Official snipers in the USSR appeared during the Second World War. Before this, there were only small groups of OGPU employees trained for special assignments. Genrikh Yagoda, who served as chairman of the GPU and People's Commissar of the NKVD from 1934 to 1936, was personally responsible for the implementation of the policy of “great terror” pursued by I.V. Stalin.
Units of well-trained snipers also existed under Stalin's guards. For this purpose, very good optical sights were purchased from Germany, on the basis of which domestic models were subsequently created - PE and PB. In a modern army, any airborne or infantry company is “replenished” with a sniper squad.
Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD)
The main sniper weapon of the Russian army - SVD (Dragunov sniper rifle) was created almost half a century ago (entered service with the Soviet Army in 1963). Since then, only a few modifications of the rifle have appeared, but nothing better or more reliable has been invented. Its main purpose is to support a motorized rifle squad with “point” fire.
A PSO-1 optical sight with fourfold magnification is attached to the rifle. For hand-to-hand combat, a bayonet can be attached to the SVD. A special 7.62 mm sniper cartridge with a steel core provides better accuracy. All types of 7.62x54R cartridge can be used for shooting from the SVD. The magazine holds ten rounds, arranged in a staggered pattern.
SVD characteristics:
Caliber - 7.62 mm;
Weight with loaded magazine - 4.21 kg;
Barrel length - 620 mm;
Operating rate of fire - 30 rpm;
Initial bullet speed - 830 m/s;
Sighting range - 1300 m;
The sighting range with a night sight is 300 m.
I want to add a little of my own. The first time I saw an SVD was in the army, it was 95-97. Then I did my military service in the ranks of the RA in the distant and beautiful ZABVO, not far from the city of Chita, the village of Ugdan. I don’t know how it is now, but in those days, in the combat units of the Republic of Armenia, we were taken to shooting 4 to 5 times a month. Maybe our unit was lucky that the shooting range was 10 km away, or indeed in those days, it was the responsibility of all normal commanders to prepare their soldiers and make men out of them, not only at shooting, but also in everyday life.
I always remember my military service only with warmth and bright memories. Let there be some negativity somewhere in the service, but it’s all such a trifle, from true memories. Those who, of course, have not served are far from reality and for some reason, in the last 5-7 years, they are generally afraid as hell to serve. It’s clear what this is connected with, and there are oh so few guys (men and husbands) left in Mother Rus' who could stand up for her, my dear........ oh so few.
Yes, sorry I got distracted. A sore subject for me, but still...
So, I shot with this machine only twice in my life. All this happened in the army and then under demobilization: the first time he fired three shots, and the next time only seven. But I want to tell you - this will never be forgotten! At least for me! I’ve had to shoot in my life with AKM, AKSU, PM, we don’t take Saiga, IZH (with periodic consistency), but this...............it’s just...well, unforgettable! I can’t explain to you in words... Only after so many years, I understand why they occupied positions that were not the same as the standard for rank and file 100 meters. The lying distance was from 300 meters.
Technical description and operating instructions for the 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle
Purpose of the rifle The 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle (index 6B1) is a sniper weapon and is designed to destroy various emerging, moving, open and camouflaged single targets. The sniper optical sight (index 6Ts1) is used for precise aiming from a sniper rifle at various targets.
Composition of the rifle. The sniper rifle kit includes (picture above):
Optical sniper sight, index 6Ts1- 1 PC.
Bayonet, index 6X5- 1 PC.
Bag for scope and magazines, index 6Ш18- 1 PC.
Bag for spare parts, index 6Ш26- 1 PC.
Belt for carrying small arms, index 6Ш5- 1 PC.
The optical sniper sight is equipped with a case, a winter lighting system and individual spare parts.
Technical data.
Basic design ballistic characteristics
rifle, rifle cartridge and design data of the optical sight.
1. Caliber, m................................................... ................7.62
2. Number of grooves................................................... ........4
3. Sighting range, m:
with optical sight...................................................1300
with open sights........................................................ 1200
4. Initial bullet speed, m/s.................................... 830
5. Bullet range,
up to which it is maintained
lethal effect, m................................................... ....3800
6. Weight of the rifle without
bayonet with optical
sight, not equipped
magazine and cheek, kg................................................... ..4.3
7. Magazine capacity, cartridges.................................... 10
8. Rifle length, mm:
without a bayonet-knife................................................... ..........1220
with attached bayonet-knife....................................1370
9. Cartridge mass, g................................................... .......21.8
10. Mass of an ordinary bullet
with steel core, g...................................9.6
11. Mass of powder charge, g.................................... 3.1
12. Optical magnification
sight, times........................................................ .............4
13. Field of view of the sight, degrees.................................... 6
14. Exit pupil diameter, mm...................................6
15. Exit pupil relief, mm...................................68.2
16. Resolution,
second,................................................ ...................12
17. Sight length with eyecup
and extended lens hood, m.................................................... 375
18. Sight width, mm............................................ .70
19. Sight height, mm................................................. ..132
20. Sight mass, g................................................... ......616
21. Weight of sight with kit
Spare parts and cover, g................................................... .............926
Rifle cartridges
For shooting from a sniper rifle, rifle cartridges with ordinary, tracer and armor-piercing incendiary bullets, as well as sniper cartridges, are used. Fire from a sniper rifle is carried out in single shots.
7.62x53R mm rifle cartridge with a steel core bullet (57-N-323 C)
7.62x53R mm sniper rifle cartridge (7-N-1)
7.62x53R mm sniper rifle cartridge with armor-piercing bullet (7-N-14)
7.62x53R mm rifle cartridge with heat-strengthened core (7-N-13)
7.62x53R mm rifle cartridge with sighting and incendiary bullet (PZ)
7.62x53R mm rifle cartridge with T46 (T46M) tracer bullet (7-T-2 (7-T-2M))
7.62x53R mm rifle cartridge with armor-piercing bullet BP (7-N-26)
7.62x53R mm rifle cartridge with armor-piercing tracer bullet (7-BT-1)
7.62x53R mm rifle cartridge with armor-piercing incendiary bullet B-32 (7-BZ-3)
Optical sight PSO-1
The optical sight allows you to fire at night using infrared sources, as well as under unfavorable lighting conditions, when it is difficult to shoot at targets with an open sight.
When observing infrared sources, the infrared rays emitted by the source pass through the scope lens and affect the screen located in the focal plane of the lens. At the location of the infrared rays, a glow appears on the screen, giving a visible image of the source in the form of a round greenish spot.
Technical characteristics of the PSO-1 sniper optical sight
Sight Zoom- 4x
line of sight- 6 degrees
Sight length with eyecup and hood- 375 mm
Eye relief- 68 mm
Exit pupil diameter- 6 mm
Lens luminous diameter, mm - 24
Resolution limit, arc/sec - 12
Supply voltage, V - 1,5
Weight of the PSO-1 optical sight- 0.58 kg/b]
Sniper optical sight device PSO-1
The optical sight is the main sight of the SVD sniper rifle.
It is sealed, filled with nitrogen, and prevents fogging of the optics due to temperature changes.
Operable in the temperature range -50+C. Sights can be installed on the following weapon models: SVD sniper rifles, special VSS, VSK rifles and others.
Sniper optical sights are produced in the following modifications: PSO-1, PSO-1-1,
PSO-1M2, PSO-2, PSO-3.
The optical sight consists of mechanical and optical parts.
The mechanical part of the sight includes: body, top and side handwheels, reticle illumination device, retractable lens hood, rubber eyecup and cap.
The optical part of the sight includes: lens, wrapping system, reticle, fluorescent screen and eyepiece.
1 - retractable hood, 2 - upper handwheel, 3 - body,
4 - rubber eyecup, 5 - cap with stop,
6 - battery housing, 7 - bracket, 8 - light bulb,
9 - toggle switch, 10 - lens cap, 11 - pointer,
12 - locking screw, 13 - side handwheel,
14 - stop, 15 - slider, 16 - clamping screw.
Mechanical part of PSO-1
The housing serves to connect all parts of the sight on the rifle. The bracket has grooves, a stop, a clamping screw, a clamping screw handle, a slider with a spring and an adjusting nut. Pointers (indices) for sight settings and lateral corrections and a lens cap are attached to the body. The upper handwheel is used to install the sight, the side handwheel is used to introduce lateral corrections. They are identical in design and have a handwheel housing, a spring washer, an end nut and a connecting (central) screw. There are three holes on top of each handwheel: the middle one is for the connecting screw, the two outer ones are for the locking screws.
The spring washer serves to hold the handwheel in position. The reticle illumination device is used to illuminate the sight reticle when shooting at dusk and at night. It consists of: a housing with a contact screw, a battery that serves as a current source, a cap with a stop and a spring for pressing the battery to the screw, wires connecting the screw (battery) to the light bulb through a toggle switch, a toggle switch for turning the light bulb on and off.
The battery is installed in the case so that the central electrode is connected to the screw, and the side electrode (displaced to the side) is connected to the case; To do this, the contact plate of the side electrode is bent over the edge of the housing, after which the cap is put on. To illuminate the grid at temperatures from +2? From and below it is necessary to use a winter mesh lighting device, consisting of a housing, a cap and a shielded wire. To prepare a winter reticle illumination device for shooting, you need to place the battery into the winter device body as indicated above, and put on it the cap removed from the body on the sight, and put the cap of the winter device on the body of the device on the sight. The body of the winter device with the battery is carried in the pocket of a sniper’s tunic or overcoat, and the shielded wire can be passed through the left sleeve of outerwear. The eyecup (rubber) is designed for correct installation of the eye and ease of aiming. In addition, it protects the eyepiece lenses from contamination and damage. A retractable lens hood serves to protect the objective lenses in inclement weather from rain, snow, and direct sunlight when shooting against the sun, thereby eliminating reflections that unmask the sniper.
The rubber cap protects the lens from contamination and damage.
1 - body,
2 - end nut,
3 - locking screws,
4 - connecting screw,
5 - additional scale,
6 - index,
7 - pointer.
On the body of the upper handwheel there is a main sight scale with divisions from 1 to 10; The scale numbers indicate firing ranges in hundreds of meters.
On the body of the side handwheel there is a scale of lateral corrections with divisions from 0 to 10 in both directions;
The value of each division corresponds to one thousandth, (0-01). On the upper part of the handwheel housings there is an additional scale used when aligning the sight; The price of scale divisions is 0.5 thousandths. The settings of the main scale of the upper handwheel up to division 3 are fixed after one division. From division 3 to division 10, the settings of this handwheel, as well as all settings of the side handwheel scale, are fixed every half division (one division corresponds to two clicks).
On the end nuts of the upper and side handwheels, an arrow indicates the direction of rotation of the handwheels or end nuts when making the necessary adjustment to the installation of the sight and side handwheel ("Up STP", "Down STP" - on the upper handwheel, "Right STP", "Left STP" - on the side handwheel). This means that when the handwheels or end nuts are rotated in the direction of the arrow, the midpoint of impact (MPO) moves in the corresponding direction (up, to the right, etc.).
A connecting screw connects the end nut to the carriage and, when the handwheel or nut rotates, moves the carriage with the sight reticle in the desired direction.
Spare parts, tools and accessories for the optical sight are: spare batteries and light bulbs, a light filter, a screwdriver key for screwing in and unscrewing light bulbs, a napkin and a rubber cap for the toggle switch.
A filter is placed on the eyepiece when there is haze in the air and the light level decreases.
Each sniper rifle comes with:
bag for carrying an optical sight and magazines;
case for optical sight;
a bag for carrying a winter grid lighting device, spare batteries and an oil can.
The bag for carrying the optical sight and magazines has:
pocket for optical sight;
four pockets for magazines;
pockets for cleaning rod, pencil case, cheek butt, screwdriver key, napkin and light filter.
Optical system PSO-1. Grids. Aiming.
The lens is used to obtain a reduced and inverted image of the observed object. It consists of three lenses, two of which are glued. The turning system is designed to give the image a normal (straight) position; it consists of four lenses glued in pairs. The sight reticle is used for aiming; it is made on glass mounted in a movable frame (carriage). The eyepiece is designed to view the observed object in a magnified and direct image; it consists of three lenses, two of which are glued.
The luminescent screen is used to detect infrared light sources; it is a thin plate of a special chemical composition, which is laid between two glasses. The screen has a window with a light filter in the frame for charging the screen and a flag for switching the screen: towards the light filter (horizontal position of the flag) - for recharging the screen and when shooting under normal conditions; towards the lens (vertical position of the flag) - when observing and shooting at targets that detect themselves by infrared radiation.
1 - eyepiece, 2 - carriage, 3 - wrapping system, 4 - reticle, 5 - luminescent screen, 6 - window
with filter, 7 - lens
1 - lateral correction scale,
2 - main square for shooting up to 1000 m,
3 - additional squares,
4 - rangefinder scale.
Table (normal) shooting conditions:
- lack of wind,
- air temperature +15? C,
- zero altitude above sea level; in case of significant deviations in external shooting conditions, amendments are made:
- correction for side wind
- correction for target movement (lead)
- correction for air temperature when shooting at a distance >500m.
- correction for shooting in the mountains above sea level above 2000m.
Aiming using an infrared spotlight (luminescent screen on) with scope 4 at all ranges up to 400m.
The price of dividing the reticle and mark (square) in thousandths.
The following are marked on the sight reticle:
main (upper) square for aiming when shooting up to 1000 m; lateral correction scale;
additional squares (below the lateral correction scale along the vertical line) for aiming when shooting at 1100, 1200 and 1300 m; rangefinder scale (solid horizontal and curved dotted lines).
To aim when shooting using additional squares, it is necessary to install sight 10 on the upper handwheel.
The lateral correction scale is marked below (to the left and right of the square) with the number 10, which corresponds to ten thousandths (0-10). The distance between two vertical lines of the scale corresponds to one thousandth (0-01).
The rangefinder scale is designed for a target height of 1.7 m (average human height). This target height value is indicated below the horizontal line. Above the upper dotted line is a scale with divisions, the distance between which corresponds to a distance to the target of 100 m. Scale numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 correspond to distances of 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 m.
Range determination.
1. on the rangefinder scale:
2. by angular values using the thousandth formula
Aiming
The sniper's eye is located on the optical axis of the sight and is 68 mm away from the eyepiece. The entire field of view is visible. If the eye is located close (far) from the eyepiece. A circular darkening is visible in the field of view.
When the eye moves to any side, a moon-shaped shadow is visible in the field of view. The holes will deviate in the direction opposite to the shadow!
SVD sniper rifle magazine.
The magazine is used to place cartridges and feed them into the receiver. Magazine capacity 10 rounds 7.62x53. It consists of a body, a cover, a locking bar, a spring and a feeder.
1 - feeder;
2 - feeder protrusion;
3 - support protrusion;
4 - body;
5 - cover;
6 - locking strip;
7 - spring;
8 - hook;
9 - bends.
The magazine body connects all parts of the magazine. Its side walls have bends to keep the cartridges from falling out and limit the rise of the feeder and protrusions that limit the recessing of the magazine in the receiver window; there is a hook on the front wall, and a support protrusion on the rear wall, through which the magazine is attached to the receiver. On the rear wall of the case at the bottom there is a control hole to determine whether the magazine is fully loaded with cartridges. The walls of the body are ribbed for strength.
The bottom of the case is closed with a lid. The cover has a hole for the protrusion of the locking bar. Inside the housing there is a feeder and a spring with a locking bar. The feeder provides a staggered arrangement of cartridges in the magazine and has a protrusion, which, when feeding the last cartridge from the magazine, raises the shutter stop upward. The locking bar is attached to the lower end of the spring and, with its protrusion, keeps the magazine cover from moving.
SVD parts and mechanisms. Incomplete disassembly and assembly.
A sniper rifle consists of the following main parts and mechanisms:
- barrel with receiver, open sight and butt,
- receiver covers,
- return mechanism,
- bolt frame,
- shutter,
- a gas tube with a regulator, a gas piston and a pusher with its spring,
- barrel linings,
- firing mechanism,
- fuse,
- store,
- butt cheeks,
- optical sight.
1 - gas piston,
2 - pusher,
3 - pusher spring,
4 - receiver cover
with return
mechanism
5 - butt cheek,
6 - trigger mechanism,
7 - store,
8 - fuse,
9 - bolt frame,
10 - shutter,
11 - barrel linings,
12 - sight PSO-1,
13 - barrel with receiver
box, open
sight and butt.
