Modern sniper rifles (144 photos). Large sniper family: SVD and its modifications Sighting range of the SVD with an optical sight

Dragunov sniper rifle It has been in service since 1963 and, apparently, they do not intend to change it for something else. Despite the fact that this weapon is already quite old, it still copes with the tasks that face it, although many are of the opinion that this weapon is already outdated and urgently needs to be changed. Let's try to figure out whether this model of rifle is so outdated, and whether it is worth looking for a replacement, given the fact that there are more pressing gaps in the weapons of both the army and the police. At the same time, let’s briefly go over the design of this weapon, since for many, as it turns out, it is unknown in its structure.

At the end of the fifties, namely in 1958, the Main Rocket and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) formulated a task for designers to create a new self-loading sniper rifle for the Soviet Army. Such famous designers as Kalashnikov, Barinov, Konstantinov and, naturally, Dragunov took part in the competition. Weapons from other designers will be discussed in separate articles, especially since the samples presented were quite interesting. For a sniper rifle, in the usual understanding of most people, the basic requirements that were set before the designers were not entirely clear.

Thus, the weapon was required to be able to confidently fire at the enemy at a distance of only 600 meters, that is, at this distance the enemy had to be guaranteed to be hit from this weapon. But now it is fashionable to talk about weapons that shoot at 1000 meters and further, but they usually forget that the distances for accurate fire in combat, even in open areas, are much shorter for a sniper who works as part of a unit. In other words, he has completely different tasks, or rather their implementation, in comparison with those of a sniper crew working separately.

Naturally, for someone who needs to hit a target at a distance of 1500 meters, the SVD will be a completely unsuitable weapon, but these snipers are not armed with such rifles. Consequently, the SVD copes with its tasks, and given the weapon’s unpretentiousness to operating conditions, ease of maintenance and well-established production, it makes no sense to change this weapon.

For example, you can look at those that are currently in service in other armies of other countries. Despite the fact that more accurate and long-range models are being adopted, no one is in a hurry to abandon weapons similar in their characteristics to the SVD, and they coexist quite peacefully with long-range and accurate models.

Of course, we would like to see a more advanced weapon, with higher performance, light and compact, but no one will allocate funds to remove the rifle from service one day and replace it with another model. And this problem is not so acute as to make a fuss about it. It would be more reasonable to work with weapon ammunition in order to increase its armor-piercing properties, this is both cheaper and more relevant at the moment, and only after that make weapons based on it.

What exactly is SVD? This is a self-loading rifle, the automation of which is based on the use of powder gases diverted from the bore of the weapon and with the barrel bore being locked when the bolt is turned to 3 lugs. The weapon is fed from a detachable box magazine with a capacity of 10 rounds of 7.62x54R ammunition. For firing from the SVD, rifle cartridges with ordinary, tracer and armor-piercing incendiary bullets, as well as sniper cartridges (7N1, 7N14) are used. The SVD can also fire JHP and JSP hollow-point bullets.

The weight of the weapon without ammunition is 4.2 kg with a total rifle length of 1220 mm. Barrel length – 620 mm. The initial bullet speed is 830 m/s. Muzzle energy of a bullet 4064 Joule. Quite often, the design of the rifle is compared with the design of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, however, despite the same basic points, this weapon has its own characteristics.

First of all, it should be noted that the gas piston is not rigidly connected to the bolt frame, which reduces the overall weight of the moving parts of the weapon when firing. In addition, the barrel bore is locked by three lugs (one of which is a rammer) when the bolt is turned counterclockwise. The trigger mechanism of a hammer-type weapon is assembled in one housing.

The weapon's safety is controlled by a fairly large lever on the right side of the rifle. In the on position, the fuse blocks the trigger and also limits the rearward movement of the bolt frame, which provides protection from external contamination during transportation. The rifle's flash hider also serves as a muzzle brake-recoil compensator, although it is difficult to give an example when this is not the case. The flame arrester has five slotted slots. The forend and butt of the weapon were previously made of wood, now of plastic. A non-adjustable cheek rest for the shooter is installed on the butt.

The Dragunov sniper rifle has both open sights and a seat for various sights. In addition to the optical sight, various night sights can be installed on the weapon; with such a sight, the SVD turns into an SVDN. In case the optical sight fails, the shooter can continue to perform his tasks using open sights, which consist of an adjustable rear sight mounted in front of the receiver cover and a front sight in the front sight.

