Accuracy International Arctic Warfare .50 | |
---|---|
Type | Anti-materiel rifle |
Place of origin | United Kingdom |
Service history | |
In service | 2000-present |
Used by | See Users |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Accuracy International |
Specifications | |
Mass | 15 kg w/ bipod (33 lbs) |
Length | 1,420 mm, [1] 1,170 mm (folded) [1] |
Barrel length | 686 mm (27 inches) [1] |
Cartridge | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) [1] |
Action | Bolt-action |
Effective firing range | 1,500 m [2] |
Feed system | Box magazine, 5 rounds |
Sights | Mil spec Mk II in 6x, 10x and standard iron sights [1] |
The AW50 is a .50 BMG anti-materiel rifle designed by Accuracy International. It is a re-engineered version of the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare L96 sniper rifle (the standard issue sniper rifle in the British forces).
The AW50 is intended to engage a variety of targets, including radar installations, light vehicles (including light armoured vehicles), field fortifications, boats and ammunition dumps. The Picatinny rail can hold a variety of equipment; the normal sight for the AW50 is the Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50 PM II with Al Mil Dot reticle, 0.2 mrad clicks and elevation to 1500 m and laser protection. Night vision device sights such as the Simrad KN series or Hensoldt NSV 80 can also be fitted.
The AW50F is a folding stock variant of the AW50, which fires the multi-purpose Raufoss Mk 211 cartridge and other rounds. It has a fully adjustable bipod and buttstock heel rest. Four sling loops allow shoulder and hand carrying of the rifle. [3] Weighing 15 kilograms (33 pounds), the AW50F rifle is approximately four times the weight of a typical assault rifle. The Raufoss Mk 211 (NM140 MP) .50 calibre ammunition is also heavy. The weight of the weapon, combined with a muzzle brake on the front end and a hydraulic buffer system in the butt, gives the AW50F a relatively low recoil and enhances accuracy. Most of the rifles are made in the United Kingdom. The barrels are sourced from three different manufacturers: Lothar Walther, Border and Maddco.
The .50 BMG, also known as 12.7×99mm NATO, and designated as the 50 Browning by the C.I.P., is a .50 in (12.7 mm) caliber cartridge developed for the M2 Browning heavy machine gun in the late 1910s, entering official service in 1921. Under STANAG 4383, it is a standard service cartridge for NATO forces, as well as many non-NATO countries. The cartridge itself has been made in many variants: multiple generations of regular ball, tracer, armor-piercing (AP), incendiary, and saboted sub-caliber rounds. The rounds intended for machine guns are made into a continuous ammunition belt using metallic links.
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A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long-range rifle. Requirements include high accuracy, reliability, and mobility, concealment, and optics, for anti-personnel, anti-materiel and surveillance uses by military snipers. The modern sniper rifle is a portable shoulder-fired rifle with either a bolt action or semi-automatic action, fitted with a telescopic sight for extreme accuracy and chambered for a high-ballistic performance centerfire cartridge.
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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 features that improve performance in extremely cold conditions without impairing operation in less extreme conditions.
The United States Navy Mk 12 MOD 0/1/H Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) is a designated marksman rifle that was in service with United States Special Operations Forces in the designated marksman role until 2017, also designed to be shorter than standard weapons. SPR initially stood for Special Purpose Receiver as it referred to an add-on upper receiver assembly, but that nomenclature changed to Special Purpose Rifle as the weapon became a stand-alone weapons system.
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The Raufoss Mk 211 is a .50 BMG multi-purpose anti-materiel high-explosive incendiary/armor-piercing ammunition projectile produced by Nammo under the model name NM140 MP. It is commonly referred to as multipurpose or Raufoss, meaning red waterfall in Norwegian. This refers to Nammo's precursor company Raufoss Ammunisjonsfabrikker, an ammunition manufacturer established 1896 in Raufoss, Norway. The "Mk 211" name comes from the nomenclature Mk 211 Mod 0 used by the U.S. military for this round.
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