Zbrojovka vz. 59 Special Machine Gun Of Ceska Zbrojovka Army

CZ-UB, or Ceska Zbrojovka - Uhersky Brod (literally "Czech Weapons Factory - Uhersky Brod") began life as a satellite plant of the original Ceska Zbrojovka enterprise, Ceska Zbrojovka, a.s., Praha, a joint-stock company that was partially nationalized in the late 1930s. CZ-UB was originally known as Ceska Zbrojovka, a.s., Praha, zavod v Uherskem Brode ("Czech Weapons Factory, joint-stock company of Prague, Plant at Uhersky Brod") from its inception in 1936 to 1945. However, the full story of the company we know as "CZ" begins at the birth of the Czechoslovak Republic, shortly after World War I.


The troubled history between the Czech and Slovak peoples and their German and Austrian "neighbors" motivated the Czechoslovak Republic to build a strong domestic military-industrial complex. The Czechoslovak nation was created by treaty in 1919; thus, it inherited many political and social problems from the Austro-Hungarian Empire that were simply ignored at Versailles. These included the artificial marriage of the Czech and Slovak lands, large numbers of German and Hungarian minorities in Bohemia, and relative political isolation. From a strategic standpoint, Czechoslovakia was surrounded on three sides by hostile neighbors and did not enjoy close relations with Poland and the Soviet Union. For these reasons, the rearmament and industrial development of Czechoslovakia were the primary economic and strategic goals of the young republic, and this process began almost immediately in 1919-1920. New enterprises were created for the production for ordnance, munitions, and arms, and most of these facilities still exist today, usually in the form of independent joint-stock companies. Ceska Zbrojovka-Uhersky Brod is considered the current incarnation of the original Ceska Zbrojovka, which began life in this period.

It is impossible to tell the story of Ceska Zbrojovka without first discussing Zbrojovka Brno. Officially founded in 1917, Zbrojovka Brno ("Weapons Factory of Brno") had played a small, but vital role in the first World War. Brno is the former capital of the Kingdom of Moravia, and it is also the second largest city in the Czech lands. The Brno arsenal would soon make a name for Czech firearms in the European civilian market, but the Brno plant lacked the overall capacity to rearm an entire nation. As the only major established arsenal, the renamed Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Brno tackled several high-priority projects in 1919-1920. These included the manufacture of railway rolling stock, design and manufacture of hand grenades, and the re-arsenaling of Austrian 8mm M-95 Mannlicher rifles. Beginning in 1921, Brno began manufacture of Mauser Gewehr 98 rifles, since German production was prevented by the Versailles Treaty. While this meant that Brno would be better known for most of the 20th century, it created a unique opportunity for the development of Ceska Zbrojovka.


The forerunner of CZ-UB was the enterprise Jihoceska Zbrojovka, which was established at Plzen in 1919. In 1921, Jihoceska Zbrojovka moved to Strakonice. In 1922, the company absorbed the Hubertus Company, which had facilities at Vejprty and Prague. At this time, the company was renamed Ceska Zbrojovka. By 1923, these facilities were known as Ceská Zbrojovka v Praze ("Czech Weapons Factory of Prague") and Ceská Zbrojovka v Praze, Továrny ve Strakonicích ("Czech Weapons Factory of Prague, Strakonice Plant"). Various firms in the Czechoslovak Republic and Western Europe supplied some of the necessary parts during this period.


During this early period, Jihoceska Zbrojovka/Ceska Zbrojovka production concentrated on the vz-22 pistol, a relatively complicated locked-breech design in .380 ACP (9x17mm, 9mm Browning Short). Essentially, the vz-22 was a pocket pistol intended for export, like the vast majority of European handguns of the post-war period. In 1924, the vz-24 replaced the vz-22. The vz-24 is little more than an improved and more elegant vz-22; it was also chambered in .380 ACP. The vz-24 was more popular than its forerunner in the civilian export market, and thus more common in the U.S. and Western Europe. During this period, the Czech military issued a wide variety of handguns, including Austro-Hungarian models and the vz-24.


By 1924, the general policy of the Czech arms industry emerged: Zbrojovka Brno would make bolt-action rifles and Ceska Zbrojovka would make virtually everything else (mostly pistols, machine guns, aircraft armament, and signal guns). With the notable exception of the vz-24 pistol, which was also exported, Ceska Zbrojovka focused on contracts for the Czechoslovak military and police from 1924-1938. During this period, production at Brno concentrated on the vz-24 Czech Mauser for the Czech military and export. The emphasis on export was intended to garner foreign currency for modernization of the Czech arms industry.

The Gun, Machine, Vickers, .5-inch, Mk. III was used as an anti-aircraft gun on British ships.

The weight of the gun itself varied based on the gear attached, but was generally 25-30 lb (11-13 kg), with a 40-50 lb (18-23 kg) tripod. The ammunition boxes for the 250-round ammunition belts weighed 22 lb (10 kg) each. In addition, it required about 7.5 imperial pints (4.3 L) of water in its evaporative cooling system to prevent overheating. The heat of the barrel boiled the water in the jacket surrounding it. The resulting steam was taken off by flexible tube to a condenser container—this had the dual benefits of avoiding giving away the gun's location, and also enabling re-use of the water, which was very important in arid environments.
Rimmed, centrefire Mk 7 .303 inch (7.7 mm) cartridge from World War II.

In British service, the Vickers gun fired the standard .303 inch (7.7 mm) cartridges used in the Lee Enfield rifle, which generally had to be hand-loaded into the cloth ammunition belts. There was also a 0.5 in (12.7 mm) calibre version used as an anti-aircraft weapon and various other calibres produced for foreign buyers. Some British tanks of the early Second World War were equipped with the 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Vickers.

The gun was 3 ft 8 in (1.1 m) long and its cyclic rate of fire was between 450 and 600 rounds per minute. In practice, it was expected that 10,000 rounds would be fired per hour, and that the barrel would be changed every hour—a two-minute job for a trained team. Firing the Mark 8 cartridge, which had a streamlined bullet, it could be used against targets at a range of approximately 4,500 yd (4.1 km).

Type 67 machine gun used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Mechine Gun

The Type 67 is a 7.62 mm general purpose machine gun used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It shares some design features with the Soviet-built PK machine gun, but is a true hybrid of a number of different machine gun models, including both Soviet and Western designs that had been in Chinese military service at various times throughout the twentieth century. Since 1967 – the year of its introduction – the Type 67 has gone through two model modifications and improvements, with the newer models designated Type 67-1 and Type 67-2.

Sumitomo NTK 62 Japan Self Defense Force Mechine Gun

The T-62/NTK-62 is the standard issue GPMG of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Known as the Type-62 GPMG, It is similar to the Belgian FN MAG, but not a variation of it. Though the Sumitomo Heavy Industries\' M249 had largely replaced it in the JGSDF, the weapon still plays a support role as it is still used as a co-axial weapon in various armored vehicles, including tanks and APCs, as well as being a medium support machine gun. Similar in application to the M60 Machine gun, it fires 7.62 mm NATO cartridges.

After years of using the Browning M1919A4 as its standard GPMG during the early days of founding the Japan Self Defense Forces, Sumitomo Heavy Industries had manufactured the NTK-62 GPMG, designed at Japan Special Steel (NTK) by Masaya Kawamura\'s team. The designation \"62\" was present due to the fact that first batches of the NTK-62 were made in the year 1962.