7.62-mm self-loading sniper rifle Dragunov SVD (index 6B1)
1 - butt plate 7-2; 2 - butt plate screw 5-4/6P1; 3 - butt 7-1; 4 - swivel axis 7-3; 5 - tube
swivels 7-4; 6 - cheek Sb 3/6Yu7; 7 - butt Sb 7; 8 - earring axis 5-9; 9 - earring 5-7; 10 -
guide rod 5-6; 11 - rear liner 5-2; 12 - cover check Sat 1-2; 13 - cover with
return mechanism Sat 5; 14 - box 1-2; 15 - return spring guide bushing 5-
5; 16 - return spring 5-4; 17 - shutter stop 1-4; 18 - shutter stop spring 1-5; 19 -
shutter assembly Sat 2-1; 20 - shutter with frame Sb 2; 21 - frame 2-7; 22 - barrel with box Sb 1; 23 -
clamp latch 1-36; 24 - sighting bar clamp 2-2/56-A-212; 25 - latch spring
clamp 2-4/56-A-212; 26 - sighting bar 1-21; 27 - sighting bar assembly Sb 1-9; 28 -
sighting bar spring 0-23/56-A-212; 29 - sighting block 1-10; 30 - spring
pusher 1-24; 31 - pusher 1-23; 32 - barrel 1-1; 33 - left overlay assembly Sat 1-3; 34 -
right overlay assembly Sat 1-4; 35 - oil seal pin 1-18; 36 - oil seal assembly Sb 1-8; 37 -
ring check Sat 1-7; 38 - upper ring assembly Sat 1-1; 39 - gas piston 1-22; 40 - gas
tube 1-25; 41 - gas regulator 1-53; 42 - gas tube latch 1-38; 43 - latch axis
gas tube 1-37; 44 - gas chamber latch spring 1-40; 45 - gas chamber 1-15; 46 -
gas chamber pin 1-46; 47 - front sight 1-17; 48 - front sight body 1-20; 49 - base of front sight 1-16;
50 - front sight base pin 1-45; 51 - ejector 2-2; 52 - ejector axis 2-3; 53 -
ejector spring 2-4; 54 - striker pin 2-6; 55 - shutter 2-1; 56 - drummer 2-5; 57 -
trigger 4-6; 58 - mainspring 4-7; 59 - trigger axis 4-8: 60 - magazine latch spring 4-22; 61 -
magazine latch axis 4-16; 62 - magazine latch 4-15; 63 - self-timer Sat 4-3; 64 - sear axis,
hook and self-timer 4-10; 65 - sear 4-9; 66 - thrust 4-12; 67 - trigger 4-11; 68 -
trigger with pull rod Sat 4-4; 69 - traction axis 4-14; 70 - trigger housing Sb 4-1;
71 - hook spring 4-13; 72 - shield limiter 4-20; 73 - rivet for the spring of the linings 1-39;
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INTRODUCTION
The technical description and operating instructions for the 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD) are intended for studying rifles and optical sights and maintaining them in constant combat readiness.
This document contains technical characteristics and information about the design and operating principle of the rifle and optical sight, as well as the basic rules necessary to ensure the correct operation of the rifle with the scope and full use of their technical capabilities.
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1.TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
1.1. Purpose of the rifle
1.1.1. The 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle (index 6B1) is a sniper weapon and is designed to destroy various emerging, moving, open and camouflaged single targets (Fig. 1).
The sniper optical sight (index 6Ts1) is used for precise aiming from a sniper rifle at various targets.
Rice. 1. 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle with optical sight and bayonet:
1 - 7.62 mm Dragunov 6B1 sniper rifle. Sat;
2 - 6Ts1 optical sniper sight. ALZ. 812.000;
3 - bayonet assembly 6X5 sb
1.1.2. For shooting from a sniper rifle, rifle cartridges with ordinary, tracer and armor-piercing incendiary bullets, as well as sniper cartridges, are used. Fire from a sniper rifle is carried out in single shots.
1.1.3. The optical sight allows you to fire at night using infrared sources, as well as under unfavorable lighting conditions, when it is difficult to shoot at targets with an open sight.
When observing infrared sources, the infrared rays emitted by the source pass through the scope lens and affect the screen located in the focal plane of the lens. At the location of the infrared rays, a glow appears on the screen, giving a visible image of the source in the form of a round greenish spot.
1.2. Technical data
1.2.1. The main design ballistic characteristics of the rifle, rifle cartridge and design data of the optical sight are given in table. 1.
Table 1
1. Caliber, mm 7.62
2. Number of grooves 4
3. Sighting range, m:
with optical sight 1300
with open sight 1200
4. Initial bullet speed, m/s 830
5. The flight range of a bullet, up to which its lethal effect remains, m 3800
6. Weight of the rifle without a bayonet with an optical sight, unloaded
magazine and cheek, kg 4.3
7. Magazine capacity, 10 rounds
8. Rifle length, mm:
without bayonet 1220
with attached bayonet 1370
9. Cartridge weight, g 21.8
10. Mass of an ordinary bullet with a steel core, g 9.6
11. Mass of powder charge, g 3.1
12. Magnification of the optical sight, times. 4
13. Field of view of the sight, degree 6
14. Exit pupil diameter, mm 6
15. Eye relief, mm 68.2
16. Resolution, second, 12
17. Sight length with eyecup and extended hood, mm 375
18. Sight width, mm 70
19. Sight height, mm 132
20. Sight weight, g 616
21. Weight of the sight with a set of spare parts and a cover, g 926
1.3. Rifle composition
1.3.1. The sniper rifle kit includes (Fig. 1):
sniper optical sight, index 6Ts1 - 1 pc.;
bayonet, index 6X5 - 1 pc.;
bag for sight and magazines (Fig. 3), index 6Ш18 - 1 pc.;
bag for spare parts (Fig. 4), index 6Ш26 - 1 pc.;
belt for carrying small arms (Fig. 5), index 6Ш5 - 1 pc.
1.3.2. The optical sniper sight is equipped with a case, a winter lighting system and individual spare parts.
1.4. Design and operation of the rifle
Rice. 2. 7.62 mm Dragunov sniper rifle:
1- frame 6B1. 2-7; 2- striker 6B1 2-5; 3- cover 6B1. Sat. 5; 4- guide rod 6B1. 5-6; 5- guide bushing 6B1. 5-5; 6- gate 6B1. 2-1; 7 - ejector axis 6B1. 2-3; 8- striker pin 6B1. 2-6; 9- ejector spring 6B1. 2-4; 10 - ejector 6B1. 2-2; 11- return spring 6B1. 5-4; 12- sighting bar clamp 6B1. 48; 13 - sighting bar 6B1. 1-21; 14- left trim assembly 6B1. Sat. 1-3; 15- pusher spring 6B1. 1-24; 16-gas tube latch 6B1. 1-38; 17 - gas chamber 6B1. 1-15; 18 - gas piston 6B1. 1-22; 19 - gas tube 6B1. 1-25; 20 - gas regulator 6V1. 1-53; 21 - front sight body 6B1. 1-20; 22- front sight 6B1. 1-17; 23- pusher 6B1. 1-23; 24 - front sight base 6B1. 1-16; 25- barrel 6B1. 1-1; 26- upper ring assembly 6B1. Sat. 1-1; 27-ring pin 6Bl. Sat. 1-7; 28 - oil seal assembly 6B1. Sat. 1-8; 29 - right overlay assembly 6B1. Sat. 1-4; 30- lower ring with 6B1 spring. Sat. 1-5; 31—magazine body 6B1. Sat. 6-1; 32 - magazine spring 6B1. 6-12; 33 - magazine cover 6B1. 6-11; 34-bar assembly 6B1. Sat. 6-3; 35- feeder 6B1. Sat. 6-2; 36-box 6B1. 1-2; 37 - shield assembly 6B1. Sat. 3; 38 - trigger mechanism 6B1. Sat. 4; 39 - cover pin 6B1. Sat. 1-2; 40 - butt 6B1. Sat. 7
1.4.1. A sniper rifle has the following main parts and mechanisms (Fig. 2):
barrel with box;
shutter with frame;
shield assembly;
trigger mechanism;
cover with return mechanism;
shop;
butt;
upper ring assembly;
left trim assembly;
right overlay assembly;
sighting bar assembly;
base and body of the front sight assembly.
1.4.2. The sniper rifle is a self-loading weapon. Reloading a rifle is based on the use of the energy of powder gases removed from the barrel bore to the gas piston.
When fired, part of the powder gases following the bullet rushes through the gas outlet hole in the barrel wall into the gas chamber, presses on the front wall of the gas piston and throws the piston with the pusher, and with them the frame, to the rear position.
When the frame moves back, the bolt opens the barrel, removes the cartridge case from the chamber and throws it out of the receiver, and the frame compresses the return springs and cocks the hammer (puts it on the self-timer).
The frame with the bolt returns to the forward position under the action of the return mechanism, while the bolt sends the next cartridge from the magazine into the chamber and closes the barrel, and the frame removes the self-timer sear from under the self-timer cocking of the hammer and the hammer is cocked. The bolt is locked by turning it to the left and inserting the bolt lugs into the cutouts of the receiver.
Rice. 3. Bag for scope and magazines 6Ш18. Sat.
Rice. 4. Bag for spare parts 6Sh26. Sat.
Rice. 5. Belt for carrying small arms 6Ш5. Sat.
Scope case
To fire the next shot, you must release the trigger and press it again. After releasing the trigger, the rod moves forward and its hook jumps behind the sear, and when you press the trigger, the rod hook turns the sear and disconnects it from the cocking of the hammer. The trigger, turning on its axis under the action of the mainspring, strikes the firing pin, and the latter moves forward and punctures the igniter primer of the cartridge. A shot occurs.
When firing the last cartridge, when the bolt moves back, the magazine feeder raises the bolt stop, the bolt rests on it and the frame stops in the rear position. This is a signal that you need to load the rifle again.
The rifle has a gas regulator, with the help of which the recoil speed of the moving parts is changed.
Under normal operating conditions, with lubricated parts, the regulator is set to division 1. During prolonged shooting without cleaning and lubrication and the rifle is heavily soiled, a delay may occur - incomplete release of the moving parts. In this case, the regulator is switched to setting 2. The regulator is moved from one position to another using the sleeve flange or cartridge.
1.5. Design and operation of the sight and its components
1.5.1. The sniper optical sight (Fig. 6) has the following main parts:
frame;
lens;
eyepiece;
lens hood;
eyecup;
handwheel with aiming angle scale;
handwheel with lateral correction scale;
handle;
light filter in frame;
guide;
power supply;
lamp;
cap.
A lens in a frame with a retractable lens hood is screwed into the body, and an assembled eyepiece with an eyecup is screwed into the other end of the body. On top of the body there is a handwheel with an aiming angle scale printed on its cylindrical part. The handwheel nut bears the inscriptions “Up”, “Down”, “STP” and arrows indicating the direction of rotation of the handwheel when aligning the sight.
The aiming angle scale has ten divisions (from 0 to 10). The division price is 100 m. Starting from division 3, using the lock located in the handwheel, you can set aiming angles every 50 m.
On the right side of the body there is a handwheel with a lateral correction scale, on the cylindrical part of which there are 21 divisions (from 0 to 10 in both directions). The strokes and numbers located to the right of 0 are black, and those located to the left of 0 are red.
The scale division value is 0-01. Using the lock located in the handwheel, you can set corrections through O-00, 5. On the nut securing the handwheel of the lateral correction mechanism, there are inscriptions -Right-, -Left-, -STP- and arrows showing the direction of rotation when aligning the sight.
Rice. 6. Appearance of the PSO-1 sight:
1- AL7 lens hood. 006.002; 2- lens in AL5.917.001 frame; 3- light filter in AL5.940.003 frame; 4- handle AL8.333.004; 5- nut AL8.373.004; 6- handwheel AL8.330.007; 7- building AL8.020.016; 8- eyepiece assembly AL5.923.010; 9- eyecup AL8.647.030; 10- cap AL6.628.000; 11- cap AL8.634.003.
There are 60 divisions on the belts of the aiming angle handwheel and the lateral correction handwheel. The division value is 0-00, 5. The divisions on the handwheel belts are used to count the correction when aligning the sight on the rifle.
The power supply for the backlight is located in the housing socket. The nest is closed with a cap.
1.5.2. The optical system of the sight is designed to create images of objects located on the ground and is a monocular telescopic system with constant magnification.
The optical system (Fig. 7) consists of objective lenses, a reticle, a wrapping system, eyepiece lenses, a screen, a light filter, a light orange filter and protective glass.
The lens is designed to construct an image of the observed object. The image of objects in the focal plane of the lens is inverted from left to right and from top to bottom.
The inverting system is designed to produce a true straight image.
The eyepiece is used to view the image of the observed object and the reticle.
The light orange filter is designed to improve the operation of the scope in cloudy weather and increase image contrast.
Rice. 7. Optical design:
1,2,3- AL7 objective lenses. 504.012, AL7.563.006, AL7.523.003; 4- welded screen 51-IK-071 Sb.14 5,6,7,8- lenses AL7.504.013, AL7.563.007, AL7.563.008, AL7.504.014 (reversing system); 9- mesh AL7.210.009; 10,11,12 - eyepiece lenses AL7.546.001, AL7.508.004, AL7.508.005; 13- light orange filter AL7.220.005; 14- light filter AL7.220 006; 15- protective glass AL8.640.004.
The mesh is a plane-parallel plate. The plate contains scales for aiming angles and lateral corrections, as well as a rangefinder scale. The view of the sight's field of view is shown in Figure 8. The aiming angle scale is made in the form of squares up to a range of 1300 m. When setting the aiming angle handwheel scale to division 10, the top of the second sighting sign on the scale from the top on the reticle will correspond to a range of 1100 m, the top of the third sign - 1200 m , and the top of the fourth is 1300 m. 
Rice. 8. View of the field of view
To the left and right of the sighting marks there is a lateral correction scale. Scale division value 0-01. The lateral correction values 0-05 and 0-10 are highlighted with an elongated stroke. The O-10 correction is marked with the number 10. To the right and left of the lateral correction scale there are two horizontal strokes.
The rangefinder scale, located on the left under the lateral correction scale, is designed to determine the range to the target. The rangefinder scale is made in the form of two lines. The top line (curve) is calculated for a target height of 1.7 m and is marked with numbers 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
The sight reticle moves in two mutually perpendicular directions, always remaining in the focal plane of the lens.
1.6. Rifle Accessory
1.6.1. The accessory (Fig. 9) is used for disassembling, assembling, cleaning and lubricating the sniper rifle and is carried in a bag for the scope and magazines.
1.6.2. Accessories include: cheek piece, cleaning rod, wiper, brush, screwdriver, drift, pencil case and oiler.
The cheek piece is used when shooting from a rifle with an optical sight. In this case, it is put on the butt of the rifle and secured to it with a lock.
The cleaning rod is used to clean and lubricate the bore, channels and cavities of other parts of the rifle. It consists of three links that are screwed together.
The wipe is designed to clean and lubricate the bore, as well as the channels and cavities of other parts of the rifle.
The brush is used to clean the barrel bore with a radiofrequency solution.
The screwdriver is used when disassembling and assembling the rifle, cleaning the gas chamber and gas tube, and also as a key when adjusting the position of the front sight in height.
A drift is used to push out axles and pins.
The pencil case is used to store cleaning cloths, brushes, screwdrivers and drifts. It consists of two components: a pencil case-key and a pencil case cover.
The pencil case key is used as a cleaning rod handle when cleaning and lubricating a rifle, as a screwdriver handle when disassembling and assembling a rifle, and as a key when separating the gas tube and assembling the cleaning rod.
The cover of the case is used as a muzzle pad when cleaning the barrel.
The oiler is used to store lubricant.
Rice. 9. Rifle Accessory:
1- pencil case cover 6yu7. 1-6; 2- ruff 56-Yu-212. Sat. 5; 3- screwdriver 6У7. 1; 4- rubbing 56-U-212. Sat. 4; 5- punch 56-У-212. 5: 6- pencil case body 6У7. Sat. 1-1; 7- oiler 6yu5. Sat. SB; 8- cheek 6Y7. Sat. 6; 9- cleaning rod 6Yu7. 2-1; 10- cleaning rod extension 6Yu7. 2-2; 11- front cleaning rod extension 6Yu7. 2-3
1.7. Sight accessory
1.7.1. The accessory (Fig. 10) is designed to ensure normal operation of the sight and replace individual elements that fail during operation.
1.7.2. Accessories include: case, winter lighting system, light filter in frame, key. a napkin, a lamp power source (in a cassette) and a cap.
Rice. 10 Appearance of the PSO-1 sight with an individual set of spare parts:
1- key AL8. 392.000; 2- section made of mercury-zinc elements 2РЦ63; 3- light filter AL5.940.004; 4- lamp CM 2.5-0.075 (in cassette AL8.212.000); 5- cap AL8.634.004; b- lighting system AL6.622.004
The cover is used to protect the sight from dust, rain, snow, exposure to sunlight, etc.
The winter lighting system is designed to provide illumination of the sight reticle when working with the sight in ambient temperatures below 0 degrees. WITH.
The light filter in the frame is used to operate the scope in cloudy weather.
The key is used to screw in and unscrew the reticle illumination lamp.
The cloth is used for cleaning optical parts. The power supply, lamps and cap are designed to replace failed ones.
1.8. Container and packaging
1.8.1. Sniper rifles are delivered to the consumer in wooden boxes painted in a protective color. Six sniper rifles with all accessories are placed in each box and secured with special inserts.
1.8.2. The box consists of two compartments separated by a wooden partition. The bottom, as well as all the walls of the box, are lined with waxed paper. Before capping, the bottom and walls of the large compartment of the box are additionally lined with inhibited paper. The small compartment of the box is not lined with inhibited paper, and optical sights and belts for carrying small arms sealed in this compartment are wrapped only in waxed paper.
2. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
2.1. General instructions
The sniper rifle and optical sight must be kept in full working order and ready for action. This is achieved by timely and skillful cleaning and lubrication, careful handling, proper storage, timely technical inspections and elimination of detected faults.
2.2. Safety instructions
2.2.1. Training in disassembling and assembling a rifle should only be done on training rifles. Training on combat rifles is permitted only in exceptional cases, subject to special care in handling parts and mechanisms.
