Page 423 - (DK) Smithsinian - Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare

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Gas cylinder
Magnification
selector, 2.5–10x
Bipod in
folded position SNIPER RIFLES

▶ WALTHER WA2000 Developed primarily for
Date 1978 police use, the WA2000
employed a “bullpup”
Origin Germany
configuration and a
1
Weight 15 ⁄4lb (6.95kg) semiautomatic action fed by
Barrel 25 ⁄2in (65cm) a six-round magazine. High
1
manufacturing costs ended
Caliber .300 Win Mag/7.62mm
its production in 1988. Wooden fore end
◀ L96A1 The British Army’s L96A1
Date 1984 sniper rifle was the first to
be developed specifically for
Origin UK
sniping, and it became the
1
Weight 14 ⁄4lb (6.5kg) forerunner of a whole series
Fully floating Barrel 25 ⁄4in (65.5cm) of sniper rifles produced in
3
stainless-steel barrel a variety of calibers.
Bipod in Caliber 7.62 × 51mm
Ten-round removable
box magazine folded position
Polymer
fore stock
▶ HECKLER & KOCH PSG-1 Intended as a sniper rifle for the
Date 1985 German police, the Heckler & Koch
PSG-1 employed a semiautomatic Five-round detachable
Origin Germany
action and was fitted with a heavy box magazine
Weight 17 ⁄4lb (8.1kg) free-floating barrel, an adjustable
3
Objective lens 1 butt stock, and a six-power
Barrel 25 ⁄2in (65cm)
telescopic sight.
Caliber 7.62 × 51mm

▲ BARRETT MODEL 90
Heavy steel barrel
Date 1995
▼ HECATE II SNIPER RIFLE As with other Western heavy Origin US
Date 1993 sniper rifles, the Hecate II fires 1
the .50 BMG (12.7 × 99mm Weight 23 ⁄2lb (10.7kg)
Origin France
NATO) round, and is based Barrel 29in (73.7cm)
1
Weight 30 ⁄2lb (13.8kg) around PGM’s metallic skeleton Caliber .50 BMG
Bipod (folded) Barrel 27 ⁄2in (70cm) system, complete with a
1
high-efficiency muzzle brake. Ronnie Barrett pioneered the anti-
Caliber .50 BMG
materiel (AM) rifle in the early
1980s. This model, noteworthy for
its compact “bullpup” design, is an
effective sniping weapon for ranges
in excess of 5,900ft (1,800m).
▼ C14 TIMBERWOLF Following recent trends in
SNIPER RIFLE antipersonnel sniper-rifle design,
Date 2005 the Timberwolf has been chambered
for the powerful .338in Lapua
Origin Canada Magnum round, which extends
Weight 15lb (6.8kg) a rifle’s effective range to over
Barrel 26in (66cm) 3,940ft (1,200m).
1913
Picatinny rail Caliber .338in Lapua Magnum
optical mount

Weight-reducing
helically fluted barrel
Five-round
detachable magazine