Page 26 - History of War - Issue 01-14

TOOLS TRADE

SNIPER RIFLES Date 1963 The SVD came to be used as a sharp-
DRAGUNOV SVD

shooter, platoon-support weapon
Origin Soviet Union
Weight 4.3kg (9.5lb)
Its four-power, PSO-1 telescopic
Barrel 61cm (24in) by Warsaw Pact armies in the 1960s.
pow
erfully
sight has limited infrared capability.
7.62 × 54R
Delivering death from a distance, these powerfully Calibre 7.62 × 54R sight has limited infr ared capability .
Calibre
these
Delivering death from a distance,

accurate firearms have been used by everyone
have been used by everyone
from the German police to US Marines in Vietnam
from the German police to US Marines in Vietnam
ilitary sniper rifl es traditionally derived from
two sources: fi rst, the improved military rifl e,
fi tted with a telescopic sight and fi ring match-
grade ammunition; and secondly, the hunting
M rifl e, which, although accurate, was often too Ten-round
detachable
fl imsy for fi eld conditions. In the late 1960s, designers box magazine
began making rifl es specifi cally for sniping. The M40 and
the SSG 69 led the way, and were followed by superbly
accurate guns such as the L96A1. Recent additions Cheek pad
include the 50-calibre heavy sniper rifl e, and the .300
Winchester and .338 Lapua Magnum rounds, which
are increasingly replacing the 7.62mm NATO cartridge.
Ten-round removable
Ten-round removable
box magazine
box magazine
Free-fl oating
heavy barrel
Bolt
Wooden stock
Elevation
adjustment
M40 SNIPER RIFLE
Date 1966 A military version of the Remington 700
Origin US sporting rifle, the M40 was first used by

Weight 3.1kg (6.75lb) the US Marine Corps in the Vietnam War.
Barrel 61cm (24in) Subsequent models were equipped with a
Calibre 7.62 × 51mm fibreglass stock and a Unertl ten-power scope.

This feature is an edited extract from The Military History Book, published in the UK by Dorling Kindersley

This feature is an edited extract from The Military History Book
Ten-power
telescopic sight
Five-round removable
box magazine
Six-power Kahles ZF69
telescopic sight
Synthetic stock

Bolt handle
STEYR SSG 69
STEYR SSG 69
Date 1969 Developed for the Austrian ar my , the
Developed for the Austrian army, the
Date 1969
Origin Austria
SSG also proved popular with police
Port for spool Origin Austria SSG also proved popular with police
magazine W W W eight 3.9kg (8.5lb) org anisations. The SSG 69 w as unusual
eight
3.9kg (8.5lb)
eight
organisations. The SSG 69 was unusual
Weight 3.9kg (8.5lb)
in its use of a five-round, rotating spool
Barrel 65cm (25.5in)
Bar rel 65cm (25.5in) in its use of a fi ve-round, rotating spool
Calibre 7.62 × 51mm magazine housed within the rifle body.
Calibre 7.62 × 51mm
e body.

magazine housed within the rifl
26 HISTORY WAR
of
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