One can tell the NTK-62 from the FN MAG from the bipod, barrel, buttstock and pistol grip as these changes were possibly made to suit Japan Self Defense Forces guidelines and standards.

The Stoner 63/63A LMG is an automatic weapon that fires from the open bolt and the trigger Mechine Gun

The Stoner 63/63A is supplied with several accessories, including: a blank-firing attachment (BFA), winter trigger guard, asbestos-lined spare barrel bag, cleaning kit, 40 mm grenade launcher, several types of slings and a wide range of belt box and magazine pouches.

The Stoner 63/63A used three different types of bayonets: the standard U.S. M7, the KCB 70, developed specifically for this rifle by the West German company Eickhorn-Solingen together with NWM and a rare bayonet made by the Swiss industrial conglomerate SIG. The KCB 70 features a 7-inch (180 mm) long Bowie blade with a clip-point and an integrated wire-cutter, it was inspired by Soviet bayonets for the AKM. A highly successful multi-purpose tool that was a far superior field knife to the M7, it evolved into the KCB 77, a modular design that was adapted to many different assault rifles.

Austrian soldiers deployed with the Steyr AUG

The rifle features a two-stage trigger (pulling the trigger halfway produces semi-automatic fire, pulling the trigger all the way to the rear produces fully automatic fire) and a safety mechanism (cross-bolt, button type), located immediately above the hand grip. In its “safe” position (white dot) the trigger is mechanically disabled; pressing the safety button to the left exposes a red dot and indicates the weapon is ready to fire. Some versions have an ALO or "automatic lockout", a small projection at the base of the trigger. This was first included on the Irish Defence Forces variant of the rifle, and soon after, the Australian Defence Forces variant. In the exposed position the ALO stops the trigger being squeezed past the semi-automatic position. If needed, the ALO can be pushed up to permit automatic fire.

The rifle is fed from translucent, double-column box magazines (molded from a high-strength polymer) with a 30-round capacity and an empty weight of 130 g (4.6 oz). The light machine gun version of the AUG uses an extended 42-round magazine.

Integrated with the receiver casting is a fixed carry handle that contains a 1.5x telescopic sight made by Swarovski Optik. It contains a simple black ring reticle with a basic rangefinder that is designed so that at 300 m (984.3 ft) a 180 cm (5 ft 10.9 in) tall man-size target will completely fill ( subtend ) it, giving the shooter a relatively accurate method of estimating range. The sight cannot be set to a specific range but can be adjusted for windage and elevation for an initial zero and is designed to be calibrated for 300 m. When so set, aiming at the centre of a target will produce a hit at all ranges out to 300m. The rifle also has a back-up iron sight with a rear notch and front blade, cast into the top of the aluminum optical sight housing, used in case of failure or damage to the primary optical sight. The sight is also equipped with a set of three illuminated dots (one on the front blade and two at the rear) for use in low-level lighting conditions. In order to mount a wide range of optics and accessories, a receiver with a NATO-standard Picatinny rail and detachable carry handle was also developed and introduced in 1997.

Three-pronged, open-type flash suppressors were used on the 350 mm (13.8 in), 407 mm (16.0 in) and 508 mm (20.0 in) length barrels, whereas the 621 mm (24.4 in) light machine gun barrel received a closed-type ported muzzle device (combination flash suppressor and compensator) and an integral, lightweight folding bipod. The flash suppressors are screwed to the muzzle and internally threaded to take a blank-firing attachment.

The rifle comes standard with four magazines, a muzzle cap, spare bolt for left-handed shooters, blank-firing adaptor, cleaning kit, sling and either an American M7 or Austrian KCB bayonet.

The USSR ARMY Kalashnikov RPK light machine gun

The RPK has a new, heavier and extended barrel with an increased heat capacity. The chrome-lined barrel is permanently fixed to the receiver and cannot be replaced in the field. It is fitted with a new front sight base, gas block (lacks the bayonet lug) and an under-barrel cleaning rod guide. The barrel also features a folding bipod, mounted near the muzzle and a front sight base with a lug that limits the bipod's rotation around the barrel. The barrel's muzzle is threaded, enabling the use of a blank-firing adaptor. When the blank-firing attachment is not used, the threading is protected by a thread protector cap from the AK. The barrel is pinned to the receiver in a modified trunnion, reinforced by ribbing, and is slightly wider than the trunnion used in the AKM. Symmetrical bulges on both sides of the barrel chamber ensure proper fit inside the receiver.

The RPK receiver cover is stamped from a smooth 1.5 mm (0.1 in) sheet of steel (compared to only 1 mm sheet metal used in the AKM). Interchangeability of parts between the RPK and AKM is quite significant.

The RPK uses a different recoil mechanism as compared to the AKM, which consists of a rear spring guide rod from the AK, and a new forward flat guide rod and coil spring.

The RPK features a thicker wooden forearm, a fixed wooden buttstock shaped like the RPD stock, optimized for prone firing, and a pistol grip from the AKM.

The weapon is fed from box magazines with a 40-round capacity or a 75-round drum magazine, both are compatible with magazines used with the AK-47 and AKM series.

A pintle-mounted MG 3A1 on a Norwegian armoured vehicle. Wars snipers

The MG 3 is an automatic, air-cooled, belt-fed short recoil-operated firearm. It features a roller locked bolt mechanism that consists of the bolt head, a pair of rollers, the striker sleeve, bolt body and return spring. The bolt is locked securely by a wedge-like striker sleeve, which forces two cylindrical rollers contained in the bolt head outward, and into corresponding recesses in the extension of the breech of the barrel. On firing, both the barrel and barrel extension recoil to the rear compressing both rollers as they are cammed inward and out of their sockets by fixed cams, unlocking the bolt head. The bolt carrier and bolt then continue to the rear together guided by fixed guides while the barrel and barrel extension return to battery. Upon return of the bolt forward, the impact of the rollers against the camming surfaces on the breech carry the rollers from their seats, and, together with the surfaces on the striker sleeve, force the rollers outward, locking the bolt head into the barrel extension and ensuring a complete lock. The bolt also houses a spring-loaded casing extractor and ejector. Ejection is carried out when the ejector strikes the buffer head, sending a push forward through the ejector bar, which hits the ejector pin. This pin pushes the top of the base of the cartridge, which is still held by the extractor at the base, causing the empty casing to rotate and eject downward through the ejection chute.

The machine gun has an automatic-only trigger mechanism and a cross-bolt safety in the form of a button that is operated by the shooting hand (in its "safe" position the bolt release is disabled). The weapon fires from an open bolt.

The MG 3 feeds from the left side through a feed block using metal, 50-round continuous-link ammunition belts (which can be combined by cartridge) or disintegrating-link M13 or DM6 belts. In the light machine gun role, the DM1 MG 3 is deployed with a 100-round belt fitted inside a synthetic ammunition drum developed by Heckler & Koch that is latched on to the left side of the receiver. The rear wall of the drum is transparent and serves as a visual indicator for the amount of ammunition available. The feed system operates through a feed arm that is housed in the feed cover. Two feed pawls are linked to the front end of the arm by an intermediate link and move in opposite directions, moving the belt in two stages as the bolt moves back and forward during firing.
The MG 3 seen here in the stationary, heavy machine gun role, mounted on a stabilized Feldlafette tripod and fitted with an optical periscope sight.