2.2.2. Before preparing the rifle for shooting, and before cleaning and lubricating it, make sure that it is not loaded.
During all training activities with a loaded rifle, do not point it at people or areas where people or pets may be present.
Shoot in a closed shooting range only with supply and exhaust ventilation, since the powder gases released during shooting are toxic. At the end of shooting, be sure to unload the rifle and put it on safety.
2.3. Preparing a sniper rifle and optical sight for shooting
2.3.1. Preparing the rifle and scope for shooting is intended to ensure trouble-free operation during shooting. Preparing the rifle and scope for shooting is carried out in the following order:
a) clean the rifle;
b) inspect the rifle disassembled and lubricate it;
c) inspect the assembled rifle and scope;
d) check the correct interaction of the parts and mechanisms of the rifle;
e) check the serviceability of the lighting system and reticle illumination;
f) check the operation of the aiming angle and lateral adjustment mechanisms of the sight;
g) check the screen is turned on and off;
h) charge the sight screen.
Immediately before shooting, wipe the barrel bore (rifling part and chamber) dry, inspect the cartridges and load the magazine with them.
To charge the sight screen, turn the screen switching handle to the position along the sight, place the sight so that the entire surface of the filter is illuminated by a light source containing ultraviolet rays.
Full charging time: in diffuse daylight - 15 minutes, when illuminated by direct sunlight and when irradiated with an electric lamp with a power of 100... 200 W at a distance of 20 cm - 7-10 minutes. Charging the screen beyond the specified time does not increase its sensitivity. A charged screen retains the ability to capture infrared rays for 6... 7 days, after which it needs to be charged again. Charging ensures operation of the sight for 3 days (when working 8 hours a day).
2. 4. Bringing the rifle to normal combat and the procedure for working with an optical sight
2.4.1. The sniper rifle located in the unit must be brought to normal combat. The need to bring the rifle to normal combat is established by checking the combat.
The rifle's combat is checked:
a) when the rifle arrives at the unit;
b) after repairing the rifle and replacing parts that could change its combat;
c) if deviations of the average point of impact (MIP) or dispersion of bullets that do not meet the requirements of normal rifle combat are detected during shooting.
In a combat situation, the rifle's combat is checked periodically at every opportunity.
2.4.2. To test the combat, fire four shots, aiming carefully and uniformly through the open sights. Shoot at a black rectangle measuring 20 cm in width and 30 cm in height, mounted on a white shield 0.5 m wide and 1 m high. The aiming point is the middle of the lower edge of the black rectangle. On a plumb line at a distance of 16 cm above the aiming point, mark with chalk or a colored pencil the normal position of the midpoint of impact when shooting with open sights. This point is the control point (CT).
Firing range 100 m, sight 3. Position for shooting "prone from rest". To check the combat of a rifle and bring it to normal combat, cartridges with an ordinary bullet with a steel core are used. Shoot without a bayonet.
At the end of the shooting, inspect the target and the location of the holes, determine the accuracy of the battle and the position of the midpoint of impact.
The accuracy of a rifle's firing is considered normal if all four holes fit into a circle with a diameter of 8 cm.
If the accuracy of the holes does not satisfy this requirement, repeat the shooting. If the shooting result is unsatisfactory again, send the rifle to a repair shop.
If the combat accuracy is normal, determine the midpoint of impact and its position relative to the control point. The determination of the midpoint of impact is shown in Fig. eleven.
Rice. 11. Determination of the average point of impact:
1 - sequential division of segments; 2 - with symmetrical arrangement of holes.
A rifle strike is considered normal if the average point of impact coincides with the control point or deviates from it in any direction by no more than 5 cm.
2.4.3. If, when checking the battle, the average point of impact deviates from the control point in any direction by more than 5 cm, then change the position of the front sight in height or the front sight body in lateral position. If the STP is lower than the CT, then screw in the front sight, if higher, unscrew it. If the STP is to the left of the CT, move the front sight body to the left, if to the right - to the right.
When the front sight body moves sideways by 1 mm when screwing in (unscrewing) the front sight one full turn, the STP when shooting at 100 m shifts by 16 cm.
Check the correct movement of the front sight body and front sight by shooting again. After bringing the rifle to normal combat, hammer in the old mark on the front sight body and apply a new one in its place.
2.4.4. To bring the rifle into normal combat mode with an optical sight, attach the scope to the rifle and place the cheekpiece on the butt. By rotating the handwheels, set the aiming angle handwheel to division 3, and the lateral correction handwheel to division 0.
Shoot with an optical sight under the same conditions as when checking the combat of a rifle with open sights, only mark the control point at a height of 14 cm from the aiming point. If, as a result of shooting, all four holes fit into a circle with a diameter of 8 cm, but the STP deviated from the CT by more than 3 cm, determine the deviation of the STP and make appropriate adjustments in installing the nuts on the aiming angle and lateral correction handwheels. Moving the nuts by one division relative to the scale on the handwheel belt when shooting at 100 m changes the position of the STP by 5 cm. To make adjustments, unscrew the screws on the ends of the handwheels one and a half turns, and by hand rotating the nut of the aiming angle mechanism or the nut of the lateral correction mechanism, move them to the required size and tighten the screws.
After making adjustments to the handwheel settings, fire again. If, upon repeated shooting, all four holes fit into a circle with a diameter of 8 cm, and the STP coincided with the CT or deviated from it in any direction by no more than 3 cm, then the rifle is considered to be in normal combat. Upon completion of bringing the rifle to normal combat, enter the position of the STP in the form.
2.4.5. The range to the target is determined in the following sequence:
— align the target image with the rangefinder scale of the reticle so that the base of the target is on the horizontal line of the rangefinder scale, and the top point of the target touches the upper (dotted) line of the scale without a gap;
— take a reading on the rangefinder scale at the point where the target touches;
— the number indicating the point of contact will determine the distance to the target (in Fig. 12 the distance to the target is 400 m).
Rice. 12. Rangefinder scale
2.4.6. To shoot at dusk and at night, turn the microtoggle switch to the -ON- position. In this case, set the aiming angles and lateral corrections by counting the clicks of the latch from the zero position. At the same time, remember that the handwheel fixes the aiming angles from 0 to 3 through a whole division, i.e. every 100 m, and then until setting 10 every half division, i.e. after 50 m. The lateral correction handwheel is fixed every half division, i.e. after 0-00, 5.
2.4.7. When working with a winter lighting system, the housing with section 2РЦ63 must be stored in a warm place (in the pocket of a tunic or sniper’s overcoat).
2.5. Checking the technical condition, typical malfunctions and methods for eliminating them
2.5.1. To check the serviceability of the rifle, as well as to determine its suitability for further use, carry out periodic inspections of the rifle.
When inspecting, make sure that all parts of the rifle are present and check that the outer parts are free of rust, dirt, dents, scratches, nicks, chips and other damage that could cause disruption of the normal operation of the mechanisms of the rifle and the optical sight; in addition, check the condition of the lubrication on parts visible without disassembling the rifle, the presence of magazines, a bayonet, accessories, a cover for an optical sight, a bag for a sight and magazines, and a bag for spare parts; make sure that there are no foreign objects in the bore; check the correct operation of parts and mechanisms.
When checking the correct operation of parts and mechanisms, remove the rifle from the safety lock, pull the frame back by the handle until it stops and release it; the frame should stop in the rear position by stopping the shutter. Separate the magazine, move the frame back a little by the handle and release it; The frame should forcefully return to the forward position.
Put the safety on the rifle and pull the trigger; the trigger should not move back completely, and the hammer should remain cocked. Remove the rifle from the safety and press the trigger: a click should be heard - an energetic blow of the trigger on the firing pin. Put the rifle on safety again and attach the magazine; the frame should not move back; The fuse must be securely held in position.
Check the supply of cartridges into the chamber; extraction and reflection of cartridge cases (cartridges); equip the magazine with training cartridges, attach it to the rifle and, without pressing the magazine latch, try to separate the magazine with your hand - the magazine should fit freely into the receiver window and be securely held by the magazine latch. Reload the rifle several times, while training cartridges should be sent from the magazine into the chamber without delay and vigorously thrown out of the receiver.
When checking the serviceability of the optical sight, make sure that the eyepiece and objective lenses are intact, check the smooth rotation of the handwheels and their fixation in the installed position, whether the handwheels are swaying, whether the sight is swaying and whether it is securely fastened with a clamping screw on the rifle; check that the reticle lighting is working properly; to do this, put the cap on the lens, turn on the toggle switch and look into the eyepiece (if the device is working properly, the reticle is clearly visible, if the reticle is not visible, replace the battery or light bulb).
If the scope has a wobble or the bend of the handle does not fit into the cutout on the bracket when the scope is firmly attached to the rifle, adjust the clamp screw. To do this, separate the scope from the rifle, press the slider against the handle (compress the spring) and screw or unscrew the adjusting nut of the clamping screw.
Inspect the ammunition before shooting. Check them during your inspection. is there any rust or bruises on the cartridges, is the bullet wobbling in the barrel of the cartridge case, is there a green coating and cracks on the primer, is the primer protruding above the surface of the bottom of the cartridge case, are there any training cartridges among the live cartridges. Return all faulty cartridges to the warehouse.
2.5.2. Fix any malfunctions in the rifle, scope, magazines or accessories immediately. If the malfunction cannot be resolved in the unit, send the rifle (optical sight, magazines, accessories) to a repair shop.
2.5.3. The parts and mechanisms of a sniper rifle, when properly handled and cared for, work reliably and without failure for a long time. However, as a result of contamination of the mechanisms, wear of parts and careless handling of the rifle, as well as malfunctioning cartridges, delays in shooting may occur.
Eliminate the delay that occurs during shooting by reloading, to do this, quickly move the frame back by the handle, release it and continue shooting. If the delay persists, find out the reason for its occurrence and eliminate the delay as indicated in Table 2.
table 2
| Name of the malfunction, external manifestation and additional symptoms | Probable Cause | Elimination method |
| The cartridge does not feed, the bolt is in the forward position, but the shot does not occur - there is no cartridge in the chamber | 1. Contamination or malfunction of the magazine 2. Malfunction of the magazine latch | If the delay occurs again, replace the magazine. If the magazine release malfunctions, send the rifle to a repair shop |
| Sticking the cartridge. The bullet cartridge hit the breech end of the barrel, the moving parts stopped in the middle position | Curvature of the bends of the side walls of the magazine | While holding the frame handle, remove the stuck cartridge and continue shooting. If the delay occurs again, replace the magazine. |
| Misfire. The bolt is in the forward position, the cartridge is in the chamber, the trigger is pulled - no shot fired | 1. Chuck malfunction 2. Malfunction of the firing pin or firing mechanism; contamination or hardening of the lubricant | Reload your rifle and continue shooting If the delay is repeated, inspect and clean the firing pin and firing mechanism; If they break or wear out, send the rifle to a repair shop |
| Failure to remove the cartridge case. The cartridge case is in the chamber, the next cartridge is buried in a bullet, the moving parts have stopped in the middle position | 1. Dirty cartridge or chamber contamination 2. Contamination or malfunction of the ejector or its spring | Pull the frame back by the handle and, holding it in the rear position, separate the magazine and remove the buried cartridge. Use the bolt or cleaning rod to remove the cartridge case from the chamber. Keep shooting. If the delay occurs again, clean the chamber. Inspect and clean the ejector and continue shooting. |
| Case sticking or non-reflection. The cartridge case was not thrown out of the receiver, but remained in it in front of the bolt or was sent back into the chamber by the bolt | 1. Contamination of rubbing parts, gas paths or chamber 2. The ejector is dirty or malfunctioning. Pull the frame back by the handle, eject the cartridge case and continue shooting. If the delay repeats, clean the gas paths, rubbing parts and chamber | If the ejector malfunctions, send the rifle to a repair shop |
2.6. Disassembling and assembling the rifle
2.6.1. Disassembly of a sniper rifle can be incomplete or complete: incomplete - for cleaning, lubricating and inspecting the rifle; full - for cleaning when the rifle is heavily soiled, after being in the rain or snow, when switching to a new lubricant and during repairs. Frequent disassembly of the rifle is not allowed, as this accelerates the wear of parts and mechanisms.
When disassembling and assembling the rifle, do not use excessive force or sharp blows.
During assembly. rifle, compare the numbers on its parts with the number on the receiver.
2.6.2. The procedure for partial disassembly of a sniper rifle:
a) separate the store. Holding the magazine with your hand, press the magazine latch and, pushing the bottom of the magazine forward, separate it. After this, check whether there is a cartridge in the chamber, to do this, lower the fuse down, move the frame back by the handle, inspect the chamber and lower the handle;
b) separate the optical sight. Lifting the clamping screw handle, turn it towards the eyecup as far as it will go, slide the sight back and separate it from the receiver;
c) separate the cheek. By turning the cheek lock latch down, remove the loop from the clip hook and separate the cheek;
d) separate the receiver cover with the return mechanism. Having turned the cover pin back until it is placed on the pin stop screw, lift up the back part of the cover and separate the cover with the return mechanism;
e) separate the frame with the shutter. Moving the frame with the bolt back all the way, lift it and separate it from the receiver;
e) separate the bolt from the frame. Moving the bolt back, turn it so that the leading protrusion of the bolt comes out of the figured groove of the frame, and then move the bolt forward;
g) separate the firing mechanism. Having turned the shield up to a vertical position, slide it to the right and separate it from the receiver; holding the bracket, move downwards to separate the firing mechanism;
h) separate the barrel linings. Pressing the pin of the ring against the gas tube until the bend of the pin comes out of the cutout of the upper ring, turn the contactor clockwise until it stops; slide the top ring towards the muzzle; by pressing the lining down and moving it to the side, separate it from the barrel;
i) separate the gas piston and pusher with spring. Moving the pusher back, remove its front end from the hole of the gas piston; separate the gas piston from the gas tube; by inserting the front end of the pusher into the gas tube, press the pusher spring until it exits the channel of the aiming block, and then separate the pusher with the spring; Separate the pusher spring from the pusher.
2.6.3. The procedure for assembling a sniper rifle after partial disassembly:
a) attach the gas piston and pusher with a spring. With the pushrod spring on the rear end of the pushrod, insert the front end of the pushrod into the gas tube; Having pressed the spring, insert the rear end of the pusher together with the spring into the channel of the aiming block; move the pusher back and move its front end out of the gas tube to the side; insert the gas piston into the gas tube and the front end of the pusher into the piston hole;
b) attach the barrel linings. After inserting the rear end of the right (left) pad into the lower ring, press the pad down and fix it on the projections of the support ring; slide the upper ring onto the tips of the linings and turn the pin of the ring towards the gas tube until the bend of the pin enters the cutout on the ring;
c) attach the trigger mechanism. By placing the cutouts of the trigger mechanism housing behind the stop pin, press the trigger mechanism against the receiver; insert the axis of the shield into the hole in the receiver, and then turn the shield clockwise until the protrusion on the shield enters the lower recess of the receiver;
d) attach the bolt to the frame. Having inserted the bolt into the hole in the frame, turn the bolt so that its leading protrusion fits into the figured groove of the frame; push the shutter forward as far as it will go;
e) attach the frame with the shutter. Insert the frame guides into the receiver cutouts and slide the frame forward;
f) attach the cover with the return mechanism. Having inserted the return spring into the hole in the frame, insert the protrusions on the front end of the cover into the cutouts of the lower ring, press the rear end of the cover until it is completely adjacent to the receiver; turn the lid pin forward until it is placed on the pin stopper;
g) attach the cheek. With the cheek piece on the buttstock with the lock facing to the right, place the loop on the clip hook and turn the latch upward;
h) attach an optical sight. Having aligned the grooves on the sight bracket with the protrusions on the left wall of the receiver, push the sight forward as far as it will go and turn the clamping screw handle toward the lens until its bend fits into the cutout on the bracket;
i) attach the store. Having inserted the front magazine hook into the receiver window, turn the magazine towards you so that the latch slides over the rear magazine hook.
2.6.4. The procedure for completely disassembling a sniper rifle:
a) perform partial disassembly, guided by paragraph 2. 6. 2;
b) disassemble the store. Having sunk the protrusion of the locking bar into the hole on the magazine cover, slide the cover forward; holding the locking bar, remove the cover from the housing; gradually releasing the spring, remove it together with the locking bar from the magazine body; separate the feeder;
c) disassemble the return mechanism. Remove the front return spring from the guide bushing; compress the rear return spring and, holding the guide rod, move it downwards and towards you from the earring hole; separate the rear return spring and guide rod from the guide bushing;
d) disassemble the shutter. Using a punch, push out the firing pin and remove the firing pin from the bolt hole; remove the ejector with the spring in the same way;
e) disassemble the trigger mechanism (Fig. 13). Press the self-timer lever and disconnect the self-timer sear from the trigger, holding the trigger, press the trigger and smoothly release the hammer; remove the ends of the trigger spring from under the bends of the trigger mechanism housing; using a screwdriver, align the protrusions of the axes of the trigger, sear and self-timer with the cutouts for them on the right wall of the trigger mechanism housing: by pushing out the axes of the trigger, sear and self-timer, separate these parts; Having pushed out the hammer axis, separate the hammer from the mainspring, and then remove the mainspring;
f) separate the gas tube with the gas regulator. Having turned the regulator until the cutout on its front end aligns with the latch of the gas pipe, press the latch and, using a pencil case, unscrew the gas pipe and remove the regulator from it.
