Accuracy International

Last updated

Accuracy International Limited
Company type Limited company
Founded1978
Founder Malcolm Cooper, Sarah Cooper, Martin Kay, Dave Walls, David Caig
Headquarters Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Products Anti-materiel rifles, sniper rifles
OwnerDave Walls, Tom Irwin, Paul Bagshaw
Number of employees
92 (2022) [1]
Website www.accuracyinternational.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Accuracy International Limited is a British firearms manufacturer based in Portsmouth, England. The company specializes in sniper rifles and anti-materiel rifles.

Contents

The company was founded in 1978 by a group of individuals including British Olympic shooting gold medalist Malcolm Cooper, Sarah Cooper, and Martin Kay, along with the firearms designers Dave Walls and David Caig.

Accuracy International's sniper rifles have found utility in a multitude of military units and police departments across the globe. [2]

Following a period of financial hardship, Accuracy International faced liquidation in 2005. [3] Nevertheless, a British consortium, helmed by the initial design duo of Dave Walls and David Caig, intervened to ensure the company's continuity.

Management

As of 2014, the company is managed by two directors and owners, Tom Irwin and Dave Walls.

Production

Accuracy International introduced their new AS50 .50 BMG caliber semi-automatic rifle at the 2005 SHOT Show in Las Vegas and their new AX Series at the 2010 Shot Show in Las Vegas.

The UK government announced in March 2008 the award of a £11 million contract to produce rifles for the British Army. [4]

Distribution

Accuracy International's distribution in the United States is managed by the American division of AI, Accuracy International USA. There are only two official distributors of Accuracy International in the United States: Eurooptic and Mile High Shooting.

Similarly in the United Kingdom, there are only two official distributors of Accuracy International products: Sporting Services Ltd and Sportsman Gun Centre.

Magazine types

Different Accuracy International rifle models come with a variety of proprietary magazines. [5]

ModelCaliberStacking and feeding
AICS (short action) .223
.308
Double stack, single feed
AICS (long action) .300 Win Mag Single stack, single feed
.338 Lapua Mag Single stack, single feed
AX AICS .308 Double stack, single feed
.300 Win Mag Single stack, single feed
.338 Lapua Mag Single stack, single feed
AE MkI (pre 2009) .308 Single stack, single feed
AE MkII/ MkIII .308 Double stack, single feed
AX rifle .308 Double stack, staggered feed
.300 Win Mag Double stack, staggered feed
.338 Lapua Mag Double stack, staggered feed
AW rifle .308 Double stack, staggered feed
.300 Win Mag Single stack, single feed
.338 Lapua Mag Single stack, single feed
AW50, AX50 .50 BMG Single stack, single feed

AICS-style magazine

The "AICS-style" short action box magazine was originally manufactured for the Accuracy International Chassis System but can now be found on several production rifles, such as the SIG Sauer CROSS, [6] the Ruger Gunsite Scout, [7] Ruger Precision Rifle, [8] some Ruger American Rifle models, and some new production models by Remington (Model 700 PCR, [9] 700 Tactical Chassis, [10] 700 Magpul, [11] and 700 Magpul Enhanced [12] ). AICS-style magazines can also be found on many custom rifles, and aftermarket conversion kits (known as "bottom metals") are available for several different rifle models and are made by several different manufacturers. [13] [14] Many conversion kits require fitting ("inletting") by a gunsmith.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

The scout rifle is a conceptual class of general-purpose rifles defined and promoted by Jeff Cooper in the early 1980s that bears similarities in the design and functionality of guide guns, mountain rifles, and other rifle archetypes, but with more emphasis being placed on comfortable portability and practical accuracy, rather than firepower and long range shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolt action</span> Type of firearm mechanism

Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by directly manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the firearm.

Several sister companies that design and manufacture firearms use the brand name SIG Sauer. The original company, Schweizerische Waggonfabrik (SWF), later Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (SIG), went through several selloffs, leaving the SIG Sauer brand spread over several companies. The original SIG is now known as SIG Combibloc Group and no longer has any firearms business.

The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International. It has proved popular as a civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in the 1980s. The rifles have some features that improve performance in very cold conditions without impairing operation in less extreme conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remington Model 700</span> Bolt action rifle

The Remington Model 700 is a series of bolt-action centerfire rifles manufactured by Remington Arms since 1962. It is a development of the Remington 721 and 722 series of rifles, which were introduced in 1948. The M24 and M40 military sniper rifles, used by the US Army and Marine Corps, respectively, are both based on the Model 700 design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6.8mm Remington SPC</span> Intermediate rifle cartridge

The 6.8mm Remington Special Purpose Cartridge is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate rifle cartridge that was developed by Remington Arms in collaboration with members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and United States Special Operations Command to possibly replace the 5.56 NATO cartridge in short barreled rifles (SBR) and carbines. Based on the .30 Remington cartridge, it is midway between the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO in bore diameter. It uses the same diameter bullet as the .270 Winchester hunting cartridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STANAG magazine</span> 5.56x45mm NATO firearm magazine standard

A STANAG magazine or NATO magazine is a type of detachable firearm magazine proposed by NATO in October 1980. Shortly after NATO's acceptance of the 5.56×45mm NATO rifle cartridge, Draft Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4179 was proposed in order to allow NATO members to easily share rifle ammunition and magazines down to the individual soldier level. The U.S. M16 rifle's magazine proportions were proposed for standardization. Many NATO members, but not all, subsequently developed or purchased rifles with the ability to accept this type of magazine. However, the standard was never ratified and remains a "Draft STANAG".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.338 Norma Magnum</span> Rimless rifle cartridge

The .338 Norma Magnum is a cartridge first introduced in 2008 and came into production in 2009, designed by Norma of Sweden.