The MG 3 has a quick-change, chrome-lined barrel with 4 right-hand grooves and a rifling twist rate of 1 in 305 mm (1:12 in). The barrel is integrated with the barrel breech. The barrel should be changed frequently during sustained firing. The gun is cocked and the barrel catch on the right of the barrel shroud is swung forward. The breech end of the hot barrel swings out and can be removed by elevating or twisting the gun. A fresh barrel is then inserted through the barrel catch and the muzzle bearing. When the catch is rotated back the barrel is locked and the machine gun can resume firing. Both the receiver housing and ventilated barrel casing are made from pressed sheet steel. A muzzle device is mounted at the end of the barrel and it acts as a flash suppressor, muzzle brake and recoil booster.

The machine gun is equipped with a synthetic polymer stock, a folding bipod and open-type iron sights (sliding rear U-notch on a ramp with range settings from 200 to 1,200 m). A flip-up anti-aircraft sight is also provided.

In a stationary, heavy machine gun role the MG 3 is mounted on a buffered tripod called a Feldlafette and outfitted with a periscope sight that can be used to engage indirect targets.

A 19th Special Forces Group soldier mans an M60 machine gun on a HMMWV in Afghanistan

The M60 is a belt-fed machine gun that fires the 7.62 mm NATO cartridge commonly used in larger rifles. It is generally used as crew-served weapon and operated by a team of two or three men. The team consists of the gunner, the assistant gunner (A-gunner in military slang), and the ammunition bearer. The gun's weight and the amount of ammunition it consumes when fired make it difficult for a single soldier to carry and operate. The gunner carries the weapon and, depending on his strength and stamina, anywhere from 200 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The assistant carries a spare barrel and extra ammunition, and reloads and spots targets for the gunner. The ammunition bearer carries additional ammunition and the tripod with associated traversing and elevation mechanism, if issued, and fetches more ammunition as needed during firing.
Firing an M60 machine gun from the standing position during the DEFENDER CHALLENGE '88 competition

The basic ammunition load carried by the crew is 600 to 900 rounds and theoretically allows approximately two minutes of continuous firing at the maximum rate of fire. All crews carry more than the basic load, sometimes three or more times the basic amount.[citation needed]

The M60 can be accurately fired at short ranges from the shoulder due to its design. This was an initial requirement for the design and a hold-over in concept from the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle. It may also be fired from the integral bipod, M122 tripod, and some other mounts.

M60 ammunition comes in a cloth bandolier containing a cardboard box of 100 pre-linked rounds. The M60 changed from M1 link to the different M13 link, a change from the older link system with which it was not compatible. The cloth bandoleer is reinforced to allow it to be hung from the current version of the feed tray. Historically, units in Vietnam used B3A cans from C-rations packs locked into the ammunition box attachment system to roll the ammunition belts over for a straighter and smoother feed to the loading port to enhance reliability of feed. The later models changed the ammunition box attachment point and made this adaptation not possible.

The IMI Negev is a light-weight, 5.56 mm calibre, belt-fed, bipod mounted, Israeli machine gun used as a squad assault weapon

The Negev is a gas-operated automatic firearm that uses propellant gases from the barrel to cycle a short-stroke gas piston operating system under the barrel and a rotary bolt locking mechanism. The bolt itself features 4 radial locking lugs that engage the barrel extension and its rotation is controlled by a pin on the bolt body, which rides inside a camming guide machined into the bolt carrier. The bolt contains a spring-powered casing extractor unit, while a lever ejector is housed inside the receiver (it is rotated by the recoiling bolt carrier).

The Negev’s adjustable gas regulator has three settings: “1” – used exclusively when feeding from a magazine (the weapon’s rate of fire in this mode is 850–1,150 rounds/min), setting “2” is used in normal operating conditions when feeding from a belt (rate of fire: 850–1,150 rounds/min) and setting “3” which is used under adverse operating conditions, such as in the presence of dust, dirt or heavy fouling (cyclic rate of fire is 950-1,150 rounds/min). Early prototypes used a different 3-position gas adjustment system: setting “1” – normal operation, setting “2” – for adverse environmental conditions and setting “3” – isolates the gas system, used to launch rifle grenades with the use of a grenade-launching blank cartridge drawn from a special 12-round magazine (from the Galil rifle).

The Negev is striker-fired, where the bolt carrier assembly acts as the striker. The light machine gun fires from an open bolt position. A lever-type fire control selector switch is provided (“A” – automatic fire, “R” – semi-automatic fire), installed on the left side of the pistol pistol grip, which doubles as a manual safety against accidental firing. The safe “S” position disables the sear mechanism (which makes it impossible to cock the bolt carrier), by lifting the lever responsible for holding the bolt carrier in the forward position and disconnects the trigger mechanism from the sear. The weapon can be secured safe regardless of the position of the bolt carrier group. The cocking handle is equipped with a ratcheting mechanism that immobilizes the partially-cocked bolt carrier.

The Negev feeds from an M27 disintegrating, open-link ammunition belt, carried in a 150-round fabric container that clips into the magazine well or alternately from a 35-round box magazine from the Galil assault rifle or a 30-round STANAG magazine from the M16 rifle (with the use of an adapter). 200-round ammunition belt containers are also available. Belted ammunition is introduced into the feed tray port from the left side, while the magazine is inserted vertically into the magazine well at the base of the receiver. The feed system uses a pawl feeding mechanism, driven by the recoiling bolt carrier, but the belt is only moved during the rearward movement of the bolt carrier. The non-reciprocating charging handle is located on the right side of the weapon.

The Negev has a quick-change chrome-lined barrel that is manufactured using a cold hammer forging process. The barrel is fitted with a slotted flash suppressor and a fixed carry handle, which is used to transport the weapon and change-out an overheated barrel. The barrel can only be changed after lifting open the feed tray cover.

During the weapon’s initial development a barrel with a 1 in 305 mm (1:12 in) rifling twist rate was also planned, adapted for the lightweight M193 cartridge. Additionally, a multifunction muzzle device was designed, used to launch rifle grenades.

The Negev’s iron sights (closed-type) consist of a front post (adjustable for both windage and elevation) and a rear aperture sight with an elevation adjustment drum, with 300 to 1,000 m range settings. For night-time operation the weapon is equipped with gaseous tritium-illuminated vials (supplied by Betalight): one installed in the front sight post, and two — on a notch sight under the standard aperture sight arm (before use, the rear sight leaf is pivoted forward to expose the night notch sight). A rail is integrated into the receiver top cover that allows optical day and night-time sights to be mounted to the weapon. The barrel can also be optionally fitted with mounting hardware that would allow the Negev to mount a laser pointer or reflex sight.

The machine gun has a metal side-folding (right side) stock and a removable bipod, installed to the forward end of the handguard and folded under the handguard when stowed. The receiver also has slots and hooks used to secure the weapon to vehicle mounting hardware.

The Negev uses the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge and is optimized for the SS109 bullet. Field maintenance involves stripping the weapon down to six main groups: the barrel, stock, bolt carrier, bolt, bipod and return mechanism. All parts, including the quick-change barrels, are fully interchangeable.

