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Growing Popularity of 8.6mm Sniper Round
Strategy Page ^ | 10-09-07

Posted on 10/09/2007 4:37:41 AM PDT by Renfield

October 9, 2007: The British Army is replacing most of its 3,000 7.62mm L96A1 sniper rifles with one modified to use the .338 (8.6mm) Lapua Magnum caliber round. The Accuracy International "Super Magnum" rifle is basically a L96A1 "Arctic Warfare" rifle modified to handle the larger, 8.6mm Lapua Magnum round. The new rifle (the L118A1) weighs 15 pounds (without a scope), is fifty inches long and has a 27 inch barrel and a five round magazine.

Snipers in Iraq, and especially Afghanistan, have been calling for a longer range round, but find the 12.7mm (.50 caliber) weapons too heavy. The .338 (8.6mm) Lapua Magnum round has an effective range (about 1,500 meters) about 50 percent greater than the 7.62mm standard NATO round. The 8.6mm round entered use in the early 1990s, and became increasingly popular with police and military snipers. Dutch snipers have used this round in Afghanistan with much success, and have a decade of experience with these larger caliber rifles. British snipers in Afghanistan are also using the new round.

Recognizing the popularity of the 8.6mm round, Barrett, the pioneer in 12.7mm sniper rifles, came out with a 15.5 pound version of its rifle, chambered for the 8.6mm.


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; 338; banglist; rifles; rkba; secondamendment; snipers
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To: BCR #226
Well Mike, I surely do appreciate the referral, but i’ve already got a 5R barrel on my 700. Does that mean I had a Mike Rock right out of the box?

I don't need that kind of life, but it sure is nice to think my grandkids could get old with that rifle.

41 posted on 10/09/2007 10:59:10 AM PDT by papertyger
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To: archy

Hmmmmmmmmm?

Sniper demonstration or game warden tag?

:o)


42 posted on 10/09/2007 11:29:54 AM PDT by papertyger
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To: archy
If I were in your southpaw condition [I have been, for extended periods a few times, from injury] I think I'd be thinking about a .338 double rifle....

I'll be thinking about a double rifle in any caliber if (and only if) I win the lottery....

43 posted on 10/09/2007 11:36:41 AM PDT by Renfield (How come there aren't any football teams with pink uniforms?)
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To: archy

My cold shot rig is a old (now) Dakota Longbow in .338 lapua mag..... I’d love to have one of Malcolm Coopers designs but now that Uncle Sugar ain’t buying my toys for me any more I have to use restraint .......:o)

That Dakota Longbow has been rebuilt and re-barrelled 6 times in 12 years due the amount of ammo I put through it.....about 7000-14000 rnds a year when ammo was free. Tried Hart, Shilen and some weird German brand that an old GS weenie that worked for a S&W school talked me into that has held up the best.

BTW what is this new and improved from Ronnie Barrets little boy ....416 sumthin ???


44 posted on 10/09/2007 12:14:18 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: Renfield

45 posted on 10/09/2007 12:17:33 PM PDT by RightWhale (50 years later we're still sitting on the ground)
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To: wardaddy; Travis McGee; archy
my old .338 Lapua Mag Truck Gun......


46 posted on 10/09/2007 12:59:27 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: Squantos

.416 Barrett, cold bore hits @ 2500 meters.


47 posted on 10/09/2007 1:34:31 PM PDT by TEXASPROUD
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To: Squantos
my old .338 Lapua Mag Truck Gun......

You kept it in your truck, or you used it ON trucks...?

Ah, if we can only get Raufoss to build something like their Mark 211 Mod 0 .50 BMG projectile for the 8.58 x 70 mm rifles....

48 posted on 10/09/2007 1:45:29 PM PDT by archy (Et Thybrim multo spumantem sanguine cerno. [from Virgil's *Aeneid*.])
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To: Squantos
BTW what is this new and improved from Ronnie Barrets little boy ....416 sumthin ???