The SVD has high accuracy for a weapon of this type. With the SVD sniper cartridge, you can hit the following targets with the first shot:
head - 300 m
chest figure - 500 m
waist figure - 600 m
running figure - 800 m.

The PSO-1 sight is designed for shooting up to 1300 meters, but at such a range you can only effectively shoot at a group target, or conduct harassing fire.

Let's try to briefly describe how this whole thing works. When fired, the powder gases push the bullet forward along the barrel bore, reaching the hole in the barrel to remove the powder gases, they enter the gas engine and push the piston back. Having accelerated the bolt frame, the piston stops. The frame, in the process of its movement back, turns the bolt, which unlocks the bore, removes and throws out the spent cartridge case. Actually, this is how quite satisfactory firing performance is achieved simply and without any supernatural nuances.

Dragunov sniper rifle with folding stock (SVDS)

Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Armed Forces of Armenia

Bolivian Armed Forces

The Dragunov sniper rifle has been in service with our country since 1963 and is the second most popular sniper rifle in the world after those created on the basis of the American Remington 700.

Excellent technical characteristics even today, recognizable appearance and the original sound of a shot have made the SVD popular among civilians. It is present in games, books, there are many stories about its accuracy and penetrating power, often with a dose of fiction.

History of creation

In the 50s, the USSR army was rearmament, which required a modern self-loading sniper rifle that fired single shots.

E. F. Dragunov, working as a senior gunsmith since 1945 and famous for the creation of his sporting firearms, began designing his rifle in 1962. In parallel, the development was led by A. Konstantinov, both designers completed their projects at about the same time, Dragunov’s weapons showed themselves to be more accurate in tests and demonstrated greater accuracy of fire.

In 1963, the rifle, called the SVD, was adopted by the Soviet army.

Peculiarities

The future rifle was supposed to fulfill only certain purposes and versatility was not required from it, but the goals set were not easily achievable. High reliability was required, implying increased clearances between moving parts, while high accuracy implied the most rigid structure possible with minimal clearances.

Also, heavy weapons have better stability and show higher accuracy when shooting, but it was necessary to create a light rifle.

When creating it, Dragunov used a bolt design that he had used in sporting weapons. The barrel bore was closed with a bolt that rotated counterclockwise and had two lugs, plus it used the cartridge rammer as a third one. This scheme of operation increases the area of the lug lugs without changing the dimensions of the bolt itself, which has a positive effect on the accuracy of fire.

The safety lever not only blocks the trigger, but also locks the bolt frame, preventing it from moving back. The only shooting mode is single. The barrel has a flash suppressor that protects the barrel from contamination and masks shooting at night.

The magazine contains 10 rounds of 7.62x54R caliber; ordinary, tracer, armor-piercing incendiary rifle cartridges, 7N1 and 7N14 sniper cartridges, cartridges with JSP and JHP hollow-point bullets are used.

Technical characteristics, accuracy and accuracy

Thanks to self-loading, produced using the energy of powder gases, the SVD has a good combat rate of fire - up to 30 rounds per minute.

The PSO-1 sight is used, which provides shooting at a range of up to 1300 meters, however, such shooting is not accurate and makes sense only as a distraction or in the presence of group targets.

When adopted into service, the rifling in the barrel was in increments of 320 mm, later the increment was reduced to 240 mm, due to which the dispersion of armor-piercing incendiary bullets decreased, but the dispersion of others increased from 8 to 10 cm when firing at a distance of 100 meters.

It is possible to use a specially designed sniper cartridge, which includes a bullet with a steel core, which increases accuracy by 2.5 times.

According to the standards, the range of a direct shot at a target 30 centimeters high is 350 meters, at a target 50 centimeters high - 430 meters, at a moving target with the speed of a running person 150 centimeters high - 640 meters.

Excellent tactical and technical characteristics allow experienced shooters to hit helicopters and airplanes flying at low speed. In 1989, a Cessna A-37B jet attack aircraft was shot down, and RQ-11 Raven reconnaissance drones are also known to be shot down.

SIDS

In 1991, the rifle underwent modernization, receiving a shortened barrel, an improved flash suppressor along with a gas outlet, a butt folding to the right and a new PSO-1M2 sight.

The modernization was caused by the need to reduce the length of the original weapon, which made it inconvenient to transport it inside military equipment.