2.6.5. The procedure for assembling a sniper rifle after complete disassembly:
a) connect the gas pipe with the gas regulator. Having placed the regulator on the gas tube, press the gas tube latch and screw the gas tube using a pencil case key until the cutout on the end of the tube matches the latch; Having sunk the latch into the cutout of the tube, set the regulator to the required division;
b) assemble the firing mechanism. Insert the trigger with its spring into the housing, insert the axle, align its protrusion with the cutout on the right wall of the case and turn the axle using a screwdriver. Place the mainspring on the hammer pins and insert the hammer into the housing.
Insert the sear into the body so that its tail goes behind the loop of the long end of the mainspring; insert axle; align its protrusion with the cutout on the right wall of the case and turn the axis using a screwdriver. Insert the self-timer into the body so that its tail goes behind the loop of the short end of the mainspring; insert the axle, aligning its protrusion with the cutout on the right wall of the case and turn the axle using a screwdriver; insert the trigger axis and place the ends of the trigger spring on the bends of the body;
c) assemble the shutter. Having inserted the ejector with the spring into the bolt socket, press the ejector and insert the ejector axis, inserting the firing pin into the bolt hole, from the side of the leading protrusion, insert the firing pin into the bolt hole and push it to the end;
Rice. 13. Trigger mechanism:
1- trigger housing 6B1. Sat. 4-1; 2-axis sear, hook and self-timer 6B1. 4-10; 3-trigger with 6B1 pull. Sat. 4-4; 4- hook spring 6V1.4-13; 5- sear 6V1.4-9V; 6- self-timer 6B1 4-23; 7- trigger 6V1.4-6; 8- combat spring 6V1.4-7; 9 - trigger axis 6V1.4-8; 10- axis of the magazine latch 6V1.4-16; 11- magazine latch 6V1.4-15; 12- magazine latch spring 6B1. 4-22.
d) assemble the return mechanism. Having inserted the guide rod into the guide sleeve from the side of the large diameter hole (flat side forward), put the return spring on the guide sleeve from the side of the rod and compress it so that the end of the guide rod with the flats comes out from under the spring; holding the guide rod in this position, insert it together with the spring and bushing into the lower hole of the earring, and then push the rod along the edges of the flats into the upper hole; release the spring - its end should enter the cup of the earring. Place the second return spring onto the guide bushing;
d) assemble a store. Having inserted the feeder and the spring into the magazine body, compress the spring until the locking bar enters the body and, holding it in this position, put the magazine cover on the body so that the protrusion of the locking bar slides into the hole in the cover;
f) carry out further assembly, guided by paragraphs, 2. 6. 3.
2.7. Cleaning and Lubrication
2.7.1. Cleaning the rifle is done:
in preparation for shooting;
after firing live and blank cartridges - immediately after the end of firing;
after the assignment and training in the field without shooting - upon returning from the assignment or training;
in a combat situation and during long-term exercises - daily during periods of calm in the battle and during breaks in exercises;
if the rifle was not used - at least once a week.
2.7.2. After cleaning, lubricate the rifle. Apply lubricant only to a well-cleaned and dry metal surface immediately after cleaning to prevent moisture from affecting the metal.
2.7.3. To clean and lubricate the rifle use:
liquid gun lubricant - for cleaning the rifle and lubricating its parts and mechanisms at air temperatures from plus 50 to minus 50 degrees C;
gun lubricant - for lubricating the barrel bore, parts and mechanisms of the rifle after cleaning them; this lubricant is used at air temperatures above plus 5 degrees C;
RFC solution - for cleaning the bore and other parts of the rifle exposed to powder gases.
Note. The RHS solution is prepared in the department in the following composition:
water suitable for drinking - 1 l;
ammonium carbonate - 200 g;
potassium dichromate (chrompic) - 3-5 g.
The solution is prepared in the amount necessary to clean the weapon within one day. A small amount of RFS solution can be stored for no more than 7 days in glass containers, sealed with a stopper, in a dark place and away from heating devices.
It is prohibited to pour RFC solution into oil cans!
rags or paper KV-22 - for wiping, cleaning and lubricating the rifle;
tow, cleared of kernels, - only for cleaning the bore.
2.7.4. Clean the rifle in the following order:
a) prepare materials for cleaning and lubrication;
b) disassemble the rifle;
c) prepare the accessory for use during cleaning;
d) clean the bore.
To clean the bore with liquid gun lubricant, place tow on the end of the wiper and lay the tow fibers along the wiper rod; Pour some liquid gun lubricant onto the tow. Insert a ramrod with rubbing and tow into the barrel bore and attach the canister cover to the flash hider. While holding the rifle, smoothly move the oakum wipe along the entire length of the bore several times. Take out the cleaning rod, change the tow, soak it with liquid gun lubricant and clean the bore several times in the same order. After this, carefully wipe the bore with clean, dry tow, and then with a clean rag.
Clean the barrel bore with the RFS solution using a brush soaked in the solution; then wipe the bore with tow. Continue cleaning with the RFC solution until the carbon deposits are completely removed. After cleaning the rifled part of the barrel bore, clean the chamber in the same manner; e) clean the gas chamber and gas tube using a cleaning rod or wooden stick wrapped in a rag soaked in liquid gun lubricant or RFC solution; After cleaning, wipe the gas chamber and gas pipe dry; Wipe again with a rag and inspect the bore so that there are no scraps of tow, rags or other foreign objects left in it;
f) clean the receiver, bolt frame, bolt and gas piston using a rag soaked in liquid gun lubricant or RFC solution, then wipe dry;
g) wipe the remaining metal parts dry with a rag;
h) wipe the wooden parts with a dry cloth.
2.7.5. Lubricate the rifle in the following order:
a) lubricate the bore using a wipe and a rag soaked in lubricant; lubricate the chamber;
b) lubricate all other metal parts and mechanisms of the rifle using an oiled rag;
c) apply a thin layer of lubricant, since excessive lubricant contributes to contamination of parts and can cause delays when firing;
d) do not lubricate wooden parts.
2.7.6. Assemble the rifle and check the operation of its parts and mechanisms.
2.7.7. Wipe the outer surfaces of the optical sight with a clean rag. Remove the reticle light cap and wipe the battery, housing, and cap. If the surface of the objective lenses and eyepiece are dirty, wipe them with a cloth. Lenses and glass are not allowed to be wiped with a rag that was used to wipe other parts of the sight, lubricated or touched with fingers.
It is forbidden to open the sight!
2.8. Storage and transportation rules
2.8.1. The rifle must always be stored unloaded, with the optical sight and magazine separated, the bayonet removed, the trigger pulled, the safety guard on, the sight clamp set to the -P- mark.
2.8.2. In barracks and camp situations, the rifle is stored in a pyramid; in a special compartment of the same pyramid, an optical sight in a case, magazines, a bag for the sight and magazines, a bayonet in a sheath, a bag for spare parts, a belt for carrying small arms and accessories are stored. The scope and magazine bag, case and sling should be kept clean and dry.
2.8.3. When temporarily located in a building, the rifle is stored in a dry place away from doors, stoves and heating devices. In a combat situation, keep the rifle with you, in your hands.
2.8.4. When moving to classes and on a hike, the rifle is carried on a belt. The sling must be adjusted so that the rifle does not hit hard objects. The rifle is carried with the magazine attached. The rest of the stores are in the bag.
2.8.5. When traveling in cars or armored personnel carriers, hold the rifle vertically between your knees. When traveling on tanks, hold the rifle in your hands, protecting it from hitting the armor.
2.8.6. When transported by rail or waterways, the rifle is mounted in a special pyramid. If the carriage or watercraft is not equipped with pyramids, the rifle can be held in the hands or placed on a shelf so that it cannot fall or be damaged.
2.8.7. To prevent swelling or rupture of the barrel, it is prohibited to plug the bore with anything.
2.8.8. Protect the optical sight from falling, sharp blows and jolts, and from penetration of moisture and dust into the optical part; store the scope in a case in a dry, heated room; If the scope is on the rifle and you are not shooting, put a cover on the scope. Wipe the wet sight thoroughly with a dry cloth and dry the covers. It is forbidden to hold the sight near stoves and fires.
Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD), right view.
Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD), left view.
Dragunov sniper rifle with a modern plastic stock
Dragunov SVDS sniper rifle with a shortened barrel and a side-folding butt.
Dragunov sniper rifle Modified SVDM, with 1P88 sight and folding bipod
Foreign clones and imitations of the SVD rifle, from top to bottom: Al-Kadesih rifle (Iraq), Type 85 rifle (Type 85, China) and FPK rifle (Romania). Please note that only the top two rifles are actually copies of the SVD, the FPK rifle is actually an enlarged modification of the 7.62x54R Kalashnikov assault rifle, designed “to match the SVD”.
In 1958, the GRAU (Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate) of the General Staff of the Soviet Army announced a competition to create a self-loading sniper rifle for the Soviet Army. The team led by E. Dragunov won the competition, and in 1963 the SVD (Dragunov Sniper Rifle) was adopted by the SA. The 7N1 “sniper” cartridge with a steel core bullet was created especially for the SVD, but the rifle can use the entire range of domestic 7.62x54R cartridges.
It should be noted that the tactical role that was and is assigned to the SVD rifle in the Soviet and Russian armies differs from the traditional role of the “sniper” in the Western understanding of the term. The SVD rifle serves to increase the effective fire range of the rifle squad beyond the capabilities of standard machine guns, up to distances of 600-700 meters. The fact that the SVD was quite widely used as a sniper rifle spoke more about the lack of special weapons of this class, although the recent adoption of the SV-98 rifles of the same caliber, as well as the ORSIS T-5000, is gradually changing the situation.
A number of modifications were produced based on the Dragunov rifle - the SVDS rifle with a shortened barrel and a side-folding butt, civilian hunting carbines "Bear" (now not produced) and "Tiger". Copies and clones of SVD are also produced abroad, and among them there are both fairly accurate copies (for example, Chinese Type 85 rifles of 7.62x54R caliber and NDM-86 of 7.62x51 caliber) and imitations based on the design of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, such as the Romanian FPK rifle.
Currently, the Kalashnikov concern produces both the “classic” Dragunov SVD rifles with a modern plastic stock, and a shortened version of the SVDS. Recently, a further development of the SVDS rifle has also been released - a modified Dragunov sniper rifle SVDM. It features improved ergonomics and the ability to install modern sighting systems on a Picatinny rail. and can also be equipped with a shot silencer.
Dragunov SVD sniper rifle is a self-loading weapon with gas-operated automatics, with a short stroke of a gas piston not rigidly connected to the bolt frame (to reduce the mass of the moving parts of the automatic). The design of the gas outlet unit includes a two-position gas regulator. The barrel is locked by turning the bolt, which has 3 lugs. The receiver is milled from steel. The USM is unregulated, made on a separate base. All variants of the rifle are equipped with non-removable open sights in the form of a front sight in the front sight and an adjustable rear sight located in front of the receiver cover. The bracket for the optical sight is attached to the receiver on the left. In addition to the main optical sight PSO-1 (fixed magnification 4X), the SVD can be equipped with unilluminated night sights NSPU-3 or NSPUM.
On early versions of the SVD rifle, the fore-end and butt of the frame structure were made of wood; on more modern versions, the fore-end and butt were made of plastic. In the muzzle of the barrel there is a mount for a bayonet-knife.
On SVDS rifles There is a separate plastic pistol grip and a side-folding metal stock. The barrel is shortened and does not have a bayonet mount.
SVDM rifle has a Picatinny rail on the hinged receiver cover for installing day and night sights. Standard for the SVDM rifle is the 1P88-4 variable magnification optical sight. Mechanical sights have a simplified rear sight and front sight on a gas block. The rifle is standardly equipped with a side-folding butt of a tubular design with an adjustable cheekpiece and butt plate, a separate pistol grip and a plastic fore-end. A shortened flash suppressor is installed on the barrel; the barrel itself has an increased thickness to improve shooting accuracy.
Modernization kit for the Dragunov SVD rifle and its variants from Sureshot Armament / SAG Mechanical Bureau.
The modernization kit for the Dragunov SVD rifle (“chassis”), developed by the Russian shooter and designer Valentin Vlasenko, is a set of fittings and a forend installed on rifles of the SVD, SVDS and “Tiger” series, ensuring suspension of the barrel and its protection from external loads, as well as allowing install any modern sighting systems and accessories without worrying about the need to dismantle them when cleaning and servicing the weapon. The chassis provides the shooter with a stable platform in the form of a one-piece 47 cm Picatinny rail along the top, plus a KeyMod interface on the sides and bottom of the handguard. The chassis can be installed in a unit's weapons room or a regular weapons workshop, while the weight of the SVD rifle increases by only 200-250 grams compared to the standard version. The chassis design is protected by a Russian patent; currently the modernization kits are in experimental military operation in the FSB and Special Operations Forces units of Russia.
Upgraded in a specialized workshop, the Tiger carbine with a SAG chassis, an adapter for the stock and handle compatible with AR-15 and with a shortened barrel Modern sniper rifles are specially designed precision killing weapons. Modern standards require that when shooting at a distance of 100 yards (about 93 meters), all 5 shots should be placed in a circle with a diameter of 1 inch (25.4 mm) or less, or that the accuracy should be no more than 1 arc minute. Of course, such weapons are expensive - on average 1500-3000 dollars, and even up to 9000 dollars (for example Heckler and Koch PSG-1)
The SSG 04 rifle (ScharfSchützen-Gewehr 04 - sniper rifle model 2004) was developed and produced since 2004 by the famous Austrian company Steyr-Mannlicher AG. It was created in addition to the very popular, but no longer very “fashionable” and “modern” rifle SSG 69 of the same company. The SSG04 rifle is based on the SBS 96 system, developed by Steyr-Mannlicher in the mid-1990s for a new line of hunting and sporting rifles. Currently, SSG 04 rifles are already in service with a number of security services and police forces in European countries. When using appropriate ammunition, SSG 04 rifles consistently provide accuracy of less than one arc minute at practical firing ranges.
The Steyr-Mannlicher SSG 04 sniper rifle has a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt with four lugs located in pairs in front of the bolt. High-precision barrels are made using cold rotational forging and are equipped with a muzzle brake. The trigger mechanism is adjustable, release without warning. The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines. The rifle stock is made of impact-resistant polymer and has a height-adjustable butt comb and butt plate. The rifle does not have open sights; a Picatinny rail type guide is installed on the receiver, allowing for quick and accurate installation of any optical and night sights on the appropriate mounts.
The SSG 69 rifle was developed and manufactured by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch (currently Steyr-Mannlicher AG). In 1969, it was adopted by the Austrian Army, hence its name (ScharfSchützen-Gewehr 69 - sniper rifle model 1969). The Steyr-Mannlicher SSG 69 sniper rifle was produced in 4 modifications - SSG-PI, SSG-PII, SSG-PIIK and SSG-PIV. The SSG-PI variant (aka SSG 69) was originally designed as a military sniper rifle, having both conventional sights (front and rear sights) and optical sight mounts, and has a 660mm barrel. The SSG-PII was created for the police, has a heavy barrel of the same length and does not have conventional sights. SSG-PIIK has a shorter (508mm) barrel length, which, however, does not affect accuracy at distances up to 500 meters. SSG-PIV is known as SSG SD in Europe. It has an even shorter barrel (406mm), threaded for installing a flame arrester or silencer.
The Steyr-Mannlicher SSG 69 sniper rifle is a manually loaded repeating rifle. The bolt is longitudinally sliding, rotating, locking is carried out by 6 radial protrusions in the rear part of the bolt through grooves in the receiver. The barrel is heavy, made by cold rotational forging. The trigger mechanism is adjustable. descent with warning. Rotary magazine for 5 rounds, detachable. At one time, box magazines with a capacity of 10 rounds were also produced, but their production was discontinued. The stock is made of plastic (SSG 69 was the first sniper rifle to have such a stock), the length of the butt can be adjusted using special rubber gaskets under the butt plate. In addition to seats for installing optical sights, the SSG 69 in the military is equipped with open, adjustable sights; the police versions do not have open sights.
The SSG 08 sniper rifle, introduced in 2008 by the famous Austrian company Steyr-Mannlicher AG, is a further development of their fairly successful SSG 04 sniper rifle. The new SSG08 rifle was created with the participation of experts from the famous Austrian police special forces unit COBRA, and differs from its predecessor mainly a new aluminum stock with a side-folding adjustable butt, and, as a result, slightly greater weight.
The Steyr-Mannlicher SSG 08 sniper rifle has a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt with four lugs located in pairs in front of the bolt. High-precision barrels are made using cold rotational forging and are equipped with a muzzle brake. The trigger mechanism is adjustable, release without warning. The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines. The rifle stock is made of aluminum with plastic linings and has a side-folding buttstock with a height-adjustable comb and butt plate. An adjustable rear support is built into the butt, and there is a mount for a folding bipod in the front of the stock. The rifle does not have open sights; a Picatinny rail type guide is installed on the receiver, allowing for quick and accurate installation of any optical and night sights on the appropriate mounts. Additional Picatinny rail type guides are installed on the forend and are intended for attaching accessories (for example, a laser laser).
Steyr Scout rifles are manufactured by Steyr, Austria.
