USA Fielding M110 7.62mm Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle

Defense Industry Daily ^ | 6/9/2010 | Defense Industry Daily

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

In this war, snipers matter in close-quarters urban fights. So does penetrating power. Accurate ranged lethality is equally important for squads in open areas, where engagement distances can easily make 5.56mm rounds ineffective. Bolt-action sniper rifles solve these problems, but can get your best people killed in close-up automatic firefights. Semi-automatic weapons have traditionally been less reliable and accurate, but offer the only reasonable approach that covers both extremes.

The result has been the emergence of a hybrid approach, on both a people level and a technical level. On the human end, militaries like the Americans and British are adopting “designated marksman” or “sharpshooter” roles in normal infantry squads, who aren’t full snipers but do have additional training and qualification. On the technical side, gun makers are fielding semi-automatic systems that offer nearly bolt-action accuracy out to 800-1000 meters, but can also be used in closer-quarters firefights. The British have hurried the L129A1 to their infantry squad sharpshooters, but the Americans have a longer running program, which is beginning to ramp up production and fielding…

The M110 is intended to replace the M24 Sniper Weapon System used by snipers, spotters, designated marksman, or squad advanced marksmen in the US Army. In 2006, the Army projected total buy of 4,492 systems. M24 orders continued into early 2010, however, and it seems likely that both will serve together for a few years.

[calex59]

BS. You are talking to an expert here. I know how to accurize rifles and the M14 doesn’t need that much work to accurize it. On top of that it is already in existence. To get this M110 they had to develop a whole new rifle. How much work do you think that took? The M14 is a lot lighter than 16 lbs.

[70th Division]

The Army and Marines are already doing that. Clinton got rid of thousands of stored M-14’s during his administration. A lot of the rest of the M-14’s are already in Afganistan and being used by Marines. They like the range and knock down power. Armories are refitting them will rails and other stuff.

[MrB]

Looks like you’re a person to ask -

will a standard 7.62X39 round penetrate an engine block?

[mad_as_he$$]

M-14’s are simply too heavy. That is the primary reason they were abandoned in the first place. Guys in full battle rattle are walking about with 80 pounds of crap and an extra ten pounds of rifle is not helpful.

[ctdonath2]

I’ve taken training up to 1000m. 10x is fine.

[ctdonath2]

Nope, they’re admitting that bolt action sucks in a close range firefight.

7.62 has long been used for long range work.
Problem is urban use where that long range use may turn a corner and need to fire a lot of rounds short range real quick.

[Armedanddangerous]

The bolt action IS definately more accurate than a semi auto, however, the semi is better for quick follow up shots, and if I understand what I hear on the sniper show on the military ch, quick follow ups are often needed.

Also, keep in mind, if you have to make a followup shot with a bolt gun one must cycle the empty round out and a fresh one in, that effects the point of aim ever so much, which a semi auto rifle does not have that problem.

[jospehm20]

“The top is open so it can be loaded with stripper clips,,,”

The open top makes it hard to properly mount optics.

[jospehm20]

“To get this M110 they had to develop a whole new rifle.”

AR-10s have been around about as long as M-14s have. I don’t think it took much ot come up with this. I have a DPMS which has similar features.

[sig226]

In essence, the bolt fit is tighter in the manually operated rifle. It also uses a tighter chamber. Since you typically have two lugs on a bolt action, it’s relatively easy to fit both lugs to the barrel. An AR style bolt has eight lugs, one of which is on the extractor and will always be a weak spot. As noted, the tolerances are made a little looser in a semi auto to allow the action to operate in adverse conditions. The mechanical advantage of a bolt handle is significantly greater than a semi auto. It means the shooter can overcome more friction when chambering a round.

Also, the actions on bolt guns tend to be very thick. The extra steel resists deformation under pressure. Chamber pressure is 65,000 p.s.i., so even a slight movement affects long range accuracy.