SVDK

In 2006, a large-caliber modification 6B9 appeared, designed to destroy targets protected by body armor, inside light equipment or behind cover.

The 9.3 x 64 mm 7N33 cartridge is used, whose bullet has an energy of about 4900 J, which allows it to penetrate 1 centimeter thick armor with an 80% probability at a distance of 100 meters.

Created on the basis of the SVD, however, many components have undergone changes in order to adapt the weapon to the use of a powerful cartridge.

The barrel is partially covered with a perforated steel casing, designed to reduce the load on the forend and bipod. The stock and pistol grip are similar to those used on the SVDS, but the rubber butt plate is significantly enlarged due to the increased recoil when firing. A replaceable flame arrester is installed.

Aiming is done using the 1P70 Hyperon sight; accuracy when shooting at a distance of 300 meters is at the level of 18 centimeters.

SVU

The shortened sniper rifle appeared in the 90s and is used as a sniper weapon used in urban environments. Created on the basis of the SVD, but with a bullpup layout, which provides for the removal of the trigger in front of the magazine and firing mechanism.

There is a silencer on the barrel that reduces the sound of the shot by 10% relative to the SVD and dissipates it so that it is impossible to determine the sniper’s position, and also suppresses the muzzle flash.

It is capable of automatic fire in bursts, but this mode is used only in emergency situations due to high recoil and a low-capacity magazine.

conclusions

Despite its impressive age, the rifle remains relevant even today. The successful design makes it an ergonomic and balanced weapon, from which aimed shooting is carried out with convenience, and the rate of fire, reaching 30 rounds per minute, distinguishes it from ordinary sniper rifles.

The Diada-Arms online store sells modern air rifles with optical sights. For you - a large selection of models, manufacturer's warranty, optimal price. Contact us! The store’s specialists will select a rifle for various budgets and applications.

Pneumatics with a sight: description, features and advantages

The optics serve to visually magnify a distant target and make aiming easier. This allows you to use the high degree of precision inherent in pneumatics to one hundred percent.

There are two main types of optical sights:

Unregulated. The magnification level of such sights is not adjustable. It is designated, for example, 4x15 or 4x32. Where 4x means that objects in the viewfinder are magnified 4 times compared to the naked eye. The main advantage of such sights is that they do not need to be adjusted. The main drawback is that there is no way to enlarge objects even more if necessary. These scopes are suitable for sport shooting at medium distances, hunting small birds and rodents.
Pancratic. Such optics can magnify objects within 3-15x. They are marked as follows: for example, 3-9x32. This means that objects can be magnified in scale from 3 to 9 times, and 32 is the diameter of the lens in millimeters. Regarding the latter, the larger it is, the clearer and brighter the “picture” will be. Accordingly, the cost is higher. This type of optic is great for long-range shooting and hunting moving game of various sizes. Its main disadvantage is the need for periodic shooting and adjustment due to the high complexity of the device.

It is worth noting that when manufacturing an air rifle with optics, manufacturers pay special attention to the design of the sight. This is due to difficult operating conditions, the presence of vibrations and double recoil.

Among the main advantages of models with pre-installed optics are:

high accuracy and accuracy of fire;
no problems with choosing fasteners;
the ability to hit targets at long distances;
ease of use and much more.

Do you want to buy air guns from leading manufacturers with a reliable and high-quality optical sight? Contact a Diada-Arms consultant by phone.

April 20th, 2016

TrackingPoint presented ultra-precise small arms equipped with a computerized sight. With the M1400 rifle, even novice shooters can hit targets at distances of over a kilometer more effectively than professional snipers with weapons equipped with classic optical sights.

The new model is a .338 Lapua Magnum magazine-fed, bolt-action sniper rifle.
According to the technical description, with the M1400 the shooter can engage targets at a distance of 1,400 yards (1,280 m) moving at speeds of up to 32 km/h.

At the same time, the probability of hitting a target with the first shot is 91% - an unattainable performance for other small arms with optical sights.