The idea of the Scout rifle (scout) was born in the head of the famous American shooter and weapons expert Jeff Cooper. He managed to infect the Steyr company with this idea, and as a result, the company launched the Scout rifle on the market in the late 1990s, based on Steyr’s patented longitudinally sliding rotary bolt design SBS (safety bolt). The main idea of the "Scout" is a lightweight, universal weapon, suitable for hunting at medium distances with medium game (up to 150-200 kg). The "Scout" rifle has a proprietary Steyr cold-forged barrel, a polymer stock, adjustable in length using butt pads. The stock has a built-in lightweight plastic folding bipod, which when folded turns into part of the fore-end. The rifle is equipped with a folding rear sight and front sight, but the main one is a 2.5X optical sight, mounted low above the barrel and with a large offset forward, which provides convenient aiming with both eyes and quick target acquisition. The butt has a slot at the bottom for a spare magazine. Standard 5-round magazines are considered standard, but you can install a special magazine socket extension and use optional 10-round magazines. The safety is three-position, with the modes “fire”, “loading/unloading” (the striker is blocked, the bolt is movable), “safe” (the striker and the bolt are locked). The rifle is very easy to handle and has excellent accuracy, so creating a sniper weapon on its basis rifles was the obvious move.
The Scout Tactical rifle differs slightly from the basic version - it has a blued bolt with an enlarged handle (for ease of quick reloading), and a more traditional optical sight arrangement. In addition, the Scout Tactical often comes with an adapter for a 10-round magazine.
The Unique Alpine TPG-1 sniper rifle (TPG stands for Taktisches Präzisions Gewehr - tactical precision rifle) was developed in Austria by Unique Alpine. The rifle has a modular design that allows you to easily change barrels and used cartridges (calibers). Available as both a sporting weapon and a police sniper rifle. With specially selected cartridges, the rifle exhibits an accuracy of about 0.5 minutes of arc (MOA).
The Unique Alpine TPG-1 sniper rifle is built on the basis of a proprietary receiver and bolt group. The bolt is longitudinally sliding, rotating, and is locked with three lugs. The steel receiver is rigidly attached to an aluminum block, to which a detachable stock with a pistol grip and fore-end are in turn attached. The barrels are quick-change, fixed in the receiver using one transverse screw. To change the caliber of a rifle, you need to replace the barrel and bolt, and for some calibers, also the magazine. For the 7.62x51mm cartridge, the company additionally offers a shortened barrel and an integral silencer. The firing mechanism has a fully adjustable trigger. The stock is plastic, with an adjustable butt plate and butt cheek. A retractable adjustable support is installed at the bottom of the butt. The forend has a mount for a bipod. The sights are mounted on a Picatinny rail mounted on the receiver; open sights are not provided as standard.
After the end of World War II, a large number of Lee-Enfield SMLE No.4 repeating rifles of .303 British caliber accumulated in England. After the NATO countries adopted the 7.62x51mm cartridge as standard, the British state arms company British Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF), Enfield, developed an option to convert SMLE No.4 rifles to the new cartridge. Conversion rifles were intended for target shooting and were equipped with a new, heavy 7.62mm NATO caliber barrel and a modified stock with a shortened fore-end and receiver guard. The civilian version was released under the designation Enfield “Envoy” match rifle, and the military version under the designation L39A1 target rifle.
Due to the need to adopt a sniper rifle, the L42A1 rifle was created on the basis of the L39, which was distinguished by the presence of mounts for an optical sight on the left side of the receiver, as well as a wooden “cushion” under the cheek on the butt.
In 1970, based on the L42, Enfield engineers developed a police sniper rifle designated the Enfield "Enforcer". The main differences from the L42 were a modified hunting-type stock with a semi-pistol grip, open adjustable sport-type sights and more modern commercial optical sights than the L42.
The L42 and Enforcer rifles were produced until 1985 and were replaced mainly by the L96 / Arctic Warfare rifles from the British company Accuracy International.
In the early 1980s, the British Army announced a competition to replace its aging Enfield L42 sniper rifles. The main participants in the competition were the English companies Parker-Hale with the Model 82 rifle, and Accuracy International with the Model RM rifle.
The RM rifle emerged victorious in this competition, and in the mid-1980s it was adopted by the British Army under the designation L96. The main distinguishing feature of this rifle was the stock of an unusual type and design: the basis of the stock is an aluminum beam running along the entire length of the stock, to which the barrel with receiver, trigger mechanism and all other parts of the rifle are attached, including the stock itself, consisting of 2 plastic half - left and right. In addition, L96 rifles are equipped with open sights in addition to the mandatory optical sight.
In the mid-1980s, the Swedish Army also began searching for a new sniper rifle suitable for use in harsh northern weather conditions. Accuracy International offers the Swedes a modified version of the L96 rifle called Arctic Warfare, and in 1988 the Swedish Army adopted it under the designation PSG.90. The British Army, in turn, is also adopting Arctic Warfare rifles (new designation L96A1).
The main model of the series, the AW, is designed as an army weapon; in addition to it, four more basic models are produced: Police (AWP), Suppressed (AWS), Folding (AWF) and Super Magnum (AW SM). The name of the series (Arctic Warfare = Arctic combat) comes from the fact that the rifles have special design features that allow them to be used in Arctic conditions (at temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius). The AW, AWP and AWS models are only chambered in 7.62mmNATO, while the SM model is chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum and 7mm Remington Magnum. The barrel of the AW model has a length of 660mm, the AWP model - 609mm. AW SM model barrels can have a length from 609mm to 686mm. The AWS model is equipped for use with suppressor and subsonic ammunition. The accuracy of the basic AW model is such that at a distance of 550 meters a series of 5 shots fits into a circle less than 50mm in diameter! The rifles are equipped with Smidt&Bender 3-12X variable magnification scopes or Leupold Mark 4 constant 10X magnification scopes, as well as a folding removable bipod.
A small British company, RPA International Ltd, began its business 40 years ago with the production of components for high-end sporting rifles, and then moved on to the production of match rifles of the original design. The rifles of this company have been successfully and repeatedly used in world-class competitions, and in 2001 the company introduced the first “police” type sniper rifle chambered for 7.62x51 NATO, created on the basis of its match rifles, which received the designation RPA “Rangemaster”. In 2004, a shortened modification of the same caliber appeared for use in the city, at short ranges, as well as the RPA “Rangemaster” long-range rifle of .338 Lapua Magnum caliber, which is a slightly enlarged version of the 7.62mm caliber rifle. Currently, the RPA "Rangemaster" series rifles are in service with a number of police units and security services in several European countries, and they are also supplied to other regions of the world. When using the correct ammunition, the company claims accuracy of less than one minute of arc (1 MOA) for its rifles at all practical firing ranges.
The RPA "Rangemaster" sniper rifle uses manual reloading with a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt having four radial lugs in the front. The receiver is steel, of original design. The trigger mechanism is adjustable, release with warning (two-stage). The rifle's stock is composite, with a folding stock of an original design, allowing, if absolutely necessary, to shoot with the stock folded. The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines. The rifle is standardly equipped with a folding bipod and an adjustable rear support in the butt. Sights (day or night optical sights) are mounted on a Picatinny rail on the receiver; the rifles do not have open sights.
The L129A1 sniper rifle entered service with the British Army in 2010. This rifle was born as a result of the accumulation of combat experience of the British contingent operating in Afghanistan. Afghan mujahideen, realizing the superiority of NATO infantry in close combat, have recently switched to the tactics of shelling convoys and foot patrols of the NATO contingent from ranges of about 500 meters and beyond, using weapons of 7.62x54R caliber (mainly PKM machine guns, SVD rifles and their Chinese analogues) . Weapons of 5.56mm NATO caliber, standard for most NATO countries, are relatively ineffective at such ranges, and as a result, the armies of many countries began to show active interest in self-loading rifles chambered for 7.62x51 NATO, equipped with optical sights and allowing fire at ranges of up to 800 meters. Thus, the armies of the NATO countries, with their own experience, once again confirmed the correctness of the concept laid down 50 years ago in the Soviet SVD rifle. In the case of the British Army, the new rifle, classified as a “Sharpshooter rifle,” should be used at the tactical platoon level, as a means of enhancing the firepower of infantry operating in isolation from support equipment (armored vehicles, heavy machine guns, mortars) or in case of their deficiency. To occupy the Sharpshooter rifle niche, the British Army announced a competition in which four self-loading rifles of 7.62x51 NATO caliber took part - HK 417 from Germany, FN SCAR-H Mk.17 from Belgium, Saber Defense XR-10 from Great Britain and LMT LW308MWS(LM7) from USA. According to the results of the competition at the beginning of 2010, the American LMT LW308MWS (LM7) rifle produced by Lewis Machine & Tool Co was recognized as the best and adopted for service under the designation L129A1. The first contract for the purchase of sniper (in domestic terminology, similar to the SVD sniper rifle) L129A1 rifles provided for the supply of 440 rifles to the active troops; in the future, additional purchases are possible as needed.
The L129A1 sniper rifle is self-loading, uses automatic gas venting with direct exhaust of powder gases into a Stoner-type bolt frame (similar to the AR-10 and M16 rifles). The design of the receiver and bolt group is also Stoner, with the difference that the rigid aluminum forend is made together with the upper part of the receiver. The barrel is made of stainless steel and cantilevered inside the forend. The trigger mechanism provides only single shots, the safety lever is located on both sides of the weapon. The cartridges are fed from 20-round box magazines; the design includes a bolt stop. The rifle is standardly equipped with an adjustable telescopic stock of the SOPMOD type. Sights are mounted on integral Picatinny rails, and include backup open sights on folding bases and an optical or night sight. The standard optical sight for the L129A1 rifle is the Trijicon ACOG 6X48 fixed magnification sight. If necessary, the rifle can be equipped with a quick-detachable silencer, and a folding bipod, a front handle, or even a 40mm M203 grenade launcher can be installed on the bottom of the forend.
According to available information, with a bulk rifle-machine-gun cartridge, the L129A1 rifle provides accuracy of fire of the order of 1 MOA (minutes of angle) and reliably hits a tall target at ranges of up to 800 meters.
The MSG-90 rifle was developed by the German company Heckler-Koch in 1987 specifically as an army sniper weapon based on the HK PSG-1 police rifle. The MSG-90 rifle was lightened by almost 2 kilograms, had a barrel shortened by 5 cm (also with polygonal rifling), a modified and somewhat lightweight plastic stock with an adjustable butt. At the bottom of the fore-end there is a guide for attaching a detachable folding bipod, the mountings for optics are made in accordance with NATO standards, and the rifle is standardly equipped with a 10X optical sight, providing an effective firing range of up to 1000 meters. In addition, unlike the PSG-1, the body of the trigger mechanism of the MSG-90 is made of plastic, integral with the pistol grip. The trigger is adjustable, the trigger force is about 1.5 kg. The rifle has swivels for attaching a rifle sling.
In the early to mid-1990s, Heckler-Koch modified the MSG-90 rifle to participate in the DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) competition held by the US Department of Defense. As a result, a modernized sniper rifle MSG-90A1 was released, which differed from the MSG-90 in a number of features. Firstly, the MSG-90A1 received fixed sighting devices - a front sight in a ring-shaped front sight and an adjustable rear sight from the NK 21 machine gun, designed for ranges from 100 to 1200 meters. Secondly, the muzzle of the barrel was equipped with a new flash suppressor, making it possible to install a shot silencer. A cartridge deflector appeared behind the window for ejecting cartridges, making it possible to fire from the left shoulder. The safety lever has also become double-sided. Otherwise, the MSG-90A1 is no different from the prototype.
Sniper rifle Heckler - Koch PSG-1 (Germany)
In the mid-80s, Heckler und Koch, in collaboration with various counter-terrorism organizations, including the German GSG9 and the British SAS, created the PSG-1 long-range self-loading sniper rifle. The rifle is based on the standard Bundeswehr HK G3 automatic rifle, and uses the same principle - a semi-free bolt slowed down by rollers. It differs from the G3 in the inability to fire in bursts, a special heavy barrel 650 mm long with polygonal rifling, a modified adjustable buttstock with a cheek rest, an adjustable trigger, a modified sport-style fire control handle and special guides on the receiver for mounting optical sights. In addition, the PSG-1 has a device “for silently closing the shutter” in the form of a button behind the window for ejecting cartridges. This device is functionally similar to the bolt rammer on the American M16A1 rifle. The PSG-1 comes standard with a Hendsoldt 6X fixed magnification sight with illuminated reticle. The PSG-1 does not have open sights. Instead of the usual folding bipod for rifles of this class, the PSG-1 is usually equipped with a separate support for the forend, mounted on a small folding tripod.
In general, the PSG-1 is a high-quality police-type sniper weapon, designed for fast and accurate fire at short and medium ranges (up to 600 meters). For military use, the PSG-1 is of little use due to the excessive weight of the weapon, some “tenderness” (by military standards) of various components, as well as due to its excessively high price and deliberately limited practical range. Especially for military use, based on the PSG-1, Heckler-Koch developed the MSG-90 sniper rifle.
The WA-2000 sniper rifle was developed by the German company Carl Walther Waffenfabrik in the early 1980s as a specialized weapon for police and counter-terrorism units. Unlike many other rifles of the same period, the WA-2000 was originally created as a specialized weapon, and had a number of interesting features. However, despite its advantages, this rifle had one significant drawback - a very high price, and therefore its production was extremely limited and did not exceed 180 copies. In the 1980s, a number of WA-2000 rifles were in service with special police units in a number of European countries (including Germany).
Structurally, the WA-2000 is a self-loading weapon, built using a gas exhaust system with locking by turning the bolt. A gas piston with a short stroke is located under the barrel. The rifle is made in a bullpup configuration, and it was possible to achieve sufficient compactness of the entire weapon with a fairly long barrel. The design is based on an aluminum frame made of two longitudinal tires located above and below the barrel and connected at the front by a special coupler and at the rear by the receiver of the weapon. The frame provides support for the elements of the weapon stock, optical sight and bipod, while protecting the cantilevered barrel from loads. The stock is adjustable to the shooter according to the length of the butt and the location of the cheek rest. The trigger mechanism is also adjustable in terms of trigger pull and trigger travel. The main cartridge chosen for the rifle is the powerful 300 Winchester Magnum cartridge, which provides a large effective firing range (up to 1000-1200 meters), in addition, the rifle can be adapted for 7.62mm NATO and 7.5mm Swiss cartridges. The cartridges are fed from single-row detachable box magazines with a capacity of 6 cartridges. The folding bipod is attached to a tire located above the barrel and can be moved forward and backward on it to provide the greatest comfort when shooting. The rifle does not have conventional sighting devices; instead, there are mounts for optics. The standard optical sight is Schmidt & Bender 2.5-10X variable magnification.
The Mauser SP66 sniper rifle was developed in 1976 on the basis of the Mauser M66 Super Match sports rifle. The Mauser SP66 rifle became widespread and was used by police and military forces of many countries, including Germany (FRG), Italy and Israel. Production of the rifle ended around 1985 with the start of production of the Mauser 86SR rifle.
The Mauser SP66 rifle is built on the basis of a short-throw bolt designed by Gehmann (Gehmann short-throw bolt). Unlike the standard Mauser bolt, the Gehmann bolt has only two lugs that interact with a coupling that is screwed onto the breech of the barrel. the bolt handle is located closer to the front of the bolt, the upper rear part of the receiver, unlike the traditional Mauser design, is split (to ensure longitudinal movement of the charging handle). The magazine is integral, detachable, for 3 rounds. The magazine is loaded and unloaded one cartridge at a time with the bolt open.
Wooden stock, laminated wood, adjustable. The weighted barrel is equipped with a combined muzzle brake - flash suppressor. As standard, the Mauser SP66 does not have open sights and is equipped with a Zeiss Diavari ZA 1.5-6X variable magnification optical sight.
The Mauser SR-93 sniper rifle was developed by the famous German company Mauser Werke in the early 1990s, shortly before its absorption by Rheinmetall. The Mauser SR-93 sniper rifle was developed specifically to meet the requirements of the German Army (Bundeswehr) competition for the new long-range G22 sniper rifle (the competition requirements included hitting a target in a standard army body armor at ranges of up to 600 meters). The competition was won by the Accuracy International AW Magnum rifle caliber .300 Winchester Magnum, and as a result, the production of the Mauser SR-93 rifle was extremely small - according to various sources, a total of about 120 units of this rifle were produced, some of which were sold to weapon collectors, and some were into service with various special police units of a number of European countries, in particular Germany and Holland.
The Mauser SR-93 sniper rifle is a manually reloadable magazine weapon that has a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt with two lugs in the front, a detachable box magazine and a cantilevered barrel with a special muzzle brake. The bolt group is designed in such a way that, if necessary, the bolt handle can be moved to the other side (for a left-handed shooter) without disassembling the weapon. The safety and magazine release are also located on both sides of the weapon. The basis of the rifle is an aluminum chassis frame, onto which the receiver with barrel and mechanisms, elements of a plastic stock, and a folding, height-adjustable bipod are attached. The buttstock of the frame design has an adjustable butt plate and cheek piece, and a height-adjustable rear support is also built into the butt. To install sights on the receiver, special mounts are made; open sighting devices are not provided. The rifle was equipped with a Hensoldt 3-12X56 optical sight as standard. The main calibers for the Mauser SR-93 rifle were .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum; kits for conversion to the 7.62x51 NATO cartridge were offered for training shooters with a cheaper cartridge.
