Sniper Rifle

Sniper rifle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The 7.62x51mm M40, United States Marine Corps standard-issue sniper rifle.
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare series of sniper rifles is standard issue in the armies of many countries, including those of Britain and Germany (picture shows a rifle of the German Army).
"Alex" - the new 7.62x51mm Polish bolt-action sniper rifle.

In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a rifle used to ensure accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military centerfire cartridge. The term is often used in the media to describe any type of accurized firearm fitted with a telescopic sight that is employed against human targets.

The military role of sniper (a term derived from the snipe, a bird which was difficult to hunt and shoot) dates back to the turn of the 18th century, but the sniper rifle itself is a much more recent development. Advances in technology, specifically that of telescopic sights and more accurate manufacturing, allowed armies to equip specially-trained soldiers with rifles that would enable them to deliver precise shots over greater distances than regular infantry weapons. The rifle itself could be a standard rifle (at first, a bolt-action rifle); however, when fitted with a telescopic sight, it would become a sniper rifle.

History

During World War II, the (7.62x54mmR) Mosin-Nagant rifle mounted with a telescopic sight was commonly used as a sniper rifle by Russian snipers.

In the American Civil War, Confederate troops equipped with barrel-length three power scopes mounted on the then-premium British Whitworth rifle had been known to kill Union officers at ranges bordering 800 yards, an unheard-of distance at that time.[1][2][3][4]

The earliest sniper rifles were little more than conventional military or target rifles with long-range "peep sights" and Galilean 'open telescope' front and rearsights, designed for use on the target range. Only from the beginning of World War I did specially adapted sniper rifles come to the fore. Germany deployed military calibre hunting rifles with telescopic sights which was countered by the British with Aldis, Winchester and Periscopic Prism Co. sights fitted by gunsmiths, to regulation SMLE Mk III and Mk III* rifles. Australia's No.1 Mk III* (HT) rifle was another later conversion of the SMLE fitted with the Lithgow heavy target barrel at the end of WW2.

Typical World War II-era sniper rifles were generally standard issue battle rifles, hand-picked for accuracy, with a 2.5x or 3x telescopic sight and cheek-rest fitted, with the bolt turned down if necessary to allow operation with the scope affixed. By the end of the war, forces on all sides had specially trained soldiers equipped with sniper rifles, and they have played an increasingly important role in military operations ever since.