FN Minimi - Belgian-made version of basic machine gun

The M249 is a belt-fed light machine gun. It fires the 5.56x45 mm NATO cartridge, usually a combination of one M856 tracer and four M855 ball cartridges fed from M27 linked belts. Belts are typically held in a hard plastic or soft canvas box attached to the underside of the weapon.

It fires from an open bolt and is gas operated. When the trigger is pulled, the bolt and bolt carrier move forward under the power of the recoil spring. A cartridge is stripped from the belt, chambered, and discharged, sending a bullet down the bore. Expanding propellant gases are diverted through a hole in the barrel into a chamber. This pressure moves a piston providing the energy to extract and eject the spent casing as well as advance the belt and compress the recoil spring, thus preparing for subsequent shots. At 1,041 mm (41 in) long and 7.5 kg (17 lb) in weight (10 kg (22 lb) including a 200-round belt and plastic ammo box), the M249 is a cumbersome weapon.

The barrel has a rifling twist rate of one turn in 180 mm (7 in). Because firing heats up the bore, the air-cooled barrel is equipped with a mechanism to remove and replace the barrel assembly with a spare. A folding bipod with adjustable legs is attached near the front of the weapon, though there are provisions for hard-mounting to a M192 Lightweight Ground Mount tripod or vehicle mount. The M249 provides accuracy approaching that of a rifle, combined with the sustained volume of fire of a machine gun. Its original gas regulator offered two different gas port sizes, allowing cyclic rates of fire of 750 rounds per minute (r/min) or 1,000 r/min. The latter setting was intended for adverse conditions such as an excessively dirty firearm or cold weather. The two-position gas regulator was discarded as part of a product improvement program. Sustained rate of fire, the rate of fire at which the gunner can fire continuously without overheating, is approximately 85 r/min.

he FN Browning .50 caliber machine gun is a variant of the US model, designed to suit European production practices.

The FN Browning M2 HB-QCB is basically a Fabrique Nationale copy of the American design with slight alterations made to suit European production practices. In all actuality, the system - especially the early production models - are fairly close in resembling and operating like their American counterparts.

The FN Browning M2 HB-QCB can be found in varying roles depending on mission-specific usage. These roles include vehicle-mounted firing, tripod-mounted firing or coaxial-mounted firing. A lightweight version is reserved for airborne units and can supply a good 950-1,100 rounds per minute cyclic rate of fire in full automatic. Upgrade kits for older M2 systems were also made available that included new barrels, breech lock system and barrel extension kit. Additional options such as a "anti-cook off" attachment was also supplied to the lightweight airborne model. In all, the FN Browning M2 HB-QCB Series carried on the successful traditions of the lethal American-made Browning Heavy Machine Guns popularized throughout World War Two as a tank, aircraft or pintle-mounted weapon of some noted reliability.

The M3 Tripod adds an additional 43.98 lbs (19.95 kg)of weight to the system when fielded as such.
Sources: http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=219

A U.S. Marine firing the British L7A2 version of the MAG Mechine Gun

The MAG uses ignited powder gases vented through a port in the barrel to propel a gas piston rod connected to the locking assembly (it uses a long-stroke piston system). The barrel breech is locked with a vertically-tilting, downward locking lever mechanism that is connected to the bolt carrier through an articulated joint. The locking shoulder and camming surfaces that guide the locking lever are located at the base of the receiver. The MAG uses a series of proven design concepts from other successful firearms, for example the locking mechanism is modeled on that of the Browning M1918 (BAR) automatic rifle, and the feed and trigger mechanisms are from the WWII-era MG42 universal machine gun.

The MAG fires from an open bolt. Both the spring-powered extractor and ejector are contained in the bolt. After firing, spent cartridge casings are removed through an ejection port located at the base of the receiver (a spring-loaded dust cover of the MG42 type covers the ejection port). The machine gun has a striker firing mechanism (the bolt carrier acts as the striker as it contains a channel that houses the firing pin, which protrudes out from the surface of the bolt upon firing), an automatic-only trigger assembly and a manual cross-bolt push-button safety, which is located above the pistol grip. With the safety placed in the “safe” setting, the sear mechanism is disabled. The safety can only be engaged with the weapon cocked.

South Korean soldier uses Daewoo K3 Mechine Gun

The K3 is a light machine gun resembling the FN Minimi and uses a standard 5.56 mm NATO cartridge. Its greatest advantage is that it is lighter than the M60 and can interchange cartridges with both the K1A and K2. The feed can come from either a 30-round box magazine or a 250-round metal link belt. It can be used with a bipod for the Squad Automatic role, and fitted with a tripod for sustained fire support.

The rear sight is adjustable for elevation and windage, and the foresight can be adjusted for elevation for zeroing. The barrel has a built-in carry handle for ease of changing the barrel. The action is gas piston driven, with a rotating bolt.

The Shrike 5.56 - Advanced Weapons System(tm), (AR15/M16 Belt-Feed Upper Receiver Assembly by Ares Defense Systems) is officially in production sniper

The Shrike 5.56-SOF/CQB (Special Operations Forces/Close Quarters Battle) with 12.5? CQB barrel, ARES-16SPW lower receiver with 6-position stock, MIL-STD (1913) rail handguard, Aimpoint Comp M3 optical sight, SureFire M900A vertical foregrip/light and 200-round SAW ammunition container

AAT M.1952 machine gun in medium role, on tripod

Caliber 7,5mm French (AAT-52); 7,62mm NATO (AAT F-1)
Weigth ca. 10 kg on bipod with light barrel; ca. 23 kg on tripod with heavy barrel
Length 1245 mm with long (heavy) barrel
Length of barrel 500 or 600 mm
Feeding belt 50 or 200 rounds
Rate of fire 700 rounds per minute

French armed forces got their own universal machine gun in 1952 with adoption of the AAT Mle.52 (Arme Automatique Transformable Modele 1952, or transformable automatic weapon model 1952) machine gun in 7.5mm caliber, developed by MAC (Manufacture d’Armes de Chatellerault). It was tested against several other designs, including a MAS M1950 prototype, a gas-operated universal machine gun with combination box magazine / belt feed. AAT M52 is a slim-looking weapon of indigenous design, available in a number of versions (light infantry on bipod and with light barrel, medium infantry on tripod and with heavy barrel, vehicle with heavy barrel). It was not without certain flaws, however, the most important being its retarded blowback action, which is sensitive to headspace adjustments and the timing of the bolt / retarder group. This gun, along with the older M1924/29 light machine gun, served with the French army through the Indo-China and Algeria campaigns, and is still the primary universal machine gun of French armed forces. With the transition to the NATO standards, the M52 machine gun was adapted to the 7.62x51 NATO ammunition, and got re-designated as AAT F1. The AAT M52 / F1 guns are now old, and at the time of writing France had expressed interest in acquiring a replacement GPMG. It seems probable that this will be a foreign design.

