I suppose some of the problems would have become evident in Northern Ireland, for example, the original problem with the magazine release catch became known (when troops patrolled with the weapon held against their body, it was not uncommon for the mag release to be knocked and the magazine to part company with the weapon at inconvenient times). IIRC this was fixed before the A2 upgrades by simply welding a guard around the catch. However, the sensitivity to dust wouldn't have been shown up so easily, but then, there's always the argument that it wouldn't be so important in a general European war as it was in the desert.
The question for the British armed forces, should they have to deal with the A1 during WW3, is whether it is better to A) keep struggling on with the damn thing as it is, B) change to a different weapon, with the corresponding need to buy a new weapon system, change the training regime, acquire all the necessary spare parts and ancilliaries, in the middle of a war, or C) try and upgrade the weapon.
Hmmmm. There has to be a particularly nasty scenario idea in there...
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