Pete-
It was a good move to abandon the EM-2 because it probably wouldn�t have worked as designed. The locking system was unnecessarily complex and making it striker fired was a half baked idea. This isn�t to say that they couldn�t have eventually abandoned these ideas to something more reasonable, but who knows.
The FN FAL that the Brits ended up with was a first rate rifle in every way. I�ll agree that the EM�s .280 cartridge was a much better idea as was the .276 Pederson in the 1920�s, but us Yank�s have always been stuck on .30 bullets.
The current SA80 rifle has been a nightmare and has only recently become passable as a real combat weapon. Seems to me, the Brits should have followed us Yanks again and adopted the M16.
It breaks my heat to see my brethren across the pond suffering with such a horrible weapon.