Magpul Industries Corporation is an American designer and manufacturer of high-tech polymer and composite firearms accessories like M-LOK. Magpul Industries takes its name from its first product, the MagPul, an accessory for the STANAG magazines used by NATO armed forces, which aids users in pulling magazines from pouches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adaptive Combat Rifle</span> Assault rifle (Remington ACR)

The Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) is a modular assault rifle designed by Magpul Industries of Austin, Texas, and known initially as the Masada.

The Howa 1500 or Howa M1500 is a bolt-action rifle produced in Japan by Howa Machinery. Introduced in 1979, it has been used by hunters as a hunting rifle with various cartridge offerings. It is also utilized by military and law enforcement elements as a sniper rifle. It is sold under the name of Howa Model 1500 Rifle for overseas markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lock time</span>

Lock time or action time refers to the time interval from when the trigger of a firearm is activated until the firing pin strikes the primer, and depends on the design of the firing mechanism. A long lock time increases the probability of the shooter pulling the sights away from the target before the bullet has left the barrel, a common shooter error which can lead to poor hits or even misses. Shooters can therefore tend to experience better precision using firearms with a shorter lock time, and short lock times are especially sought after for shooting competitions which require high precision on small targets from unstable positions, such as the standing offhand position.

The Remington Semi Automatic Sniper System (RSASS) is a semi-automatic precision rifle manufactured by Remington Arms.

In firearms, barrel threads refer to the screw threads used to attach a barrel.

SIG Sauer 205 is a bolt-action rifle formerly produced by SIG Sauer. The rifle was produced in several variants for competition shooting and law enforcement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mk 13 rifle</span> Sniper rifle

The MK 13 rifle is made using the Accuracy International Chassis System (AICS) version 2.0 mated to a long action Remington 700 receiver. The AICS 2.0 folding stock reduces the rifle's overall length by 210 mm (8.3 in) when folded and adds 0.2 kg (0.44 lb) to the rifle's total weight. The rifle has a cheekpiece design that adjusts sideways and for height for optimal cheek position when using night vision equipment or telescopic sights with large objective lenses. There is also a quick-adjust cheek-piece option that has a spring-loaded cheek-piece in conjunction with a quick-adjust butt plate. The side panels are made from a high-strength polymer and are available in the colors olive drab, dark earth or black. Sling attachment points are mounted on each side of the rifle, so it can be carried flat against the back and used comfortably by left- and right-handed users. A front attachment point is situated below the fore-end and can be used to anchor a target-style sling or replaced by an adapter for a Harris bipod.

An SR-25, AR-10 or LR-308 pattern magazine is a type of detachable firearm magazine based on the original Armalite AR-10 "waffle" magazine design introduced in the late 1950s, used for .308 Winchester and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bottom metal</span>

A bottom metal is a firearm component typically made of metallic material, that serves as the floor of the action and also helps to clamp the receiver onto the stock. The bottom metal also frequently incorporates the trigger guard, for instance on the Mauser 98 and M1 Garand, although a trigger guard by itself is not considered a bottom metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scope mount</span> Part for mounting a scope sight to a firearm

Scope mounts are rigid implements used to attach (typically) a telescopic sight or other types of optical sights onto a firearm. The mount can be made integral to the scope body or, more commonly, an external fitting that clamp onto the scope tube via screw-tightened rings. The scope and mount are then fastened onto compatible interfaces on the weapon. Words such as mounts and bases are used somewhat loosely, and can refer to several different parts which are either used together or in place of each other as ways to mount optical sights to firearms.

Cadex Defence is a Canadian firearms manufacturer based in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. It produces high-end bolt action rifles, precision sniper rifles, rifle chassis and defence accessories.

References

  1. "ACCURACY INTERNATIONAL LIMITED Director's report and consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 DECEMBER 2022". Companies House . Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  2. D'Costa, Ian (6 February 2019). "This multi-caliber rifle from Accuracy International could be a game-changer for snipers worldwide". Military Times. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  3. "The company behind the rifle used by the world's deadliest sniper". The Telegraph. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  4. Meade, Geoff (7 March 2008). "British Rifle Can Hit Target A Mile Away". Sky News. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  5. Accuracy International Magazines and compability - Vertebrae helpdesk
  6. The Sig CROSS: Has Sig Sauer Built the World's Best Bolt-Action Rifle? | The National Interest
  7. Top 10 Detachable Box Magazine Platforms
  8. New Ruger AI Style Magazines For Precision Rifle And Gunsite Scout - The Firearm BlogThe Firearm Blog
  9. Testing Remington's New Affordable Chassis Rifle - The R700 PCR - GunsAmerica Digest "the PCR uses the AICS mag footprint and there are lots of aftermarket mag options."
  10. Shooting Illustrated | Remington Model 700 Tactical Chassis "a single-column/single-position five-shot Accuracy International magazine is retained by an ambidextrous catch"
  11. Remington Model 700 MAGPUL review – rifleshooter.com "This is the first [Remington] production model M700 to use an AICS magazine"
  12. Remington's new Precision Chassis Rifle - The Model 700 PCR - The Firearm BlogThe Firearm Blog
  13. Add a detachable magazine to your Remington 700 by installing Surgeon bottom metal – rifleshooter.com
  14. Bottom Metals – Accurate-Mag