This does not mean that a semi auto can’t achieve good precision. It can. But if all quality standards are equal, the bolt gun will shoot tighter groups.

[sig226]

I am troubled that a writer for a military publication wrote this:

A metal tube that fits covers the rifle’s 20” barrel and significantly reduces the weapon’s observable signature when fired. It dissipates the tell-tale blast, and eliminates the blatantly obvious cloud of dust that would otherwise rise off the ground in locations like Iraq and Afghanistan.

He just said that the handguard functions as a flash suppressor and directional muzzle brake. All I can say to that is, "Does not."

[xone]

Shooting Times Ultimate Guide to Long Range Rifles Jun 08. Page 42 “Long Range Military Accuracy” to 600 yards in competition. The article discusses the use of the tech and ammo for DMs hits out to the max range of 900 meters.

[An Old Man]

That has some possibilities! And, it's Price is ONLY $6800

[calex59]

I took as least as much, if not more, to develop the .308 version of the Stoner as it would have to refurbish the M14s in inventory.

[Nebr FAL owner]

The AK-47 was designed to basically be a bullet hose that can be used as a carbine and in that role it excels the M-1911A1 that are still in the inventory are specimens that are made to military loose specs for reliability in hideous conditions they are also been in use since the end of World War II when the DoD stopped buying new M-1911A1s.

[jospehm20]

They did not have to develop it. It has been developed since 1956. The 7.62mm AR-10 was the original Stoner design. It was scaled down to 5.56mm to become the AR-15 in the mid-1960s. The one the Army is buying is pretty much off the shelf commercial stuff.

[Lancey Howard]

The M110 is intended to replace the M24 Sniper Weapon System

The Marines use 40s (modified Remington 700s), and generally like them.

[jospehm20]

I think that an expert should know that the original AR-10 came out about the same time as the M-14 did and that the civilian version of the M110 has been in existence for years. This model is based on the Knight Arms SR-25, which has been in production and for sale since 1990. Wikipedia says that the 15.3 lb weight is with scope, bipod and loaded magazine, which sounds about right in my experience.

[fso301]

I never had a stoppage in combat(67-68),,, You?...

Actually, my info came from a converation I had a long time ago with a guy who claims to have had two problems with the M-14 in combat. One was serious and involved a lost extractor. His second problem was temporary and was due to a wood splinter that fell into the action just as it was cycling.

That having been said, I have heard separate reports of M1-Garands, failing to chamber properly due to debris entering a cycling action.

[archy]

I’ve heard this all my life—that bolt action was more accurate than semi-auto—but no one can really explain to me why. Is it just a “thing” people just parrot—because that’s what they’ve always heard too—without any proof?

As a former match armorer and shooter who has built some winning team rifles and also worked on the Navy's M84 bolt-action sniper's rifle program, I can offer you a few generalities I've come to believe based on my 40 years-plus observing and participating in such things.

1: The person behind the rifle is of much more importance than the rifle itself. It is not a *magic stick,* whetjer boltgun, semiauto or other.

2: the ammo is of at LEAST as much importance as the rifle, probably more so.

3: A semiauto can indeed be tuned to shoot as well or nearly as well as most boltguns. But the semiauto's operation bay be destructive of a sniper's rifle's telescopic sight [not an issue with a match rifle using iron sights] and may require additional preparation and care in setting up the ammunition.

4: After a season of match rifle competition, the semiauto match rifle will likely need to be rebuilt and retuned for the next season's competition and intervening practice shoots. This is acceptable for match rifles, and happily keeps match rifle armorers at work in the shop instead of being sent off on other details and helps keep the civilian armorers' wives and kiddies fed. However, a military weapon thatr has to be rebuilt at the shop every 5-18 months is not acceptable.

Note that the Brits have reached similiar conclusions, and have gone with the very similiar L129A1 rifle, though the lovely .338 Lapua Magnum L115A1 bolt-action sniper's rifle will also remain in use.