Barrett's Model 99-416, the cartridge wearing the Metric System designation 10.5x83mm- Though it has the same cartridge base dimensions, it's NOT just a cut-off and necked-down .50x99 BMG case, but there's still room for 200 grains of powder or so inside.

With 400-grain bullets, circa 3,300 fps from a 29-inch barrel, 1/2 MOA groups, and supersonic beyond 1.3 Miles with a BC of .989. Similar to and competition for the 408 Chey-Tac.

I don't have one, and *probably* don't need one. But I've got access to brass and a pal's handloads, as well as his rifle and a couple of test fixtures, so I may do some playing around with the thing in the future. Just the thing if you have an infestation of pesky water buffaloes in the back yard!

49 posted on 10/09/2007 2:06:01 PM PDT by archy (Et Thybrim multo spumantem sanguine cerno. [from Virgil's *Aeneid*.])
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To: archy

That’s almost 10,000 footpounds of energy!!!


50 posted on 10/09/2007 2:09:44 PM PDT by DungeonMaster (John 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee?)
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To: Osage Orange
...the guy is in the wrong camo for the terrain.

Yeah, but the guy behind him - that's good camo!

51 posted on 10/09/2007 2:18:31 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: x1stcav

lol...i’m on 150+ reading glasses and fading fast


52 posted on 10/09/2007 2:23:28 PM PDT by wardaddy (Behind the lines in Vichy Nashville)
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To: RightWhale

The way our climate has been here, lately, I’d be less surprised to see hippos, cape buffalo, or elephants, than moose. We’ve been 15 degrees above normal for weeks in Maryland.


53 posted on 10/09/2007 2:28:24 PM PDT by Renfield (How come there aren't any football teams with pink uniforms?)
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To: Renfield

Could snap into Ice Age conditions any day no warning. Best be ready. .338 is real popular here.


54 posted on 10/09/2007 2:30:39 PM PDT by RightWhale (50 years later we're still sitting on the ground)
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To: RightWhale

If that happens, it’s two-legged critters I’d have to shoo off, not moose or bears. I have a lifetime supply of buckshot and about 20 shotguns.


55 posted on 10/09/2007 2:37:57 PM PDT by Renfield (Turning apples into venison since 1999!)
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To: Renfield

Okay. Remember Wyatt Earp made a living shooting buffalo when he went West, and he used a shotgun rather than those fancy Africa big game rifles that got shot out right away.


56 posted on 10/09/2007 2:41:52 PM PDT by RightWhale (50 years later we're still sitting on the ground)
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To: DungeonMaster
That’s almost 10,000 footpounds of energy!!!

Yeah. Works great!

57 posted on 10/09/2007 3:07:51 PM PDT by archy (Et Thybrim multo spumantem sanguine cerno. [from Virgil's *Aeneid*.])
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To: Tolkien
I own a 8mm Hakem that was taken from an Egyptian soldier in the 6 Day War by an Israeli. The Egyptian didn’t need it anymore.

In most cases it wasn't so much that the Egyptian didn't *need* it anymore, but rather that he didn't *have* it anymore. I'm sure it was probably Never Fired and Only Dropped Once. The Hakim was a Swedish design, the AG42B Ljungman, rechambered from 6.5 Swedish to 8 mm Mauser. Later they built a scaleld down version, the Rasheed, for 7.62x39. As you can see the result was superficially similar to an SKS. They didn't make all that many of them before switching to the AK type.

Swedish AG42B Ljungman rifle (6.5 x 55 mm Swedish)
Egyptian Hakim rifle (8 x 57 mm Mauser)
Egyptian Rasheed carbine (7.62 x 39 mm Russian)

58 posted on 10/09/2007 4:51:23 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: umgud

OK...Where do go to get that?


59 posted on 10/09/2007 4:56:15 PM PDT by litehaus (A memory tooooo long)
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To: El Gato
(6.5 x 55 mm Swedish)

Inexpensive,accurate....Mucho fun to shoot.......(Have two)

60 posted on 10/09/2007 4:59:23 PM PDT by litehaus (A memory tooooo long)
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