SAR-87

The Sterling SAR-87 came from the same design lineage as the SAR-80 and AR-18-derived rifle concepts. Sterling Armaments tried to position the weapon as a modern, robust 5.56 mm assault rifle at a time when many armies were standardizing on NATO small-calibre rifles. The project did not survive the company's decline and closure.

The SAR-87 was a selective-fire 5.56x45 mm rifle concept with mechanical roots in the AR-18 family. It was intended to offer M16-style calibre compatibility with a simpler and ruggedized operating system. The design's appeal depended on reliability and export affordability, but it lacked the institutional backing needed to displace already-adopted service rifles.

Operational significance is mainly historical. The SAR-87 illustrates the crowded 1980s assault-rifle market and Sterling's final attempts to remain relevant beyond the submachine-gun era. It did not enter major service, but it remains useful for understanding British small-arms alternatives around the same period that the SA80 became the national service rifle.