A variant of a sporting rifle from the German company Blaser for police use. Thanks to the interchangeable barrel, in one rifle, depending on the situation, you can use standard (7.62mm NATO) cartridges or high-power magnum cartridges (.300 Winchester magnum - 7.62mm). The branded Blazer bolt with a direct stroke provides a high practical rate of fire, and the adjustable polymer stock and trigger pull and travel allow adjustment to the shooter.
The DSR-1 rifle was developed in Germany by DSR-Precision GmbH. Until 2004, this rifle was also sold in Europe under the name AMP Technical Services DSR-1; AMP Technical Services was a non-exclusive dealer for DSR-Precision GmbH. The DSR-1 was developed as a specialized sniper weapon for use in police and anti-terrorism operations that require maximum accuracy and provide fairly simple (compared to army operations) operating conditions. The rifle was originally designed for the powerful and long-range sniper cartridge 338 Lapua Magnum, with the ability to convert to less powerful calibers by replacing the barrel, bolt and magazines.
The DSR-precision DSR-1 sniper rifle is built according to the bullpup design (the magazine and bolt group are located behind the trigger). The barrel is cantilevered, with longitudinal valleys to reduce weight and improve cooling, and is equipped with a massive muzzle brake. The barrel is quick-change, fixed in the receiver with three screws. The rotating bolt has six radial lugs in the front and is locked by turning directly behind the breech. The magazine is single-row, the spare magazine is located in a special slot in front of the trigger guard. The stock is fully adjustable, with an adjustable cheek pad, rear support and fore-end adjustable for longitudinal position. Folding bipods are attached to special guides above the aluminum forend and provide the necessary movement of the rifle along all three axes. The descent is adjustable, with advance warning. The rifle has a double-sided safety located above the trigger guard. In addition to the basic version, a silent shooting version is also available (only in caliber 7.62x51), which has a shortened barrel and an integral shot silencer. A distinctive feature of this rifle, known as the DSR-precision DSR-1 ‘Subsonic’, is that the silencer in it is attached not to the barrel, but to the front end of the receiver, without touching the barrel at all. This eliminates the impact of a fairly massive muffler on the barrel.
The DSR-1 provides exceptionally high shooting accuracy - up to 0.2 MOA (minutes of arc), that is, at a distance of 100 meters, the distance between the centers of 5 hits is about 5 millimeters (one hole is formed in the target, approximately one and a half times the diameter of the bullet). Naturally, similar results are achieved when shooting with special sniper cartridges and in good weather conditions (no wind).
The DSR-1 is in service with the elite German counter-terrorism group GSG-9, as well as a number of other police and counter-terrorism forces in Europe.
The Erma SR-100 sniper rifle was developed in the mid-1990s in Germany and is a top-class weapon intended for use by police and counter-terrorism forces. The rifle is in service with a number of elite European formations, such as the German KSK and GSG-9. The Erma SR-100 rifle is also sold on the civilian market, but has an extremely high cost - about 7 - 8 thousand US dollars in the basic configuration (without a sight). According to published data, the Erma SR-100, under optimal shooting conditions and proper quality cartridges, provides an accuracy of about 0.3 arc minutes at all practical firing ranges.
The Erma SR-100 is a bolt-action repeating rifle. The bolt is locked by turning 3 lugs behind the breech of the barrel, which made it possible to make the receiver from an aluminum alloy. The rifle has quick-change barrels of three different calibers for working at different distances (conventionally .308 - up to 700-800 meters, .300 Winchester magnum - up to 1000 meters, .338 Lapua - up to 1200 meters). The barrel changing mechanism is patented and is an eccentric lock located under the barrel in the front of the receiver. The lock is controlled using a special socket wrench by turning it 180 degrees. After unlocking, the barrel is removed from the receiver by moving forward and can be replaced with another. Due to the different dimensions of the cartridges used, when installing a barrel of a different caliber, it is also necessary to replace the bolt and magazine. The box magazine lock is made in the form of two buttons on the sides of the rifle stock.
The stock of the Erma SR-100 rifle is made of laminated wood, adjustable in length, and the location of the shoulder rest and cheek rest. In addition, the front part of the stock can be attached with a special extension to move forward the attachment point for the bipod. An adjustable rear support (“third leg”) is located under the buttstock. The trigger is adjustable for the position and travel of the trigger, and the trigger force.
The rifle does not have open sights and is equipped with optical sights at the request of the customer. As a rule, these are high-quality sights from Leupold, Zeiсs, Schmidt & Bender with fixed or variable magnification (usually about 10X).
Sniper rifles of the GOL-Sniper series are produced in Germany at the Gol-Matic GmbH company by the famous gunsmith Gottfried Prechtl, who specializes in the creation of piece (for individual orders) rifles of the Mauser system. Rifles of the GOL-Sniper line are in service with some European police forces, and are also used by high-class sports shooters for target shooting competitions at medium and long ranges. In practice, GOL-Sniper rifles are produced to order, so rifle configurations may vary depending on customer requirements (caliber, barrel length, stock dimensions, etc.). In any case, the GOL-Sniper rifles are distinguished by very high shooting accuracy; with specially selected cartridges, the accuracy is less than 1 MOA (minute of angle).
GOL-Sniper rifles are available in three basic configurations, differing in the design of the receiver and bolt. The GOL-Sniper S variant is based on the receiver of the Sako models 591 / L691. The GOL-Sniper Magnum variant is based on the Mauser Magnum receiver and bolt manufactured by Prechtl himself. The GOL-Sniper 04 version is based on the original “closed” receiver of the Prechtl system (it has only a small window on top for ejecting cartridges, which ensures greater rigidity and reliability of the design). The shutter in this system uses the Mauser system, also produced by Gol-Matic itself. All versions of the GOL-Sniper rifles use high-precision match barrels from Lothar Walther, as well as a proprietary Sto-Con stock developed by Prechtl. This stock, made of walnut wood, has a skeletal buttstock design that provides stable recoil energy absorption and compensation for vibrations of the long barrel at the moment of firing. The cartridges are fed from single-row detachable box magazines with a capacity of 5 cartridges. The rifle stock is equipped with an adjustable butt plate and cheek piece, as well as a bipod and, if desired by the customer, an adjustable rear support.
The Heckler-Koch HK G28 sniper rifle was developed and manufactured by the German company Heckler-Koch for the Bundeswehr (German Army). This rifle appeared as a response to the needs of German troops operating in Afghanistan as a support weapon for small infantry units. The Heckler-Koch HK G28 sniper rifle has become a conceptual analogue of the Soviet Russian Dragunov SVD rifle. The Heckler-Koch HK G28 rifle provides infantry with the ability to conduct effective fire at ranges inaccessible to standard 5.56mm weapons (about 400 meters and beyond), in conditions where the use of more powerful support weapons (machine guns, mortars, artillery, etc.) ) is unavailable or unacceptable for any reason. The Heckler-Koch HK G28 sniper rifle is based on the HK MR308 sports and hunting self-loading rifle, which, in turn, is a civilian version of the HK 417 automatic rifle.
For the Heckler-Koch HK G28 rifle, the manufacturer guarantees an accuracy of no worse than 1.5 MOA (minutes of arc) in groups of 10 shots. The effective range of aimed shooting at a chest target is stated to be up to 600 meters, suppression shooting (at a height target) is up to 800 meters.
The Heckler-Koch HK G28 sniper rifle uses gas-operated automatics with a short stroke of the gas piston and a rotary bolt. The two-position gas regulator ensures reliable operation of the weapon both in normal mode and with the use of a shot silencer. The trigger mechanism provides only single fire. The rifle receiver consists of two halves - the upper steel and the lower aluminum alloy. The barrel is cantilevered inside the forend. Cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines with a capacity of 10 or 20 rounds.
The HK G28 rifle can currently be used in two configurations, changeable in the conditions of a military base - “standard” and “patrol”. The standard configuration of the HK G28 rifle includes an extended forend, a telescopic adjustable buttstock with a cheekpiece, a folding bipod, as well as a Schmidt & Bender PMII 3-20×50 optical sight and a laser rangefinder mounted on top of it. The patrol configuration makes it possible to lighten the weapon for use in foot raids, for which the rifle is equipped with a shortened and lightweight forend, a lightweight adjustable buttstock without a cheekpiece and a Schmidt & Bender PMII 1-8×24 sight. Additionally, night sights of various types and laser target designators can be installed on the rifle.
The QBU-88 sniper rifle (also referred to as “Type 88 Rifle”) was developed in China in the late 1980s, and became the first production model of a new Chinese family of small arms chambered for the new 5.8x42 caliber cartridge. The rifle is intended primarily for use in the lower ranks of military units, for conducting aimed fire at ranges beyond the reach of standard infantry assault rifles. The declared effective firing range is up to 800 meters, most likely this is the range of operation on a standard growth target. Currently, the QBU-88 sniper rifle is already in service with units of the PLA (PRC Army) and the Chinese police. The QBU-88 rifle uses a special version of the 5.8x42 cartridge with a heavier and longer bullet with a steel armor-piercing core.
The QBU-88 sniper rifle is built on the basis of gas-operated automatics with a short stroke of the gas piston located above the barrel. The barrel is locked by a rotating bolt with three lugs. All rifle mechanisms are mounted in a compact steel receiver, to which a polymer bullpup stock is also attached. The rifle is standardly equipped with open sights located on folding bases. The rear sight of the rifle is dioptric, adjustable, the front sight is in a ring-shaped front sight. On top of the receiver there is a guide for installing a bracket for optical or night sights. As standard, the rifle is equipped with a 4X daytime optical sight. A removable folding bipod can be installed on the barrel in front of the forend. The barrel is equipped with a long flash suppressor. The rifle is fed from detachable 10-round magazines.
The 7.62mm JS sniper rifle was developed by the Chinese company Jianshe Group for arming the PLA, police units and for export. Currently, 7.62mm JS sniper rifles are in service with the Bangladeshi army and Indian police special forces. Interestingly, the rifle is designed for the old Russian/Soviet 7.62x54R cartridge, which is still in service with the PLA, but it is possible that there will be an export version of the same rifle chambered for the 7.62x51 NATO cartridge.
The JS rifle uses manual reloading with a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt having two lugs in the front. The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines with a capacity of 5 cartridges, adjacent to the bottom. The rifle is standardly equipped with a folding bipod of adjustable height and an adjustable fixed stock. Sights include a Picatinny rail for mounting optical or night sights; open sights are not provided.
The VSK-94 silent sniper rifle was developed at the Tula Instrument Engineering Design Bureau (KBP) on the basis of the 9A-91 compact assault rifle, as a cheaper and more accessible alternative to the VSS Vintorez rifle developed by TsNIITochMash. VSK-94 is in service and used by various law enforcement agencies in Russia. The VSK-94 rifle can be used for low-noise shooting at targets at ranges of up to 200 - 300 meters, including targets wearing personal protective equipment (body armor).
In fact, the developers from KPB simply replaced the folding stock and grip of the 9A-91 with a removable skeleton stock, added a removable silencer and a mount for an optical sight. Otherwise, the VSK-94 retained almost all the features of the 9A-91 assault rifle - a stamped steel receiver, a rotary bolt with 4 lugs, a gas venting mechanism with a long stroke of the gas piston. The hammer-type trigger mechanism is also identical to the USM 9A-91, and allows for both single fire and burst fire. The safety switch is located on the receiver, above the trigger.
The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines with 20 rounds of ammunition. VSK-94 can use any available 9x39 caliber ammunition - like “sniper” SP-5. as well as armor-piercing SP-6 and PAB-9.
Sights include a standard open sight with a reversible rear sight from the 9A-91, and a 4X optical sight on a standard side bracket.
A fairly large gunshot silencer is installed on the barrel, which is removed during storage and transportation. The buttstock can also be removed to reduce the space taken up. The design does not provide for adjustments to the stock, trigger, or bipod.
Silent sniper rifle VSS "Vintorez" (USSR / Russia)
VSS (Special Sniper Rifle) “Vintorez” was created for special operations requiring low-noise weapons. The rifle was developed at the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TSNIITOCHMASH) in the city of Klimovsk under the leadership of Pyotr Serdyukov. Along with the rifle, special ammunition with subsonic bullet speeds, capable of reliably hitting targets at ranges of up to 400 meters, was also developed. Such ammunition was the 9x39mm SP-5 (with a regular bullet) and SP-6 (with an armor-piercing bullet), created on the basis of the cartridge case of the 7.62x39 model 1943 cartridge. The initial speed of bullets from SP-5 and SP-6 cartridges is about 280 m/s, the mass of bullets is about 16 grams. The VSS has been in service since the late 1980s. The VSS rifle is widely and successfully used by various special forces units in Russian law enforcement agencies, including in Chechnya.
The VSS rifle is built on the basis of an automatic rifle with a gas engine and a rotating bolt. The gas piston is located above the barrel and is rigidly fixed to the bolt frame. The rotating bolt has 6 lugs. The receiver is milled from steel to increase structural strength. The bolt handle and safety catch are made like a Kalashnikov assault rifle, but the fire mode selector is made in the form of a transverse button located behind the trigger. The trigger mechanism is also very different from the AK trigger mechanism, and has a striker-fired design.
The barrel in the front part (after the gas chamber) has several rows of holes that remove part of the powder gases from the bottom of the rifling into the rear part of the integrated muffler. In the front part, in front of the muzzle of the barrel, the muffler has a series of steel diaphragms with a hole for a bullet, which inhibit the powder gases inside the muffler. For cleaning and compact storage, the silencer can be removed from the weapon, but firing without a silencer is prohibited.
The VSS sighting devices include a side rail for mounting optical or night sights, as well as a backup open sight mounted on the muffler casing and consisting of a rear sight, adjustable for range up to 400 meters, and a front sight. The standard optical sight for the VSS is a 4X PSO-1, remarked for the ballistics of the 9x39 SP-5 cartridge.
The butt of the VSS rifle is wooden, skeletal design. If necessary, it can be easily removed from the weapon for storage in minimal dimensions.
In 1958, the GRAU (Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate) of the General Staff of the Soviet Army announced a competition to create a self-loading sniper rifle for the Soviet Army. The team led by E. Dragunov won the competition, and in 1963 the SVD (Dragunov Sniper Rifle) was adopted by the SA. A “sniper” cartridge with a steel core bullet was created especially for the SVD, but the rifle can use the entire range of domestic 7.62x54R cartridges.
It should be noted that the tactical role that was and is assigned to the SVD rifle in the Soviet and Russian armies differs from the traditional role of the “sniper” in the Western understanding of the term. The SVD rifle serves to increase the effective fire range of the rifle squad beyond the capabilities of standard machine guns, up to distances of 600-700 meters. The fact that the SVD is quite widely used as a sniper rifle indicates the absence of special weapons of this class, although the recent adoption of the SV-98 rifle of the same caliber may change the situation over time.
Based on the Dragunov rifle, a number of modifications were produced - the SVD-S rifle with a shortened barrel and a side-folding butt, civilian hunting carbines "Bear" (now not produced) and "Tiger". Copies and clones of the SVD are also produced abroad, and among them there are both fairly accurate copies (for example, the Chinese Type 85 rifles of 7.62x54R caliber and NDM-86 of 7.62x51 caliber) and imitations based on the design of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, such as the Romanian FPK rifle.
The SVD rifle is a self-loading weapon with gas-operated automatics, with a short-stroke gas piston not rigidly connected to the bolt frame (to reduce the mass of the moving parts of the automatic). The design of the gas outlet unit includes a two-position gas regulator. The barrel is locked by turning the bolt, which has 3 lugs. The receiver is milled from steel. The USM is unregulated, made on a separate base. All variants of the rifle are equipped with non-removable open sights in the form of a front sight in the front sight and an adjustable rear sight located in front of the receiver cover. The bracket for the optical sight is attached to the receiver on the left. In addition to the main optical sight PSO-1 (fixed magnification 4X), the SVD can be equipped with unilluminated night sights NSPU-3 or NSPUM. On early versions of the rifle, the fore-end and butt of the frame design were made of wood; on more modern versions, the fore-end is made of plastic, the frame butt can be either wooden or plastic. SVD-S rifles have a separate plastic pistol grip and a side-folding metal stock. The rifle is standardly equipped with a rifle belt for carrying. One of the characteristic features of the SVD is the presence of a lug on the barrel for mounting a bayonet.
The Lobaev sniper rifle, or SVL for short, is produced by a small private enterprise, Tsar-Pushka LLC, in the city of Tarusa. This rifle is completely atypical for Russia, since it was developed by a private individual and produced by a private enterprise, and not by a large state-owned factory. In addition, Tsar Cannon rifles are always made strictly for a specific customer, in accordance with his individual requirements. The design of the rifle was developed by Vladislav Lobaev, a famous sports shooter who competed in the benchrest category, and over time became a gunsmith and creator of high-precision rifles for sports, hunting and sniper shooting. A number of prestigious shooting competitions have been won with rifles designed by Lobaev; several SVL sniper rifles of .408 Chey-tac caliber are in service with the security service of the President of Russia. Based on the design of the SVL sniper rifle, the Lobaev OVL hunting rifle is produced for civilian use, suitable for hunting at long ranges and for participation in precision shooting competitions.