A family of hunting and sniper rifles under the general name “Precision Guided Firearms” (high-precision guided weapons) is developed and sold in the United States by the private company Tracking Point. The concept of the Tracking Point weapon was based on the experience of its founder, John McHale, who repeatedly and without much success during an African hunt tried to hit a fast-moving target located at a distance quite significant for hunting, about 300 meters. As a result, in 2009, McHale developed the concept of a shooting complex designed to automate as much as possible and thereby simplify the process of preparing and firing a shot at a target located at a distance unknown to the shooter in advance and moving at a speed unknown to the shooter. To implement this idea, the rifle complex must automatically be able to determine the range to the target, atmospheric conditions (temperature, air pressure), and take into account the ballistic characteristics of the weapon and cartridge used. However, this approach, which has long been implemented in a number of computerized sighting systems, still does not in any way exclude shooter errors caused by, say, hand tremors due to fatigue or stress, or erroneous determination of corrections for target speed. Therefore, in its developments, TrackingPoint went further, using a number of ideas and technologies for automatic recognition and tracking of targets that have long been used in combat aviation.

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.

This is what the image looks like on the display of the Tracking Point rifle at the moment of firing

The computerized TrackingPoint sight mounted on the M1400 features a variable zoom with a zoom range of 3x to 21x. In addition, it is equipped with sensors that take into account the trembling of the shooter’s hands, wind direction and speed, air humidity, as well as a range finder and an electric trigger. The total length of the M1400 rifle is 114 cm, the barrel length is 56 cm. The sight is capable of calculating all ballistic corrections in 1 second, and the time from the moment of target acquisition to its destruction is 2.5 seconds. The rifle's stated accuracy is 0.047 MOA (minutes of arc). The model is compatible with ShotView wireless glasses, which transmit images from a computerized sight for hitting targets from cover.

What is a TrackingPoint Computerized Sight?

The M1400 is a precision weapon in TrackingPoint's line of military rifles designed for the US Military and other US military forces. The series also includes the M600 (the "smart" M4) and the M800 (the "smart" replacement for the M110 sniper rifle). The M600, M800 and M1400 models are also sold on the civilian arms market.

"Smart" rifles for the American army

“The M1400, combined with the M600 and M800, will provide the Army and Marine Corps with total battlefield dominance. Extreme distances are no longer the exclusive domain of skilled snipers. With a minimum level of training, any soldier can have a high probability of hitting targets at ranges that are inaccessible to skilled snipers with classic rifles,” said John McHale, CEO of TrackingPoint.

The manufacturer's stated price for the M1400 is $16,995. For this money, the buyer will receive a sniper rifle with two sets of bipods, three replaceable high-power batteries (each of them provides 3.5 hours of continuous operation), one five-round magazine and a battery charger. TrackingPoint is currently accepting orders for the new rifle, and customer deliveries will begin on September 1, 2016.

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 goes into 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 (calculated 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.

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.

Back in 2015, American cybersecurity experts found a way to intercept control of the sight of a Tracking Point homing rifle.

As you know, the Tracking Point sight allows you to mark a target using a special button and set various variables (air temperature, wind speed and cartridge weight). Then the shooter must pull the trigger and align the aiming mark with the mark made. When aligned, the reticle will turn red and the rifle will automatically fire, Wired reports.

To intercept control of the sight, experts took advantage of the fact that the rifle has a Wi-Fi module, which is designed to allow its owner to wirelessly transfer images from the sight to an iPad or iPhone.

When Wi-Fi is turned on, the network connection is protected by a standard password, which, if cracked, can give access to the rifle, and using vulnerabilities in the installed software, you can, for example, make adjustments to the variables that determine which target will be hit.

The hackers were able to find out what these variables were after they disassembled one of the two rifles they had.

Experts made a special video in which they demonstrated how accurately a rifle can be reconfigured. The reprogrammed weapon hit the bull's-eye on a target that was located next to the original target, and it was also shown how the shot could be completely canceled or the computerized sight could be permanently disabled.

It is noted that the vulnerabilities do not allow the weapon to fire spontaneously.

Photo 1.

Photo 2.

Photo 3.

Photo 4.

Photo 5.

Photo 6.

Photo 7.

Photo 8.

Photo 9.

Photo 10.

Photo 11.

sources

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 pad. 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 adoption of the 7.62x51mm cartridge as standard by NATO countries, the British state arms company British Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF), Enfield, developed an option for converting 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 butt of an original design, allowing, if absolutely necessary, to shoot with the butt 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 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 rounds. 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, specializing 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 army 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 storage 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 of the .300 Winchester Magnum caliber or the M107 caliber of the .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.

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 goes into 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.

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.