The AAT Mle.52 is a retarded blowback operated, air cooled, belt fed, automatic machine gun which fires from an open bolt. Barrels are quick-detachable and available in two versions – “light” (intended for the LMG role) and “heavy” (intended for sustained fire role).
The AAT Mle.52 uses a modified delayed blowback action originally designed by Pal Kiraly before WW2. In this system, the initial opening of the bolt is retarded by a lever which is installed between the light bolt head and the relatively heavy bolt body. When the bolt is in battery, a short arm of the lever rests against a recess in the receiver wall, and the long arm rests against the bolt body. Upon recoil, this lever, which is attached via a pivot to the bolt head, rotates to accelerate the heavy bolt body relative to the bolt head, thus slowing down the initial movement of the bolt head. Once the pressure in the barrel is low enough, the retarding lever exits the recess in receiver, and the bolt group continues its recoil cycle as one unit, extracting and ejecting the spent case on the opening movement and then loading and firing a fresh cartridge if the trigger remains pressed. To assist reliable extraction, the gun has a fluted chamber. While this locking system is relatively simple, it is quite sensitive to headspacing and also permits a lot of fouling, created by burning powder, to get inside the receiver.
The belt feed is more or less a copy of the German MG 42 feed, and is operated by a stud on the top of the bolt body. Feed is from the left side, using disintegrating belts with open pockets. In the 7.62 NATO version, this gun uses American M13 links.
Standard furniture includes a telescoping butt, made of stamped steel, a stamped steel pistol grip with plastic grip panels, a carrying handle and a folding bipod, both attached to the barrel. In the light role the AAT Mle.52 can be fitted with an optional rear monopod; in the sustained fire role, it is installed on a modified US M2 tripod using a special adaptor with traverse and elevation mechanisms. It must be pointed out that while the barrel change procedure for the AAT Mle.52 is quick in theory, in practice it could be less comfortable when the gun is used from a bipod. Since the bipod is attached to the barrel, the gunner has to hold the gun in his hands while his Number 2 replaces the barrel. When the gun is used from more substantial mount, i.e. tripod or vehicle, this is no problem as the mounting via the receiver supports the gun

The WA 2000 is a semi-automatic bullpup sniper rifle that was produced by the Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen company Sniper

The WA 2000 was designed in the 1970s. The bullpup design was chosen because it would allow a standard length (for a sniper rifle) barrel to be used whilst the overall length would be shorter than a conventional rifle.

The WA 2000 used the PV4 night vision sniper scope.

The .300 Winchester Magnum round was chosen as the primary caliber because of its long range accuracy and its consistency at all ranges. The entire rifle is designed around the barrel. The WA 2000 fires from a closed bolt and uses a bolt with seven locking lugs. The rifle features a six round magazine capacity

Vidhwansak an Indian multi-caliber anti-materiel rifle USed By Indian Sniper Forces

Vidhwansak is a manually operated, rotating bolt action rifle. The barrel along with the receiver recoil inside the chassis frame against a damping system. The rifle is fed from a detachable box magazine, that is inserted from the left side. The rifle can be quickly disassembled and carried in two man-portable packs, each weighting about 12 - 15 kg.

The rifle has an effective range of 1800 m (1300 m for the 20 mm version)[3], while shots can be achieved even up to 2000 m. The rifle is magazine fed, and reloaded through manual bolt action.

A muzzle brake is fitted on the end of the barrel which absorbs an estimated 50%-60% of recoil. This is further supplemented by a buffered slide in the receiver.

Vidhwansak is equipped with an 8X magnification, long eye relief telescopic sight with Parallax adjustment.

The M21 Sniper Weapon Systemis chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. Sniper AMMO

The United States Army wanted an accurate sniper rifle during the Vietnam War. The M14 was selected because of its accuracy, reliability, and the ability for a quick second shot. As a result, in 1969, the Rock Island Arsenal converted 1,435 National Match (target grade) M14s by adding a Leatherwood 3–9x Adjustable Ranging Telescope and providing National Match grade ammunition. It was designated the M21 in 1975. The M21 remained the Army's primary sniper rifle until 1988, when it was replaced by the M24 Sniper Weapon System.

In standard military use, the M21 uses a 20-round box magazine as the other members of the M14 family, and weighs 5.27 kg without the scope. The U.S. military never officially authorized or purchased magazines in any other capacity, although 5- and 10-round magazines are available.

QBU-88 rifle is optimized for a special heavy loading of 5.8 x 42 mm cartridge, with a longer streamlined bullet with steel core Sniper

The QBU-88 rifle is a gas operated, semiautomatic rifle. It utilizes a short stroke gas piston, located above the barrel, and three-lug rotating bolt. The action is mounted in the compact steel receiver, and enclosed into a polymer bullpup-type housing. To increase accuracy, the action's mated to a 640 mm (25.1 in) long, hammer-forged match-grade barrel. The safety switch is located at the bottom of the receiver, just behind the magazine opening. The QBU-88 rifle is equipped with open, diopter type adjustable sights, mounted on folding posts. It also has a short proprietary Chinese military rail on the receiver which can accept telescope or night sight mounts. This allows the easy mount/dismount of both day and night optics. The rifle is intended to be utilized primarily with optics. The standard day optic used on the QBU-88 for military use is a Chinese 3-9x40 scope with an integral quick-release mount. In 2008 a new Chinese 6-24x44 tactical scope became available for counter-terrorism and other law enforcement use. The rifling twist for the QBU-88 differs from the standard QBZ-95 assault rifle. While the TQBZ-95 has a 244 mm (1-9.6 in) twist to stabilize the standard 64-grain DBP-87 ball round, the QBU-88 has a faster 206 mm (1-8.1 in) twist to stabilize the 70-grain Heavy Ball round and dedicated Sniper load. It's also interesting to note the QJY-88 GPMG has progressive rifling with a final twist rate of 206 mm. A long birdcage flash-suppressor is fitted to reduce the muzzle signature. A quick-detachable bipod is clamped to the barrel when required.

M110 SASS is a semi-automatic rifle that is chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO round

Semi-Automatic Sniper System is intended to replace the M24 Sniper Weapon System used by snipers, spotters, designated marksman, or squad advanced marksmen in the United States Army. However, the Army still plans on acquiring M24s from Remington until February 2010.[1] The U.S. Army ran a competition involving several designs, including ones from Knight's Armament Company, Remington, and DPMS Panther Arms. On September 28, 2005, the Knight's Armament Co. rifle won the competition and was selected to be the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System. In April 2007, U.S. Army soldiers from Task Force Fury in Afghanistan were the first in a combat zone to receive the M110. The troops rated the weapon extremely highly, noting the quality of the weapon and its semi-automatic capabilities compared to the bolt-action M24.

It is manufactured by Knight's Armament Company in Titusville, Florida, though the complete system incorporates a Leupold 3.5–10× variable power daytime optic, Harris swivel bipod, AN/PVS-14 night sight and PALs magazine pouches of yet unpublished origin. The company name for the rifle is SR-M110 SASS, but the U.S. Army official designation is the M110 SASS. The rifle has ambidextrous features such as a double-sided magazine release, safety selector switch, and bolt catch.

PSG1 Used by the Grupo Especial de Operaciones Snipers Army

The PSG1 is mechanically based on the G3 rifle and features a low-noise bolt closing device (similar to the forward assist on many M16 rifles). Its expected accuracy is below 1 minute of arc (MOA) and it is considered to be one of the most accurate semi-automatic sniper rifles in the world. In the hands of a professional shooter, the PSG1 is capable of putting 50 rounds of match-grade inside of an 80 mm circle at 300 meters (3.14 in circle at 328 yd).

