An article about a new sniper rifle used in our effort against the bad guys in afghanistan. the gun guys on martialtalk may already,probably, already know about it. It was new to me as I surfed around. Here is the article:
http://bigpeace.com/nmachiavelli/2011/04/25/new-sniper-rifles-winning-fans-in-afghanistan/
From the article:
While the XM2010 is technically an upgraded M24 sniper rifle, the upgrades are so significant that the weapon warranted a new designator. Notably, the XM2010 transitioned from the 7.62mm NATO caliber (.308 Winchester) to a .300 Winchester Magnum. This increased a sniper’s effective range from 800 to 1,200 meters.
Improvements to lethality and standoff distance were in response to feedback from Afghanistan, where snipers needed long-range capabilities. The .50-caliber M107 has a range beyond 2,000 meters, but its 2.5 minutes of angle means the round will impact anywhere within a 25-inch area at 1,000 meters. That is acceptable for a material target, but the average human torso is 22 inches.
Snipers wanted a weapon with the accuracy of the M24, which has one minute of angle, but with greater range. The XM2010 was the Army’s answer.
http://bigpeace.com/nmachiavelli/2011/04/25/new-sniper-rifles-winning-fans-in-afghanistan/
From the article:
While the XM2010 is technically an upgraded M24 sniper rifle, the upgrades are so significant that the weapon warranted a new designator. Notably, the XM2010 transitioned from the 7.62mm NATO caliber (.308 Winchester) to a .300 Winchester Magnum. This increased a sniper’s effective range from 800 to 1,200 meters.
Improvements to lethality and standoff distance were in response to feedback from Afghanistan, where snipers needed long-range capabilities. The .50-caliber M107 has a range beyond 2,000 meters, but its 2.5 minutes of angle means the round will impact anywhere within a 25-inch area at 1,000 meters. That is acceptable for a material target, but the average human torso is 22 inches.
Snipers wanted a weapon with the accuracy of the M24, which has one minute of angle, but with greater range. The XM2010 was the Army’s answer.
