip
• Tool storage compartment inside the grip - Pop the bottom cap off and use it for tactical snacks
• 19mm NATO STANAG Dovetail rail - Requires a rail adapter to mount standard 20mm Picatinny sights
• Extended "A2" charging handle - Easily accessible either over or under the rifle
• Functional mock bolt release - Use the olive green catch on the right to lock and release the mock bolt
• Gear adjustable HOP-up unit - Inside the ejection port, accessible with the charging handle locked back
• "A2" Magazine release fence - Protects the magazine release from accidental presses
• Polymer cheek rest - Allows for a comfortable cheek weld in cold weather
• Ambidextrous rear sling point - On each side, ideally used with an L85/SA80 sling
• Two-position fire selector - On the left side of the stock, "R" for repetition (semi), "A" for automatic (full auto)
• Rubber butt plate - Deep serrations, proper grippy butt plate, ideal for wet weather
• Compatible Optics:
  • Theta Optics Rhino Series FPCO Scopes
  • Theta Optics Battle Reflex Sight
  • Other 20mm Picatinny compatible scopes without recoil lugs on the mount
• G&G L85 Split Gearbox:
  • Alloy shell
  • Electric blowback system
  • PSG-1 length Piston
  • 8mm Brass bushings
  • Programmable ETU/MOSFET
  • 25K Orange IRFIT High-speed motor
• Compatible with M4/AR-15 AEG magazines - Steel STANAG magazines recommended
• Online User Manual available here

Package Includes

• G&G Armament L85 AFV / L22 Carbine 2.0 GT Advanced AEG
  • 450rnd High-capacity magazine
  • Carry handle
  • Charging handle
  • Cleaning rod

Special Instructions

To program the MOSFET/ETU for 3-round burst instead of full auto, you'll need to install a battery and hold the trigger down for 10 seconds with the fire selector switch set to semi-auto (R). Always remove the magazine, wear eye protection and point the AEG in a safe direction while programming. To restore full auto mode, simply repeat this process.