Lobaev's rifles are produced in a wide range of both serial calibers (.408 Chey-tac, .338 Lapua, etc.) and for “non-standard” cartridges (wildcat). In the version chambered for .408 Chey-tac, the SVL rifle provides an effective firing range of up to 2,200 meters. When using correctly selected cartridges, the manufacturer guarantees the accuracy of fire of the SVL rifle at the level of 0.2 - 0.3 MOA (minutes of arc), which is at the level of the world's best sniper and target weapons.
Almost all components of the Lobaev sniper rifle are produced by the Tsar Cannon company itself under the strict control of the designer himself. The basis of the rifle is a specially designed receiver and bolt group with a rotary bolt having three radial lugs in the front. The receiver is made of aluminum alloy; a stainless steel liner is installed in its front part, into which the barrel is in turn fixed and for which the bolt is locked. The SVL rifle is equipped with high-precision interchangeable barrels, also produced by Tsar-Pushka LLC itself. The stock has a relatively small mass, but at the same time high rigidity and resource. The stock is equipped with an adjustable cheek comb and an adjustable butt pad. The trigger mechanism is adjustable. In the basic version, the rifle is single-shot, but the Tsar-Pushka company also offers a magazine-fed version of the rifle. SVL and OVL rifles are not equipped with open sights. Instead, on the upper surface of the receiver there is a Picatinny rail type guide, on which, using appropriate brackets, any type of optical sights can be installed according to the wishes and capabilities of the customer.
The OTs-48K sniper rifle was developed at the Tula Central Design Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons (TsKIB SOO) in 2000. The goal of the development was to create a budget sniper rifle for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs using the stocks of old Mosin rifles mod. 1891/30. The OTs-48K rifles were produced by converting sniper variants of the Mosin rifle retrieved from warehouses according to orders. The total number of rifles converted in this way is obviously small, and they are in service in a number of units of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. There is no exact data on the accuracy of fire of the OTs-48K rifle, but it can be assumed that the rifle provides accuracy at the level of 1 MOA (minute of arc) with 7N1 sniper cartridges.
The OTs-48K sniper rifle uses a barrel, receiver with bolt and magazine from a rifle mod. 1891/30, installed in a new wooden stock in a bullpup configuration. To ensure more convenient reloading between shots, a special extension is attached to the bolt handle (located quite far behind the pistol grip) with an additional handle moved forward, where it can be quickly reached by the shooting hand. The price for this decision was an increase in the recharging force due to additional friction in the extension cord design. The OTs-48K rifle retained the standard integral magazine of the Mosin system, loaded with one cartridge at a time when the bolt is open. To speed up loading the magazine, it is also possible to use standard 5-round clips. To improve shooting comfort, the stock is equipped with a rubber butt pad and a cheek rest above the bolt. The sighting devices are made anew and include an open rear sight and front sight on folding bases and a side rail on which a bracket with an optical (7x PKS-07U) or night sight can be attached. A folding bipod is installed on the forend of the rifle, which in the stowed position is retracted into a groove in the lower part of the forend. It is possible to install a shot silencer on the rifle barrel.
The development of a shortened version of the SVD sniper rifle for arming the USSR Airborne Forces began back in the seventies of the 20th century, and a significant reduction in the dimensions of the weapon was achieved thanks to the transition to the bullpup layout. However, at that time, the development of Tula designers from TsKIB SOO remained in the form of prototypes, and they remembered it only in the early nineties. The OTs-03 rifle was proposed by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs as a weapon for combat operations in urban conditions, where the increased maneuverability of a short rifle is an absolute plus. The rifle was adopted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs under the designation SVU (Sniper Rifle Shortened), however, at the request of the same Ministry of Internal Affairs in Tula, its version OTs-03A (SVU-A after adoption) was developed, which was distinguished by the ability to conduct automatic fire. The latest version of the OTs-03 line was the OTs-03AS (SVU-AS) variant, which differs from the SVU-A only in the presence of a folding bipod mounted under the barrel on a special bracket.
It should be noted that automatic fire from the SVU-A and SVU-AS rifles should be carried out only in emergency cases, since the light barrel and small magazine capacity do not allow any intensive burst fire from it. In terms of shooting accuracy with single shots, according to available data at short and medium ranges, the SVU series rifles are approximately similar in characteristics to the Dragunov SVD rifle.
The SVU sniper rifle uses basic mechanisms and a modified receiver from the SVD sniper rifle. The SVU retains a gas venting mechanism with a regulator and a short stroke of the gas piston, as well as locking by turning the bolt from the SVD. The changes affected the trigger mechanism, which received a long rod connecting it to the trigger placed forward. In the SVU-A and SVU-AS rifles, the trigger mechanism is modified to provide automatic fire. The choice of fire mode is carried out by the degree of pressure on the trigger - a short press causes single shots, a long press (all the way) causes automatic fire. To ensure only automatic firing, there is a special translator that, when turned on, limits the working stroke of the trigger.
The rifle barrel is equipped with a special muzzle device that combines the functions of a flash suppressor and a muzzle brake. Sights include a front sight and a diopter rear sight, placed on folding bases. The rear sight has range adjustments from 100 to 1300 meters. On the left side of the rifle there is a rail for installing brackets for optical sights. Typically, the IED is used with a PSO-1 sight with a fixed magnification of 4X. The SVU-AS rifle is distinguished by the fact that it is equipped with a folding bipod placed on a special bracket under the barrel. The bracket is attached to the receiver to relieve the barrel from the influence of the mass of the bipod and the entire weapon (when firing from a rest).
The SV-98 rifle was developed at IZHMASH on the basis of the 7.62mm Record-CISM sports rifle (for example, the creators of the Blaser R93 Tactical rifle followed a similar path). The rifle is equipped with an adjustable wooden stock (the position of the butt plate and the position of the cheek rest are adjustable). In the front part of the stock there is a mount for a folding bipod. The SV-98 rifle is in service and used by units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including those operating in Chechnya.
The trigger mechanism is of a sport type, with adjustable trigger force. The rifle is standardly equipped with open sights - a front sight in the front sight and an adjustable rear sight. A PKS-07 optical sight with a fixed magnification of 7X with illuminated reticle is installed as standard.
The barrel is made by rotational forging, and is cantilevered in the receiver (that is, it does not touch the stock). On the muzzle of the rifle there is a thread for attaching a silencer (a low-noise shooting device), usually covered by a massive muzzle, which also protects the muzzle from damage.
The accuracy of combat with “sniper” cartridges declared by the manufacturer is about 50mm at a distance of 300 meters, that is, according to the estimate accepted in the USA - about 0.6-0.7 MOA (0.6 - 0.7 arc minutes; accuracy at 1 arc minute is equivalent to approximately 76-78 mm at a distance of 300 meters). The declared effective firing range for the SV-98 is up to 800 meters.
The large-caliber (according to the domestic classification, large-caliber is considered to be a rifled weapon with a caliber of more than 9mm) SVDK sniper rifle was developed and adopted by the Russian army as part of the “Burglar” theme. The main task of the new rifle is considered to be the destruction of enemy personnel protected by personal protective equipment (heavy body armor) or behind light barriers, as well as the defeat of unarmored vehicles. Some sources indicated that this rifle should occupy the niche of a long-range sniper weapon, however, neither the ballistics of the 9.3x64 cartridge nor the properties of the rifle itself allow this complex to compete on equal terms with Western sniper complexes chambered for long-range cartridges such as .338 Lapua Magnum. The effective firing range for the SVDK is stated to be about 600 meters. The 9.3x63 7N33 cartridge is developed on the basis of the 9.3x64 Brenneke hunting cartridge, originally created for hunting big game. In the 7N33 version, this cartridge has a bullet weighing 16.5 grams with a steel core. The initial velocity of a bullet when firing from an SVDK is about 770 m/s, the muzzle energy is about 4900 Joules. At a range of 100 meters, there is an 80% probability of penetrating an armor plate 10 mm thick.
In terms of design, the SVDK rifle is a development of the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle, however, the receiver, bolt group and gas outlet have been redesigned to accommodate a larger and more powerful cartridge. The barrel in its rear part (behind the gas outlet) is placed in a perforated steel casing, which relieves the barrel from the loads applied to the fore-end or bipod. The casing itself is completely hidden inside the plastic forend. The pistol grip and side-folding metal stock are inherited from the SVD-S rifle, but the area of the rubber butt plate is noticeably increased for better control over the increased recoil of the weapon. Like the SVD rifle, the SVDK is equipped with open, adjustable sights and a special rail on the left side of the receiver, which serves to install quick-release brackets for optics. The standard sight for the SVDK is the 1P70 “Hyperon” optical sight with variable magnification 3-10X. The sight has a built-in adjustment of the aiming mark for range, but is characterized by its large mass and excessive cost (compared to Western analogues). The SVDK rifle is equipped with a carrying strap and a folding lightweight bipod. Unlike the SVD, the installation of a bayonet on the SVDK is not provided.
High-precision sniper rifles ORSIS T-5000 (ORSIS T-5000) are produced by the ORSIS weapons plant of the Promtekhnologii industrial group, located in Moscow. This plant, launched in May 2011, is unique in the Russian arms industry. This is a full-fledged, high-tech, full-cycle weapons production facility, built with funds from private investors under the leadership and active participation of shooters of the highest level. The company is focused primarily on the civilian market for high-precision hunting and sporting weapons, however, the ORSIS product line also includes specialized sniper systems designed for particularly accurate shooting at medium and long ranges. These rifles can be used both by special units of law enforcement agencies (FSB, FSO, Ministry of Internal Affairs), and by specially trained army snipers.
All ORSIS rifles are produced entirely by the enterprise itself, which purchases only raw materials (plastic, rolled steel, barrel blanks in the form of rods) from external suppliers. Thanks to the widespread use of precision CNC machines, ORSIS rifles, based on one basic design, can have a wide variety of configurations. If we talk about ORSIS T-5000 sniper rifles, then these rifles are offered in two basic versions - with a standard bolt group chambered for .308 Winchester / 7.62x51 and with an extended bolt group chambered for .338 Lapua Magnum / 8.6 x71. In both calibers, ORSIS rifles in real field conditions provide very high and stable accuracy of fire - less than 0.5 MOA, often about 0.3 MOA and better. The practical firing range for .308 caliber rifles is about 800 meters, for .338 caliber rifles – up to 1500 meters.
ORSIS T-5000 sniper rifles are based on an original bolt group made of stainless steel in two basic sizes (“standard” for .308 cartridges and “long” for .338 cartridges). The bolt is longitudinally sliding, rotating, and is locked with two lugs in its front part. Rifle barrels are also made of stainless steel, the rifling is formed using a single-pass cutting method (trellis planing), which ensures very high quality barrel bore geometry, and, as a result, stable and high accuracy of fire. The chamber and bore geometry are optimized for use with factory-made ammunition. The muzzle of the barrel has a thread for attaching a muzzle brake-compensator or other muzzle devices. It is possible to install trunks with any characteristics, different lengths and contours.
The trigger mechanism (trigger mechanism) is also made of stainless steel and is fully adjustable for all main parameters. The trigger force, depending on the version of the trigger, can be smoothly adjusted in the ranges of 500 - 900 g or 1000 - 1500 g. A three-position safety lock is located in the rear part of the bolt and, if necessary, allows you to manipulate the bolt with the safety switch on, or completely block the trigger mechanism and gate.
Cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines with a capacity of 5 and 10 rounds.
T-5000 rifles (ORSIS T-5000) are placed in an aluminum “skeleton” stock with a folding butt of the original design (mechanical fixation), a plastic pistol grip and butt cheek. When placing the receiver in the stock, the so-called “glass-bedding” is performed, i.e. making a “bed” in the stock for the bolt group from an epoxy composition with a filler (aluminum or steel powder), this ensures a very tight connection between the bolt group and the stock, which significantly increases the stability of the characteristics of the accuracy of fire. The stock has a special gasket for hand-held shooting. The handguard has a special design for mounting a bipod (optimized for Harris, but also has a standard swivel), as well as brackets for a pre-objective attachment. The force when folding the stock is about two kilograms, which ensures the required structural rigidity.
To install sighting devices on the receiver, a Mil-Std 1913 type guide is made, colloquially known as a “Picatinny rail”. Due to the specific nature of the use of rifles (high-precision shooting at medium and long distances), open sights in the basic configuration are not installed on ORSIS sniper rifles.
The Armalite AR-10(t) sniper rifle was developed by Armalite on the basis of the AR-10 self-loading rifle, which in turn is a development of the original AR-10 7.62mm caliber and AR-15 / M16 5.56mm caliber rifles. The main purpose of the Armalite AR-10(t) rifle is target shooting, hunting, and use as a police sniper weapon. The Armalite AR-10(t) sniper rifle participated in the competition for the new XM110 self-loading sniper rifle for the US Army, but lost to the largely similar Knight’s SR-25 rifle.
The Armalite AR-10(t) sniper rifle is a self-loading weapon and uses gas-operated automatics with direct supply of powder gases to the bolt group (Stoner system). The barrel is locked by turning the bolt. The receiver is made of aluminum alloy and consists of two parts. connected by cross pins. The butt, pistol grip and forend are made of impact-resistant plastic. The rifle does not have open sighting devices and is equipped with an integral Picatinny rail type guide on the receiver, allowing for quick installation and change of optical sights on the appropriate brackets.
The Barrett 98 Bravo (Barrett 98B) sniper rifle was developed by the famous American company Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Ltd, best known for its very successful large-caliber sniper rifles, primarily the M82A1. The Barrett 98B rifle is specially designed as a long-range sniper weapon, providing the ability to shoot at enemy personnel at distances of up to 1500 meters, while being significantly lighter than its “large-caliber relatives.” Serial production of the Barrett 98B rifle began in 2009, but it should be noted that this is the second attempt by Barrett to enter the market with a .338 Lapua rifle - the first attempt was made back in the late 1990s, when the company announced the Barrett 98 self-loading rifle , which, however, never made it past the prototype stage.
The Barrett 98 Bravo sniper rifle uses manual reloading with a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt. The bolt engages directly with the breech of the barrel, which makes it possible to unload the receiver and use light aluminum alloys for its manufacture. The receiver itself consists of two parts, hinged at the front (in front of the magazine receiver). The rifle barrel has longitudinal valleys to facilitate and improve cooling, and is equipped with an effective muzzle brake. The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines with a capacity of 10 rounds. The trigger mechanism is made in the form of a separate module, easily removed from the weapon with partial disassembly, and allows you to adjust the trigger according to all the main parameters (trigger travel, trigger force, etc.). The rifle is equipped with a stock with an adjustable butt plate and cheek rest; in addition, the rifle can be equipped with an adjustable folding bipod. A retractable adjustable monopod support is built into the lower part of the butt. The rifle does not have open sights; optical or night sights are mounted on appropriate brackets on an integral Picatinny rail on the receiver.
Intervention sniper rifle - CheyTac Long Range Rifle System (USA)
The CheyTac LRRS (Long Range Rifle System) long-range sniper weapon system was specially designed to hit “soft targets” at long ranges (soft targets, an American euphemism denoting people - enemy soldiers, criminals, etc., as opposed to hard targets - “hard targets”, that is, material assets such as cars and other equipment).
At the same time, the main task was to create a weapon superior to 12.7mm (.50) caliber weapons in terms of capabilities, including accuracy at long ranges. For this purpose, under the leadership of Dr. John Taylor (USA), the .408 CheyTac cartridge (nominal caliber 10mm) was developed. The new cartridge occupies an intermediate position in size and weight between the powerful .50 Browning machine gun cartridge (12.7x99) and the popular .338 Lapua long-range sniper cartridge (8.6x76). Moreover, thanks to the special shape and design of the bullet, it has a very high ballistic coefficient and maintains supersonic speed at a distance of over 2000 meters. At the same time, at ranges over 700 meters, the energy of a .408 caliber bullet is higher than the energy of a .50 Browning bullet at the same range, despite the fact that the .408 cartridge itself is 30% lighter and creates less recoil. According to CheyTac Associates, a manufacturer of .408 cartridges and weapons for them, the CheyTac LRRS system as part of a CheyTac Intervention M200 rifle with a Nightforce NXS 5.5-22X optical sight, .408 CheyTac cartridges, a proprietary ballistic computer (based on the Casio Cassiopea M70 PDA) and connected to Using wind, temperature and atmospheric pressure sensors, the Kestrel 4000 provides effective shooting at a growth target at a range of 2000 meters, guaranteeing accuracy of less than 1 minute of arc (1 MOA).
The CheyTac InterventionM200 rifle is a repeating bolt action weapon. The cartridges are fed from detachable single-row magazines with a capacity of 5 cartridges. The Intervention M200 rifle is collapsible; for transportation and storage, the barrel is removed, and the sliding stock is moved forward until it stops. In general, the design of the M200 rifle is based on the design of the Windrunner .50 caliber rifle, created by the American company EDMArms. The barrel of the Intervention M200 rifle is cantilevered in the receiver, its rear part is hidden in a tubular casing, to which a folding bipod and a carrying handle are attached. An effective muzzle brake or an OPSINC shot silencer can be attached to the muzzle of the barrel. The rifle is not equipped with open sights. To install optics, a standard Picatinny type rail is used; the main one is the Nightforce NXS 5.5-22X optical sight. If necessary, the optical sight can be supplemented with an AN/PVS-14 night vision module and an AN/PEQ-2 infrared laser for target illumination.
