New British Sniper Rifle

[LeEnfield]

National News

Wednesday 14 November 2007 13:37
Ministry Of Defence (National)

Deadly precision: Snipers get new longer range rifles

Snipers in the Army, Royal Marines and RAF Regiment are to get a new rifle that will give them lethal precision at even greater distances under a £4M contract announced today.
The British firm Accuracy International Ltd will supply 580 rifles with day telescopic sights for snipers across the services, which will fire a larger calibre bullet than the existing weapon.
The new rifle is being supplied as part of a broader Sniper System Improvement (SSI) programme to give UK snipers more power, precision and stealth than ever before. All-weather new advanced day and night sights will mean snipers can operate round the clock in difficult conditions, and laser technology will allow distant targets to be accurately located.
Baroness Taylor, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support said:
"We are committed to providing our troops on the front line with the equipment they need.
"Military snipers provide vital capability on operations, defeating the enemy and protecting our troops on the ground. In response to feedback from operations we are investing in new sniper equipment. The first contract is for the new longer range rifle and day sight, and we expect to start taking deliveries of this kit early next year."
Training units will familiarise themselves with the weapon and how it works with other parts of the sniper system. The rifle is due to be ready for operational use next spring.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. Accuracy International Ltd is based in Portsmouth
2. Day sights are manufactured by Schmidt & Bender
3. Other elements of the Sniper System Improvement programme include night sights, spotting scopes, laser range finders and tripods, and will be sourced from a variety of suppliers taking the total procurement value to over £11 million.
4. For further information contact the DE&S Press Office on 0117 9130638
SNIPER RIFLE
Long Range Rifle L115A3

Calibre: 8.59mm Weight: 6.8kg Length: 1300mm Muzzle velocity: 936m/s Feed: 5-round box Effective range: 1100m plus

 

[5.56X45mm]

I've played with their products before. Accuracy International makes good platforms but they're nothing revolutionary. They take a standard Remington 700 Action and customize the hell out of it. Basically they do the same thing that many custom gun smiths and armorers do for the military and civilian market. The caliber in question is one heavy hitting round. Very popular in British service along with some police forces here in he USA. I know a couple of folks that do long range bench rest shooting (1000 yard plus) and they use the .338 Laupa Magnum. The brits call it a 8.59mm because they use metric. The history of this cartridge can be traced back to the 1980s and the US Navy. In 1989, the Dutch picked it up and thus it became a NATO Cartridge.

Current US militray thought with the cartridge is to have it replace the .300 Winchester Magnum and .50 BMG as a sniper round. It has the same range as the .50 BMG but it's only draw back is that it does not have the ballistic punch like the .50 BMG for anti-material work. It's a great anti-personnel round for service against grounded infantry. It's an accurate cartridge and provides an excellent service life of barrel life.