Posted on 03/07/2008 9:27:50 AM PST by Stoat
It is the latest weapon on the front line against the Taliban - the British Army's most powerful-ever sniper rifle, capable of killing with pinpoint accuracy from more than a mile away.
Yesterday the Army showed off its new Long Range Rifle, which has just entered service with combat units in Afghanistan to replace smaller and less powerful weapons.
The £11million upgrade programme is part of a "renaissance" of the sniper tradition - which during the Cold War was largely relegated to the sidelines - as modern commanders rediscover the huge value of pinpoint fire from sharpshooters.
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The new weapon, the L115A3, fires a heavier bullet to much longer ranges and has a state-of-the-art telescopic sight with twice the magnifying power of the old version.
More than 500 are on order from the British manufacturers, Accuracy International.
Since British forces moved into Helmand Province two years ago to take on the Taliban, demand for snipers has soared and 120 a year are now passing through the specialist training school at Warminster in Wiltshire.
One said: "It's a huge step forward. I'll be using the new rifle in Afghanistan this summer.
"It's a little heavier to carry, but the extra power is worth it. The improved telescopic sight can cut through the heat haze, which was preventing us from spotting targets at longer ranges."
Sniping is proving a hugely-important tactic in Afghanistan, where the difficulty of fighting among maze-like compounds and thick vegetation necessitates attacking the enemy at long range.
The controversy over so-called "collateral damage" from devastating airstrikes killing innocent civilians adds to the advantages of a pinpoint attack.
A senior officer at the Weapons Support School in Warminster said: "With the new rifle we now expect to be able to engage a target at 1,500 metres. With the old version it was about 1,000 metres.
"That makes a massive difference. You can keep the enemy at arm's length with snipers. Or you can have several of them firing simultaneously.
"It is devastating for an enemy's morale if a number of their fighters are suddenly shot at the same instant, and they can't even see where the firing is coming from. They tend to withdraw fast."
Training an infantryman to become a sniper can take up to a year, and only the most talented soldiers are allowed even to start the demanding courses.
First a candidate must master the technical aspects of shooting, learning to judge the strength of the wind extremely accurately using a variety of clues, and to adjust aim accordingly.
Just as importantly a sniper must learn to track his prey, move into position with extreme stealth, camouflage himself perfectly whether in natural cover or a battle-scarred city, and then disappear just as stealthily.
The senior officer said: "There is a long waiting list. Battalions are desperate to send soldiers here for training, and every soldier wants to be a sniper.
"They're held in extremely high regard. This new rifle will make them even more effective."
1609.344 meters per mile, if you use 5,280 feet/mile.
I have used a few of Malcolm Coopers designs....all the AI variations are first rate. I have one AI .308 I purchased from their shop near Oak Ridge. Our unit had 4 more ordered after we almost shot the barrel out of mine !
We we told em what we did in testing etc and they gave me a new one !
Expensive even back then yet very good customer service.
Good rig but very very heavy......too heavy IMO for all but specialized missions.
You use a T-76 on whistle pigs?? And I thought my 25-06 was overkill.......
Ya have to remember where I dwell we can stand on a five gallon bucket with a pair of binoculars and see the backs of our own head.
we are in G.David Tubbs Country here in the panhandle....wind mirage long range etc is a gimme by age 12 here.
My favorite yote rifle is a 300RUM Sendero.
Long Range fun here......:o)
I got hunt’n WP in Utah and the ranges there are *modest* by Texas standards. I tend to miss too much with the little critters at anything over 300M...
Still good fun and much appreciated by the farmers
Walking canal banks with a 22 can yield many fun hours and reduce blowouts as well....
I don’t know if you’ve seen this, but it is awesome.
YouTube - AA-12. World’s deadliest shotgun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ebtj1jR7c&eurl=http://www.cameltap.com/?p=2206
Yes Sir ......the 25-06 ya mentioned is as well a favorite here. It bucks the wind right proper. Normal to go start on a sod poodle site with Ruger 10-22’s, 77’s etc , then 223’s or 22-250, work our way up the chain as distances get better, barrels get hotter and sod poodles get scarce at closer ranges. The 7.62 AI gets it’s share of daylight but I figure I will keep it pristine as long as possible. We even use a Barrett 82A1M now and then......:o)
My normal fun gun is a 14 inch Thompson Contender Bull Barreled Contender with Pachmayr furniture, grip and harris BR-S bipod . Add a 3-12X Burris LER scope and a box of long VLD loads in .223 and ya have a great , portable rig for sod poodles and coyotes and jackalopes.......LOL !
Honestly my favorite thing too shoot is the TC.
YouTube - AA-12. World’s deadliest shotgun!
WOW! No, I hadn't seen it. Thank you so very much for posting....obviously a wonderful weapon that I simply HAVE to have. ...too bad they are 'apparently' for military only.
Here's a Defense Review article on it that you may find interesting....thanks again for posting! :-)
Defense Review - Auto Assault-12 Shotgun-FRAG-12 High-Explosive Round Combo-Weapon System
.338 Lapua maybe?
I stand corrected. I should have read further. I thought it was a variation of the.50 Cal sniper rifle that the US issues.
Not to long ago I saw the sniper video from the middle east along with a note telling a story about how far it was.
That has to be a very satisfying shot!
I would sleep like a baby the next night too, no regret at all. Hell, it’s not like the guy suffered either, he never even knew what hit him.
The Datemaker - awesome name for a sniper rifle!
Now you don't
Well, there’s 1,760 yards in a mile, and a meter is a little more than 3” longer than a yard.
Actually I know since I used to use these measures when I used to work for a living. The responses were interesting, but the claim in the headline is what sparked the question.
comments?
I was at the SHOT Show in Vegas 3 years ago, helping man the accu-shot booth and peddling books. I got inovolved in a long conversation about rifles etc with one more old white guy, except this one had a Brit accent. No biggie, I’d been chatting with Russians, Israelis, Germans, Swedes, Japanese etc for a few days.
So there I am, going on about my great (sic) knowledge with this old Brit.
Yep, you guessed it. Malcom Cooper.
Very nice guy.
I might be mixed up on the AI guys. One was the designer, the other was the principal.
If figured you knew, just threw it there for the hell of it.
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