PSG1s are not supplied with iron sights but come equipped with the Hensoldt ZF6x42PSG1 scope with an illuminated reticle. The scope has a built-in range adjustment feature which can be adjusted from 100 to 600 m.

It has a heavy free-floating barrel and an adjustable stock. The stock is of high impact matte black plastic and has a high degree of adjustment. It is adjustable for length, and includes a pivoting butt cap and a vertically-adjustable cheekpiece. The forend is fitted with a T-way rail for sling swivel or tripod.

The rifle also features a removable and adjustable trigger unit, for further individual fitting of the rifle. The trigger pull can be modified and the whole assembly is removable from the pistol grip. The pistol grip is of a target-style with an adjustable palm shelf.

Another unique characteristic of the PSG1 is that after firing, the cartridge casing is ejected with substantial force, reportedly enough to throw it approximately 10 meters to the side. While this is generally not an issue for law enforcement snipers, it greatly compromises the military use of the rifle, because it would easily give away the sniper's position. The brass is also difficult to find for clearing the area of usage marks afterwards, due to the wide area in which it could have landed. Not only does this rifle eject brass some distance, but it crimps the casing severely, meaning most casings cannot be reused. The PSG1 also has a fluted chamber that does not allow the use of subsonic ammunition normally used in conjunction with a sound suppressor or built-in silencer.

M86 Sniper Rifle U.S. armed forces Standart Sniper

The M86 sniper rifle is a bolt action sniper rifle that was used by the U.S. armed forces and manufactured by the now defunct Harris Gunworks division of McMillan. It was used by Navy SEALs and Delta Force. It was available in 7.62x51mm NATO, .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum chamberings. The weapon can use an internal magazine or 5-10 round detachable box magazine. Harris also produced the M89, which was based on the M86.

FR F2 Used By French Military snipers

The FR F2 (French: Fusil à Répétition modèle F2; English: Bolt-action Rifle, F2 model) is the standard sniper rifle of the French military. It is an upgrade from the FR F1. It was manufactured by MAS (an abbreviation of Manufacture d'Armes St. Etienne - one of several government-owned arms factories in France). MAS now belongs to GIAT Industries, now NEXTER. It uses 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition, and is equipped with a scope, French army standard issue being either an APX L806 or SCROME J8. The FR F2 utilizes the same bolt design as the older MAS-36 infantry rifle.

The FR F2 is designed for shooting at point targets at distances up to 800 meters.

The M107 fires the hugely powerful .50 caliber ammunition that has long been used as the standard Army Sniper

The M82 is a short recoil semi-automatic firearm. When the gun is fired, the barrel initially recoils for a short distance (about 1 in/25 mm) being securely locked by the rotating bolt. After the short travel, a post on the bolt engaged in the curved cam track in the receiver turns the bolt to unlock it from the barrel. As soon as the bolt unlocks, the accelerator arm strikes it back, transferring part of the recoil energy of the barrel to the bolt to achieve reliable cycling. Then the barrel is stopped and the bolt continues back, to extract and eject a spent case. On its return stroke, the bolt strips the fresh cartridge from the box magazine and feeds it into the chamber and finally locks itself to the barrel. The striker also is cocked on the return stroke of the bolt. The gun is fed from a large detachable box magazine holding up to 10 rounds, although a rare 12 round magazine was developed for use in the first Gulf War.

The receiver is made from two parts (upper and lower), stamped from sheet steel and connected by cross-pins. The heavy barrel is fluted to improve heat dissipation and save weight, and fitted with a large and effective reactive muzzle brake. On the earlier models the muzzle brakes had a round cross-section; later M82 rifles are equipped with two-chamber brakes of rectangular cross-section.

M82A1 rifles are fitted with scope mount and folding backup iron sights, should the glass scope break. The US Military M82 rifles are often equipped with Leupold Mark 4 telescopic sights. The M82A1M (USMC M82A3) rifles have long Picatinny accessory rails mounted and US Optics telescopic sights. Every M82 rifle is equipped with a folding carrying handle and a folding bipod (both are detachable on the M82A3). The M82A3 is also fitted with a detachable rear monopod under the butt. The buttpad is fitted with a soft recoil pad to further decrease the felt recoil. M82A1 and M82A3 rifles could be mounted on the M3 or M122 infantry tripods (originally intended for machine guns) or on vehicles using the special Barrett soft-mount. The M82A1 can be fitted with a carry sling but according to those who carried it in the field, the M82 is too uncomfortable to be carried on a sling due to its excessive length and heavy weight. It is usually carried in a special carry soft or hard case.

The M82A2 differed from M82A1 mostly in its configuration — that the pistol grip along with trigger had been placed ahead of the magazine, and the buttpad has been placed below the receiver, just after the magazine. An additional forward grip was added below the receiver, and the scope mount has been moved forward too.

It has been erroneously cited that the maximum range of this weapon (specifically the M107 variant) is 6,800m. This is, in fact, the distance as quoted in the owners manual that should be allowed downrange for bullet travel. .50 calibre rounds and above have the potential to travel great distances if fired in an artillery-like fashion, necessitating the observance of large safety margins when firing on a range.

The Barrett M82 has been seen in a number of Hollywood action films (e.g. Navy SEALs, RoboCop, Miami Vice, Smokin' Aces, Shooter, Rambo), often depicted with exaggerated capabilities. Misconceptions include being able to shoot down airliners; while the M82 was designed to disable parked aircraft, it is extremely unlikely that even the most highly trained marksman would be able to bring down a flying airplane firing the entire 10-round magazine, let alone one shot.

Accuracy International AS50 sniper rifle

Caliber: 12.7x99mm / .50BMG
Operation: gas operated, semiautomatic
Barrel: 692 mm
Weight: 14.1 kg empty
Length: 1369 mm
Feed Mechanism: 5 rounds detachable box magazine

The AS50 fifty caliber (12.7mm) sniper / antimateriel rifle is the latest development of the famous British company Accuracy International Ltd. First displayed in January 2005 in USA at the ShotShow-2005, this rifle reportedly has been developed especially for US SOCOM users, and is now being tested by the US NAVY Special Operations center. The AS50 is to provide combat operators with highly accurate and rapid aimed fire at extended ranges. To achieve such goal, the AS50 is built around gas operated, semiautomatic action, with "single rear locking" (most probably, this mean a tilting bolt). The two-part receiver is machined from high grade steel, the barrel is free-floated and fitted with effective muzzle brake. Easily detachable buttstock is fitted with recoil-reducing buttpad, as well as with folding rear grip, which also serves as a rear support leg. The folding quick-detachable bipod with adjustable legs is fitted as a standard. Top of the receiver is equipped with full length Picatinny type rail which can accept any compatible scope mount; two additional rails are mounted on either side of the short handguard / barrel jacket. Rifle is fitted with four sling mounts, and can be brought down to basic sub-assemblies within three minutes for maintenance or compact transportation or storage. Rifle is fed using single stack detachable box magazines, which holt five rounds of ammunition.