In addition to the main M 200 rifle, CheyTac also produces a simpler and cheaper single-shot Intervention M310 rifle chambered for the same .408 CheyTac cartridge. The M310 rifle is non-separable and has an adjustable plastic stock.
The Stealth Recon Scout (DT SRS) sniper rifle was developed by a small American company, Desert Tactical Arms. The creators of the DT SRS rifle were inspired by the layout of the German DSR-1 sniper rifle, and initially the DT SRS rifle was planned to be made only under the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge. However, during the work, it was decided to make the new rifle modular in order to increase its tactical flexibility and provide shooters with the opportunity to train with cheaper cartridges (308 Winchester cartridges are several times cheaper than 338 Lapua cartridges). According to manufacturers, DT SRS rifles provide shooting accuracy of 0.5 MOA (minutes of arc) when using appropriate cartridges.
The Stealth Recon Scout (DT SRS) sniper rifle is built in a bullpup configuration. The basis of the design is a supporting aluminum tire, on which a steel receiver and a polymer stock are mounted. The rifle mechanism uses manual reloading with a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt. The barrels are interchangeable; sets of barrels and bolts for various calibers can be supplied with the rifle. All barrels are standardly threaded in the muzzle for installing a muzzle brake or muffler. Additionally, the Stealth Recon Scout (SRS) "Covert" variant has a shorter barrel with an integral suppressor. The cartridges are fed from specially designed 5-round box magazines. The trigger mechanism is adjustable, the manual safety levers are conveniently located above the trigger guard on both sides of the weapon. The rifle does not have open sights; instead, a Picatinny rail type guide is made on the upper surface of the receiver, onto which any type of optical sight can be installed using appropriate brackets. Additional guides are made on the forend, around the barrel. The rifle stock is equipped with an adjustable buttplate.
Sniper rifle FN Special Police Rifle - SPR (USA)
The American division of the famous Belgian company Fabrique Nationale Herstal, FNH USA, began developing a new sniper rifle for the police several years ago. The rifle was based on the bolt group of the Winchester 70 Classic rifle, produced by another American division of FN - USRepeating Arms Co (USRAC). A barrel from an M240/FN MAG machine gun of 7.62x51mm caliber was installed on the bolt group. The design was completed with a polymer stock from H-SPrecision.
Despite the initial warm reception of the rifle by the American gun press, it soon became clear that the new rifles, designated FN SPR (Special Police Rifle), had problems with shooting quality and accuracy. The production of rifles was suspended and their design was revised. In particular, the machine gun barrel was replaced with a special match-grade barrel manufactured by USRAC for Winchester target rifles, while the barrel bore is chrome-plated to increase survivability and simplify cleaning of the weapon. Instead of H-SPrecision stocks, McMillan polymer stocks of various types began to be used, and the rifle itself began to be produced in 5 basic versions, from A1 to A5, differing in the design of the stock and a set of additional accessories. As the model number increases, the set of additional elements also increases - model A1 has a minimal set (rifle only), while model A3 is equipped with a more advanced stock, mounts for optics and a bipod, model A4 in addition has an optical sight, and model A5 is the most advanced (and expensive ) stock, optics, carrying case, etc. All rifles are standardly equipped with a 24-inch (610 mm) barrel, but the A1a and A5a variants have barrels shortened to 20 inches (508 mm). Rifles of all modifications can be produced both under the 7.62x51/.308 cartridge, and under the more powerful 300WSM cartridge, which provides an effective firing range of about 1000 meters versus 600-700 meters for the 7.62x51 cartridge. In addition, all modifications of rifles chambered for 7.62x51 can be equipped with either a detachable double-row magazine for 4 rounds, or an integral magazine with a hinged bottom for 5 rounds. Rifles for caliber 300WSM are equipped only with an integral magazine with a hinged bottom for 3 rounds.
During the Vietnam War, the US Army quickly felt the growing need for an effective sniper rifle, providing both high accuracy and a high practical rate of fire. The simplest solution was to develop such a rifle based on the M14 military rifles already in production, or more precisely, their specially modified version of the M14 National Match (M14 NM) for shooting competitions. The main difference between the new XM21 sniper rifle and the M14 NM was the installation of a new Leatherwood3X-9X Adjustable Ranging Telescope (ART) optical sight on a special bracket that provides automatic adjustments for firing range for the M118 cartridge (a variant of the 7.62x51 NATO cartridge optimized for high-precision shooting). In 1969, the Rock Island Arsenal modified over 1,400 M14 NM rifles into the XM21 variant, and most of them were sent to Vietnam. Some rifles were additionally equipped with a Sionics shot silencer. In 1975, the experimental rifle (index XM21) acquired the status of officially being in service (index M21), and remained in this status until 1988, when it was replaced by the M24 sniper rifle. However, M21 rifles remained in service with the troops and in the National Guard until the 1991 war with Iraq. In addition, for US special operations forces, a version of the rifle was developed under the symbol M25, which differed from the M21 in a more advanced plastic stock from McMillan and more modern optical sights from Baush & Lomb or Leupold on new brackets.
It should be noted that despite being removed from service, the M21 rifles were removed from warehouses and again issued to troops during recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. After checking, old rifles are equipped with new optical sights on new brackets. Presumably these rifles will be used by the troops until a sufficient number of new M110 self-loading rifles arrive to replace them.
The M21 sniper rifle is a self-loading weapon that uses gas-operated automatics with a short-stroke gas piston located under the barrel. The barrel is locked by turning the bolt (Garand scheme). The rifle stock is made of fiberglass (wood for XM21 rifles). The rifle retains the adjustable sights of the M14 rifle (diopter rear sight and front sight). The optical sight bracket was installed on standard seats made on the left side of the receiver of all production M14 rifles. The rifle was equipped with a Leatherwood 3X-9X ART optical sight (with a rangefinder reticle) or a night sight.
The SR-25 rifle was developed by Eugene Stoner (one of the creators of the Ar-15 / M16 rifle) in the early 1990s, when he collaborated with the American company Knight's Armaments Co. The SR-25 rifle (Stoner Rifle model 25) is based on the design of the Ar-15 rifle, modified for the 7.62x51 cartridge. The SR-25 rifle turned out to be quite successful; it provided high shooting accuracy and therefore became popular both among civilian shooters in the United States and among police snipers. In the nineties, a version of this rifle, complete with an optical sight and a quick-detachable silencer from the same company, was adopted by the US Navy Special Operations Forces under the designation Mark 11 Model 0 (Mk.11 Mod.0) sniper rifle. Later, under the same designation, rifles began to enter service with snipers of the US Marine Corps. In 2005, as a result of competitive testing of the XM110, a slightly modified version of the Mk.11 Mod.0 rifle was adopted by US Army snipers under the designation XM110 / M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle (M110 SASR). The XM110 rifles should eventually replace the M24 magazine sniper rifles in service.
The main purpose of the Mk.11 Mod.0 and XM110 rifles is aimed fire at enemy personnel at ranges of up to 800 meters. From a tactical point of view, these rifles are analogues of the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle, however, they are distinguished by higher shooting accuracy (including due to the presence of higher quality cartridges) and greater tactical flexibility due to a wide range of available sights and the presence of a quick-detachable shot silencer.
The SR-25 rifle uses automatic gas venting with the removal of powder gases into the body of the bolt frame (Stoner system). The barrel is locked by turning the bolt, which has 7 lugs. The receiver consists of two halves connected by transverse pins and made of a special aluminum alloy. The rifle barrel is cantilevered and does not touch the fore-end, which ensures shooting stability. On the upper part of the receiver and on the forend there are Picatinny rail type guides for installing sights and other accessories. The trigger mechanism allows firing only single shots and is optimized for accurate shooting. Standard sighting devices include folding front and rear sights mounted on quick-release brackets; diopter rear sight adjustable for range up to 600 meters. In the daytime, “military” versions are used with a Leupold optical sight of variable magnification 3.5-10X. In the dark, it is possible to use various night and IR sights. The “military” version of the XM110 / M110 rifle differs from the “naval” Mk.11 in the ability to adjust the length of the butt, a different design of the forend with integral Picatinny rail type guides, the presence of a flash suppressor on the barrel, as well as a different coloring of the outer surfaces. All combat versions of the rifle are also equipped with a removable folding bipod from Harris, a quick-detachable shot silencer, a carrying strap, a case and other necessary accessories.
Sniper rifle Remington MSR - Modular Sniper Rifle (USA)
The Remington MSR - Modular Sniper Rifle sniper rifle was developed in 2009 by the Military products division of the famous American arms company Remington Arms. The Remington MSR sniper rifle was designed specifically for the Precision Sniper Rifle competition announced in 2009 by US SOCOM. According to the requirements of the competition, the new rifle must provide an effective firing range of at least 1500 meters with an accuracy at this range of at least 1 MOA (in a group of 10 shots). Requirements also include the ability to quickly change the barrel, the presence of a folding stock, a weight of no more than 8.2 kg in the firing position, the ability to install a silencer and a number of others. Testing for this competition is due to begin in March 2010.
The Remington MSR sniper rifle uses manual reloading with a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt. The bolt cylinder has three radial stops in the front part, while the cylinder itself can be easily removed from the bolt body and replaced with another one designed for a different caliber. The rifle's barrels are quick-change; four caliber options are offered from .308 Winchester to .338 Lapua, and in each caliber the company offers 4 barrel length options. The barrels are equipped with special muzzle brakes, on which quick-detachable shot silencers can be installed.
The basis of the rifle is an aluminum chassis beam, on which the receiver, pistol grip, trigger mechanism and side-folding (to the right) butt are attached. The trigger of the rifle is fully adjustable, the buttstock is also adjustable according to the position of the butt plate and the cheek rest. On the upper surface of the receiver there is a Picatinny rail type guide, on which optical sights are mounted on quick-release brackets. On the rifle's forend there are seats for installing additional Picatinny rail type guides.
The VR1 PSR (Precision Sniper Rifle - high-precision sniper rifle) sniper rifle is manufactured in the USA by a small private company, Vigilance Rifles. The VR1 rifle is one of the very few self-loading models today chambered for powerful and long-range sniper ammunition.338 Lapua Magnum and .408 Chey-tac. In addition to these two cartridges, the VR1 rifle is also available in a very powerful hunting cartridge. 505 Gibbs, designed for hunting the largest and most dangerous game (rhinoceros, elephant, hippopotamus, lion, etc.). The VR1 sniper rifle occupies a niche between compact and relatively lightweight self-loading sniper rifles of 7.62mm caliber and very powerful, but also heavy (empty weight 12-14 kg) and large-sized rifles of 12.7mm caliber chambered for the .50 BMG cartridge. Due to its moderate weight (loaded weight is about 9 kg), the VR1 sniper rifle has high maneuverability and can be transported by a shooter on foot over considerable distances. The significant power of the ammunition used - muzzle power from 6,500 J (.338LM) to 11,300 J (.408CT) allows this rifle to be used to combat unarmored enemy vehicles, to defeat enemy personnel at long ranges or protected by heavy body armor or other obstacles. The effective firing range when using .338 and .408 cartridges is up to 1500 meters, the accuracy of fire when using special sniper cartridges is 1 arc minute (1 MOA) at a range of 550 meters (600 yards).
Replacing the barrel with the receiver (for example, to change the caliber) is done with incomplete disassembly of the weapon and takes less than a minute, while after removing and installing the barrel, a new zeroing of the weapon is not required. The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines with a capacity of 5 cartridges. The rifle does not have conventional sighting devices; the receiver has a Picatinny rail type guide on which optical sights with corresponding brackets are mounted. The rifle stock is made of laminated wood; in the front part of the forend there is a mount for a folding removable bipod.
Sniper rifle FN SCAR - SSR Mk.20 Mod.0 / Sniper Support Rifle (USA)
The FN SCAR - SSR (Sniper Support Rifle) sniper rifle, adopted by the US Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) in 2010 under the designation Mk.20 Mod.0, is a “sniper” version of the 7.62 mm automatic rifle (machine gun) used by American special forces. FN SCAR-H Mk.17 Mod.0. It is developed and produced by the American division of the Belgian arms company Fabrique Nationale Herstal - FN. The new variant has the official designation “Sniper Support Rifle,” which can be translated as “sniper support weapon.” This rifle can be used as a second number (observer) weapon in a sniper pair that uses long-range and high-precision weapons with a low rate of fire as the main weapon (for example, the XM2010 rifle caliber .300 Winchester Magnum or M107 caliber .50 Browning), ensuring the destruction of targets, expending for which the limited ammunition of the main weapon is unreasonable or inconvenient, as well as allowing for effective close combat work in case of unforeseen situations. In addition, this rifle can be used as a weapon for a “marksman rifle” (Designated Marksman Rifle, a tactical analogue of the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle), operating as part of a special forces group performing various tasks.
The FN SCAR self-loading sniper rifle - SSR Mk.20 Mod.0 is built on the basis of an automatic rifle (machine gun) of 7.62mm NATO caliber FN SCAR-H Mk.17 Mod.0, and has up to 60% of parts interchangeable with the base machine gun, including automatic gas outlet unit with a short stroke of the gas piston and a bolt group with a rotating bolt. The upper part of the receiver is made of aluminum and is lengthened compared to the automatic rifle; the barrel is also lengthened and has a thicker profile. A flash suppressor is installed in the muzzle of the barrel, which also serves to attach a quick-detachable muffler, which is included in the basic package of the FN SCAR - SSR rifle. The cartridges are fed from detachable box magazines with a capacity of 20 rounds from the FN SCAR-H Mk.17 Mod.0 assault rifle. The trigger mechanism of the FN SCAR - SSR Mk.20 Mod.0 rifle allows only single fire. The stock is awkward, with an adjustable butt plate and cheek rest. To install sighting devices (optical or night sights, the choice of which is dictated by the profile of the upcoming mission), the rifle has an integral Picatinny rail type guide on the upper surface of the receiver. In addition to the optics, the rifle is equipped with a backup open sight with a diopter rear sight, mounted on folding quick-release bases.
The effective firing range declared by the manufacturer for this rifle is up to 1000 yards (910 meters), the accuracy of fire with a “sniper” cartridge is 1 MOA or less.
Tracking Point's Precision Guided Firearm system consists of two basic components - a computerized sighting system and a specially modified rifle.
The sighting system includes a television camera with an optical lens of variable magnification, a computing unit, an interface unit and a liquid crystal color display on which the image from the television camera is displayed with information from the built-in computer superimposed on it. In addition, the sight includes a laser rangefinder, environmental sensors (temperature, pressure), weapon position sensors, and a low-power laser “zero control” sensor (for automatically aligning the sight to the position of the weapon barrel). The sighting system also contains a block of interfaces, including a wired interface for controlling the rifle’s trigger mechanism and a wireless Wi-Fi interface for two-way communication with external devices (tablet computer, smartphone, smart glasses, etc.). External devices can be used to duplicate and record images from the sight, and also, in the future, to control the shooting complex or exchange data between several complexes and devices in a group.
In general, the operation of the Tracking Point system in the main shooting mode is as follows. When the sighting system is turned on, the shooter, observing the target on the display, points the aiming marker at the desired point of impact and presses the “mark target” button located in front of the trigger guard. At this moment, the sighting system remembers the image of the target and the position of the desired point of impact on it, determines the range to the target and calculates the ballistic solution for the “rifle + cartridge” complex, taking into account the current environmental conditions. At the same time, the computer begins to track the position of the target and the point of impact marker, updating the ballistic solution in real time, taking into account the movement of the target and weapon. When you press the trigger, the system switches to the shooting mode - the aiming mark in the form of an X-shaped crosshair, located on the display taking into account the current ballistic solution, changes color, and then the shooter must align the crosshair of the sight (the estimated location of the bullet impact) with the target marker, also displayed on the computer display. Exactly at the moment when the computer-calculated point of impact of the bullet coincides with the tracked target mark, the computer will signal the trigger to fire a shot (provided that the shooter is still holding the trigger pressed). Thus, very high efficiency of firing at targets is ensured, not only at significant distances, but also actively moving at significant speeds.
In particular, for rifles of caliber .308 Winchester, the ability to hit targets at ranges of up to 800 meters at speeds of up to 24 km/h is claimed; for rifles chambered for .338 Lapua, these characteristics reach 1200 meters and 40 km/h. When shooting with conventional weapons, such conditions require extremely high shooter skill and a fair amount of luck; Using the Tracking Point system, such shots become available to average shooters.
Currently, the Tracking Point system is only at the beginning of its development. It has a number of disadvantages, such as the very high cost of the complex (from 15 thousand dollars and above), binding to a specific type of ammunition for each rifle, and relatively short battery life, but all of them can be solved in the near future. For military use, this system will need to have backup sighting devices in case of failure of electronics or batteries, full-fledged secure wireless communication interfaces and the ability to operate in electronic warfare conditions, increased reliability and resistance to external conditions. However, this is not impossible, and such complexes can have a wide variety of applications not only on sniper rifles, but also on various automatic weapons. For example, such a complex, after improvement, can be used for targeted fire at several pre-marked targets in one series of shots. In this version, after marking targets, the shooter will simply move the weapon from one target to another, holding the trigger pressed, and the weapon itself will shoot only accurately at the selected targets, automatically stopping fire as soon as the next target disappears from the crosshairs, and automatically resuming shooting after accurately aiming at the next target. And this is far from the only possible scenario for using TrackingPoint technologies in the near future.
