Posted on 03/07/2008 9:27:50 AM PST by Stoat
It is the latest weapon on the front line against the Taliban - the British Army's most powerful-ever sniper rifle, capable of killing with pinpoint accuracy from more than a mile away.
Yesterday the Army showed off its new Long Range Rifle, which has just entered service with combat units in Afghanistan to replace smaller and less powerful weapons.
The £11million upgrade programme is part of a "renaissance" of the sniper tradition - which during the Cold War was largely relegated to the sidelines - as modern commanders rediscover the huge value of pinpoint fire from sharpshooters.
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The new weapon, the L115A3, fires a heavier bullet to much longer ranges and has a state-of-the-art telescopic sight with twice the magnifying power of the old version.
More than 500 are on order from the British manufacturers, Accuracy International.
Since British forces moved into Helmand Province two years ago to take on the Taliban, demand for snipers has soared and 120 a year are now passing through the specialist training school at Warminster in Wiltshire.
One said: "It's a huge step forward. I'll be using the new rifle in Afghanistan this summer.
"It's a little heavier to carry, but the extra power is worth it. The improved telescopic sight can cut through the heat haze, which was preventing us from spotting targets at longer ranges."
Sniping is proving a hugely-important tactic in Afghanistan, where the difficulty of fighting among maze-like compounds and thick vegetation necessitates attacking the enemy at long range.
The controversy over so-called "collateral damage" from devastating airstrikes killing innocent civilians adds to the advantages of a pinpoint attack.
A senior officer at the Weapons Support School in Warminster said: "With the new rifle we now expect to be able to engage a target at 1,500 metres. With the old version it was about 1,000 metres.
"That makes a massive difference. You can keep the enemy at arm's length with snipers. Or you can have several of them firing simultaneously.
"It is devastating for an enemy's morale if a number of their fighters are suddenly shot at the same instant, and they can't even see where the firing is coming from. They tend to withdraw fast."
Training an infantryman to become a sniper can take up to a year, and only the most talented soldiers are allowed even to start the demanding courses.
First a candidate must master the technical aspects of shooting, learning to judge the strength of the wind extremely accurately using a variety of clues, and to adjust aim accordingly.
Just as importantly a sniper must learn to track his prey, move into position with extreme stealth, camouflage himself perfectly whether in natural cover or a battle-scarred city, and then disappear just as stealthily.
The senior officer said: "There is a long waiting list. Battalions are desperate to send soldiers here for training, and every soldier wants to be a sniper.
"They're held in extremely high regard. This new rifle will make them even more effective."
Asthetics are very poor with the awful looking woodish stock and all the sharp corners. Did the designer only have a ruler?
I THINK this is a .338 Lapua Magnum.
Our Specops have been using this caliber for years.
Two Pounds per round. That is some expensive ammo!
Perfect for deer chili!
.338 Laupa. 250 grain FMJ-BT is the standard load for snipers. Not sure what you mean by capacity, but if it is magazine capacity then the answer is five.
Friday and Gun Porn...a Freeper tradition!
He wasn’t lugging an M2 through the brush.
A 7.62mm bolt action was his tool.
How much +- do we get on that? :)
‘cuz the .50BMG is really big and heavy, not something you want to drag around while crawling in the brush for hours/days at a time.
The record for a sniper kill was set by a Canadian in Afghanistan — 2,320 meters, using a .50 BMG.
An attempt at a record for shameful government response to this achievement was made by our previous Liberal government.
http://www.riflebarrels.com/articles/50calibre/50sniping.htm
Lifhter, shorter range, much less penetration, but significantly more accurate within its operational distances.
The .50cal M82 Barrets were designed as an anti-material weapon, primarily.
http://www.researchpress.co.uk/targets/ballistics/sandyhook.htm
.45-70 at Two Miles:
The Sandy Hook Tests of 1879
The Islamic Date-Maker - matching Islamofascists with their virgins!!!!
“Mmmmm.... I think this baby would take care of the raccoon problem I have in my backyard. Fr@c%in’ little buggers are ripping the crud out of my new lawn.”
Naw.....
Way more fun blasting the little bas@@rds with a command detonated claymore...... :-)
Orrrr.
Capturing them in a live trap and capping them in the forehead with a .22 - and watch them twitch for a while.
8.59mm is a .338 caliber. Maybe the magnum or Lapua or any of a dozen casings.
About 1.6 clicks (km) in each mile.
Thanks...
“Not to be nitpicky, but 1100 m would only be about .7 miles or so.”
They could have saved some money by calling Barrett.
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