DSR-Precision 50 sniper rifle with blast compensator installed sniper gun

Caliber(s): 12.7x99mm / .50 BMG
Operation: bolt action
Barrel: 800 mm
Weight: 10.3 kg empty
Length: 1350 mm (with blast compensator)
Feed Mechanism: 3 rounds detachable box magazine

The DSR-Precision DSR 50 sniper rifle is manufactured in Germany by DSR-Precision GmbH. It is a scaled-up version of the DSR-1 smiper rifle made by the same company, but with certain improvements necessary to handle powerful .50 caliber ammunition, which include hydraulic recoil buffer in buttstock and special 'blast compensator' barrel attachment, which serves as a muzzle brake and also reduces flash and sound of the muzzle blast.

The DSR 50 is configured into bull-pup design, with free-floating barrel. The folding bipod is mounted onto upper rails (above the barrel), and the ajustable horisontal front grip is mounted on the lower rails (under the barrel). The rifle features fully ajustable buttsock and cheekpiece. The holder for spare magazine is installed in the front of the triggerguard to decrease reloading time. DSR 50 action features match-grade, fluted barrel that is quickly interchangeable and is fixed into receiver by three screws. The bolt features six radial lugs that lock directly into the barrel. The barrel is protected by ventilated aluminium handguard and is fitted with muzzle brake (wery useful when firing full-power magnum loads). The trigger is two-stage, ajustable.

PGM Ultima Ratio 'Hecate II' 50BMG (12.7x99 mm) made by Frence Sniper Gun

Caliber(s): .50BMG (12.7x99 mm)
Operation: bolt action
Barrel lenght: 700 mm
Weight: 13.8 kg
Length: 1380 mm
Feed Mechanism: 7 rounds detachable box mag.

Ultima Ratio rifles are made by PGM Precision company in France. Hecate II is the largest of the whole UR family rifles.

Hecate II rifle utilise 'metallic skeleton' design similar to other UR rifles (scaled up, of cause) with solid machined receiver and free floating precision made fluted barrel, fitted with huge muzzle brake/compensator. Bolt locks into receiver with three forward-located lugs, and has overpressure vents to secure the shooter from powder gases in the case of the cartridge case rupture.

Hecate II rifles feature ajustable stock, with folding bipod and retractable rear leg.

Falcon 50BMG (12.7x99mm) made in Czhech Respublic Sniper Gun

The Falcon rifle is manufactured by ZVI in Czech Respublic. The rifle is manufactured in two variants - OP 96 for NATO-standart .50BMG cartridge, and OP 99 for ex-Esatern block standart Russian 12.7x108mm cartridge.

Falcon is made in bull-pup configuration. It has mauser-type, three lugs bolt. Built-in 2 round magazine may be blocked by special cover to convert rifle to single-shot mode. Falcon has mounts for various telescopic sights, as well as back-up iron sights. To reduce felt recoil, Falcon is equipped with muzzle brake and spring-powered recoil pad in buttstock.

RT-20 antimateriel rifle Caliber: 20x110mm Hispano made in croatia sniper gun

Caliber: 20x110mm Hispano
Operation: manual operated, bolt action
Barrel: 920 mm
Weight: 19.2 kg with scope and bipod
Length: 1330 mm
Feed Mechanism: single shot, manual loading
Maximum effective range: about 1800 meters

The RT-20 was developed in the Croatia in the mid-1990s as a pure anti-materiel and anti-armor rifle. The RT-20 name means "Rucni Top, 20mm", that is "Hand Canon, 20mm". It is one of the most powerful anti-materiel rifles fielded by any army in the world today - the only others design roughly comparable to this monster in the terms of the caliber and effectiveness are the South-African NTW-20 rifle and the Finnish Helenius APH-20 (will be posted at this site later). The RT-20 had been successfully deployed during the war in the former Yugoslavia in the second half of the 1990s. It is manufacture by the Croatian company RH-Alan and is officially adopted by Croatian army.

The RT-20 is built around the very powerful 20mm ammunition, originally developed for Hispano Suiza HS404 anti-aircraft round of WW2 vintage. This ammunition is still used in anti-aircraft guns in some countries for AA guns and generally available in HE (explosive) and AP (anti-armor) loadings, both suitable for anti-material roles. The AP loading also can be successfully used against infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. The 20x110mm round fires the 130 gram (2000 grains) projectile at muzzle velocities about 850 meters per second. This results in high terminal effectiveness but also imposes a serious problem of excessive recoil forces. The 20mm Hispano round generates about 4 times more recoil when fired from 20 kg rifle, compared to .50BMG (12.7x99mm) round, fired from 10kg rifle (such as Barrett M95). To make the recoil more or less bearable by the average shooter, the Croatian designers developed a quite interesting counter-recoil system, that uses a reactive principle. The system consist of the large reactive tube, located above the barrel. The forward end of this tube is connected to the barrel at about its middle point. The rear part of the tube forms the reactive nozzle. When gun is fired, some hot powder gases are fed from the barrel to the reactive tube and back, forming a back-blast with reactive force that cats again the recoil forces. The large muzzle brake further helps to decrease the recoil. This reactive system, once popular in large caliber (about 80 - 100 mm and bigger) recoilless rifles, almost never had been used in such relatively small weapons. This system, while effective in counter-recoil, has some disadvantages, First, it requires some special firing techniques for shooter to avoid damage from backblast. Second, due to the same reason, it hardly can be fired in confined spaces like the small building rooms, and the RT-20 cannot be fired with structures, such as walls, in close proximity to the rear.. Third, the backblast can create additional spots for enemy, giving away the position of the rifle.

The rest of the system is relatively simple. The rotating bolt locks the barrel by three massive lugs. RT-20 is a single-shot rifle and thus have no magazine. The shoulder rest and the pistol handle with trigger are located under the barrel, so rifle is obviously a bullpup. The RT-20 has no open sights, instead it had an telescope optical sight, mounted on the barrel and offset to the left.

Original sources

M99 anti-materiel Caliber(s): 12,7x108 (M99-I) or 12,7x99 / .50BMG (M99-II) sniper rifle

Click the Image To Look Inside:

Caliber(s): 12,7x108 (M99-I) or 12,7x99 / .50BMG (M99-II)
Operation: gas operated semi-automatic
Barrel: mm
Weight: ~12 kg (unloaded, less telescope sight)
Length: 1500 mm
Feed Mechanism: 5-round detachable box magazine

The M99 rifle is offered as anti-materiel / anti-sniper weapon, and is available in two calibers - 12,7x108 (M99-I) and 12,7x99 / .50BMG (M99-II). No firm facts are available on accuracy of this weapon, but it is believed that it shoots about 2 MOA with Chinese standard issue ammunition. This is way below Western "sniping" standards but more or less enough for anti-materiel work or short-range enemy snipers suppression.

Not much information is available on internals of this rifle, although it is believed that it uses gas operated action with tipping bolt locking. Feed is from detachable box magazines holding five rounds of ammunition. Rifle is fitted with adjustable bipod, adjustable rear monopod, and buffered buttstock. Top of receiver is fitted with Picatinny style rail which will accept a variety of sighting equipment on appropriate mounts. Typical sighting set-up includes either a 10X fixed power telescope or 4-12X or 7-22X variable power telescope sights.

