Soldier prepares to fire the M-107. Army officials expects complete fielding of the new long-range .50-caliber sniper rifle in 2008. Army photo
Posted on 04/08/2005 7:39:25 AM PDT by balrog666
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. (Army News Service, March 31, 2005) -- The Army has approved its new long-range .50-caliber sniper rifle, the M-107, for full materiel release to Soldiers in the field.
The M-107 program is managed at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., by the Project Manager Soldier Weapons with engineering support provided by Picatinny’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center.
The term “full materiel release” signifies that the Army has rigorously tested and evaluated the item and determined that it is completely safe, operationally suitable and logistically supportable for use by Soldiers, officials said.
Product Manager for Crew Served Weapons Lt. Col. Kevin P. Stoddard said that PMSW previously equipped combat units in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as other units supporting the Global War on Terrorism, with the M-107 under an urgent materiel release.
The Army expects to complete fielding of the M-107 in 2008, Stoddard said.
The M107 was funded as a Soldier Enhancement Program to type classify a semi-automatic .50 caliber rifle for the Army and other military services. It underwent standard type classification in August 2003.
A production contract was awarded to Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc., Murfreesboro, Tenn., the following month.
Compared to the M24 7.62mm sniper rifle, Stoddard said, the M107 has more powerful optics and fires a variety of .50 caliber munitions.
“This provides sniper teams greater capability to identify and defeat multiple targets at increased ranges,” he said.
The M-107 is based on the Marine Corps special application scoped rifle, the M82A3.
The M-107 enables Army snipers to accurately engage personnel and material targets out to a distance of 1,500 to 2,000 meters respectively, he said.
The weapon is designed to effectively engage and defeat materiel targets at extended ranges including parked aircraft, computers, intelligence sites, radar sites, ammunition, petroleum, oil and lubricant sites, various lightly armored targets and command, control and communications.
In a counter-sniper role, the system offers longer stand-off ranges and increased terminal effects against snipers using smaller-caliber weapons.
The complete system includes the rifle itself, a detachable 10-round magazine, a variable-power day-optic sight, a transport case, a tactical soft case, cleaning and maintenance equipment, a detachable sling, an adjustable bipod and manuals.
The Army plans to modify the M107 in the future by adding a suppressor to greatly reduce flash, noise and blast signatures.
That SOB will shoot through an orphanage.
Cool. I want one.
You could pre-gut your deer with one shot!
Sniper rifle? Geez, that thing could stop a car.
I NEED one of these. Right now.
Yeah, but as long as it's accurate enough to just pick off Michael Jackson and not harm the kids...
I got an email from a guy in Iraq who was telling me about a sniper he knew. The sniper was watching a bunch of guys standing together to see if trouble was coming. Sure enough, RPG's were broken out. He picked out the guy he thought was the leader, beaded on him and WHAP, teeth, hair and eyes go everywhere. For an instant, no one moved. Then, collectively, they all seemed to say "f*** this s***", dropped everything and took off in all directions.
Guess what his rifle is now named.
Yeah I know. Sunday School teachers aren't supposed to use this language but I thought it was a howler.
In other words at one mile away, this puppy can knock down an airplane, blow up an oil tank, shoot THROUGH a building, or stop an armored car.
I want one.
…increased terminal effects…
I got to pull the trigger on one of these in Afghanistan. Great fun! With the muzzle brake and the weight of the rifle, the recoil was not bad at all, but the muzzle blast was, well, significant!
He picked out the guy he thought was the leader
It must have been the guy with the Moe haircut. Moe is the leader.
Thanks for a great story!
That's a line from "Johny Dangerously" ?
Yeah, that's my favorite part of the press release also.
Minutemen like this rod, too.
You'd have to be a pretty good shot to bring down an airplane in flight with one of thses -- I don't think that's what they had in mind. But if anyone can do it, I hope they're on our side.
If you fire at the moon with that thing, you can put it out of orbit.
Somewhere in WV, there is a guy putting the butt of one of these to his mouth, putting his finger on the trigger and saying "Ya'll dare me?"
I'm a little worried about this. It is a great addition to our snipers' tool inventory, but I hope it does not become our sole, or even primary, sniper rifle.
It is great for anti-materiel work. It is also effective against people. However it has several drawbacks. I've never seen a .50 BMG that didn't have a HUGE signature. That is not good for a sniper whose survivability depends on invisibility. It is supposedly being worked on...but I just don't see a way around it....a .50 BMG has a huge amount of gunpowder. going off.
And while it may be the tool of choice for fixed positions, I would hate to have to hump one of those any sort of serious distance. Glad our guys have access to it in Iraq, but in other situations, it is simply not the right tool.
Assuming my concerns are taken seriously, I wonder if snipers will have two rifles (one .50 BMG, one 7.62 N) and pick which one they take with them based on the mission requirements, or if you have some .50 BMG snipers and some 7.62 snipers, and you use them for missions appropriate for their tools and skill sets.
That's how they all get toothless around them parts.
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