Original Sources

Steyr .50HS heavy sniper rifle, with folded bipod Caliber: .50BMG (12.7x99mm) or .460Steyr Sniper Gun

Caliber: .50BMG (12.7x99mm) or .460Steyr
Operation: manually operated rotating bolt action
Barrel: 833 mm (33")
Weight: 12.4 kg
Length: 1370 mm (54")
Feed Mechanism: single shot, no magazine

The Steyr .50 HS is the most recent development of the famous Austrian arms manufacturer, the Steyr Mannlicher Gmbh & Co KG. First displayed at the ShotShow-2004 (February 2004, Las-Vegas, USA), this single shot rifle is primary intended for anti-material applications and counter-sniping. The Steyr .50HS is available in two calibers, the old and venerable .50BMG and the apparently new .460Steyr (on which so far no data were obtained).

The Steyr .50 HS is a single shot rifle, with manually operated, rotating bolt with two large locking lugs at the front. The two-stage trigger is factory set to 4lbs (1.8kg). The buttstock is adjustable for length of pull, the cheekpiece is also adjustable. Heavy barrel is partially fluted and fitted with effective muzzle brake. Steyr .50 HS has no iron sights; the MilStd Picatinny rail is standard. Rifle is not intended to be fired off-hand; it is fitted with integral folding adjustable bipods.

Original Sources

Steyr AMR 5075 prototype Caliber(s): 15.2mm Steyr APFSDS

Steyr AMR 5075 prototype


Caliber(s): 15.2mm Steyr APFSDS
Operation: long recoil, semi-automatic
Barrel: 1200 mm
Weight: 18 kg
Length: 1800 mm
Feed Mechanism: 5 rounds detachable box mag.

The development of this interesting weapon began in mid-1980s, when Austrian company Steyr-Mannlicher AG decided to develop a long-range anti-materiel rifle (AMR) - a modern equivalent of the WW2-era antitank rifles. Main targets for AMR are light armoured vehicles, helicopters, installations such as radar cabins, missile launchers, fuel tanks etc. To achieve desired effective range of at least 1000 meters, Steyr engineers first decided to use APDS (armour piercing, discarding sabot), or sub-caliber, ammunition. Development started from 12.7mm cartridges, and later Steyr developed a 14.5mm APFSDS (Arnour percing, fin stabilised, discarding sabot) ammunition in 14.5mm caliber and built few prototypes with smooth bores and semi-automatic actions, called Steyr AMR 5075. Further development led to even bigger caliber of 15.2mm fith same ultra-high velocity APFSDS projectiles. This system is called Steyr IWS 2000 (Infantry Weapon System 2000) and currently is probably in Adsvanced Development status or ready for adoption.

IWS 2000 is wery formidable weapon. It fires 20 gramm (308 grains) tungsten dart (fleschette) with muzzle velocity of 1450 meters per second (4750 fps). At 1000 meters this projectile will penetrate a 40 mm of RHA (rollded homogenous steel armour) and will result in serious secondary fragmentation effect behind the armour. That said, it will penetrate two walls of any modern APC at one kilometer range. The trajectory is very flat and does not rise higher than 800 mm above the line of sight when fired to 1000 meters. The cartridge is of somewhat original design, and has plastic case with steel head and base. The projectile is concealed within a plastic sabot.

The rifle itself also is very interesting. Firs, it uses rare long-recoil system, when barrel recoils along with the bolt for significant lenght. At the end of the recoil, bolt unlocks from the barrel by rotating and held back, and barrel returns into forward position, ejecting a spent case. Bolt stays at the rearmost position while barrel moves, and then also moves forward, chambering a new round from the side-mounted magazine and finally locking rigidly to the barrel. This design allows for better recoil disttibution over a longer period of time. Huge muzzle brake also contributes to recoil control, so felt recoil of the IWS 2000 is descibed as a similar to the large-caliber sporting rifle. Five round detachable box magazine is located at the right side of the receiver and inclined down for about 45 degrees. The smooth-bore barrel can be easily detached, so rifle can be carried disassembled into two man-portable packs. Plastics are used where possible to reduce the weight of the gun. IWS 2000 is equipped with bipod and a rear leg under the buttstock. It is also equipped with 10X telescope as a standard.

This is probably the most powerful modern anti-materiel rifle, and while it is not a true "sniper" rifle, it is well worth mentioning. The future of this design is also unclear, sice it requires ammunition of a brand new type.

Original Sources

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Magnum Folding (AI AWM F 300WM) .300 Winchester Magnum / 7.62x63 sniper rifle

Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Magnum Folding (AI AWM F 300WM) .300 Winchester Magnum / 7.62x63 sniper rifle





Caliber: L96, AW, AW Police, AW Folding: 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 win); Super Magnum: .338 Lapua (8.60x70mm), .300 Win Mag, 7mm Rem Mag
Operation: Bolt Action
Length: 1270mm
Barrel lenght: 686mm (.338 Lapua), 660mm (.300 and 7mm)
Weight: 6.8kg empty without telescope
Magazine Capacity: 5 round box magazine
Maximum Effective Range: ca. 800 meters for 7.62mm NATO variants, 1100+ meters for Magnum variants

In early 1980's British Army started the search for the replacement of the aging L42 Enfield sniper rifles. Main compettitors were british companies Parker-Hale with their Model 82 bolt action rifle, and Accuracy International, with their PM rifle. Eventually, PM rifle won the competition and was accepted by British Army under the designation of L96.
One of the most notorious features of the PM rifle was design of the stock. Instead of the solid polymer or wooden stock, PM / L96 rifle used hollow polymer stock, made from two halves and assembled around aluminium bedding block, that extends through entire stock lenght. L96 also was equipped with backup iron sights.
In mid-1980s Swedish armed forces began their own quest for the new sniper rifle, which could survive cold and harsh nordic environments. The AI again become the winner in this race with improved L96 design, named "Arctic Warfare". In 1988 Swedish forces adopted AW rifle in 7.62mm NATO chambering under the designation of PSG 90. British Army, in its turn, also adopted this improved design under the designation of L96A1, as well as many other militaries and Law Enforcement agencies around the world. In 1998, the Bundeswehr (Germany Army) also adopted the AW Super Magnum rifle chambered in .300 Winchester magnum (German caliber designation is 7.62x67mm) as Scharfschutzengewehre (sniper rifle - german) G22.

Built by Accuracy International of Portsmuth, England, this line of rifles is among the best in the World of sniper rifles today. This rifle can shot less than 2" (51mm) groups at the distances of 600 yards (550m), using boat-tail match ammunition. Arctic Warfare is a line of 5 rifles. Original Arctc Warfare was designed for the British military. It gained its designation by special anti-icing features, allowing sniping operations to be carried out under Arctic conditions as low as -40C (-104F)! Other models are Police (AWP), Suppressed (AWS), Folding (AWF) and Super Magnum (AW SM). Three first rifles designed for 7.62mm NATO ammunition, while Super Magnum can be chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum and 7mm Remington Magnum. AW has a 26" (660mm) barrel, AWP has 24" (609mm). AW SM barrels available in lentths from 24" (609mm) to 27" (686mm). The standart scopes supplied by Accuracy International are Smidt&Bender 3-12X variable or the Leupold Mark 4 fixed 10X scope.

Original Sources