M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle

Last updated
M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle
XM2010 November 2010.jpg
Type Sniper rifle
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2011–present
Used bySee Users
Production history
Designed2010
Manufacturer Remington Arms
Produced2010–2014 [1]
No. built2,558
Specifications
Mass12.1 lb (5.5 kg) [1]
Length46.5 in (1,180 mm) [1]
Barrel  length24 in (610 mm) [1]

Cartridge .300 Winchester Magnum [1]
Action Bolt-action [1]
Effective firing range1,200 m (1,312 yd) [2]
Feed system5-round detachable box magazine [1]

The M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle (ESR), formerly known as the XM2010 and M24 Reconfigured Sniper Weapon System, is a bolt action sniper rifle developed by PEO Soldier for the United States Army. [3] It is derived from and replaced the M24 Sniper Weapon System, and was designed to give snipers longer range in the mountainous and desert terrain of the War in Afghanistan. [4] After winning a competitive bidding process, Remington was awarded the production contract for up to 3,600 weapons. The Army had anticipated sending the upgraded weapons to deployed snipers in late 2010, [5] [6] but later expected fielding would happen in January 2011. [2] The M2010 fires .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62×67mm) ammunition, which offers about 50 percent more effective range than the M24's 7.62×51mm NATO. This chambering to dimensionally larger cartridges is possible because the M24 was designed to use the "long action" bolt version of the Remington 700 receiver for cartridges up to 3.34 inches (84.84 mm) in overall length.

Contents

History

The Barrett M107 .50 BMG rifle can hit targets past 2,000 m (2,187 yd), but it is accurate to 2.5 MOA, meaning it would hit within a 25 in (640 mm) area at 1,000 m (1,094 yd). This was acceptable for shooting at materiel but not people. The XM2010 addressed the problem with a .300 Winchester Magnum round that can hit targets out to 1,200 m (1,312 yd) with a 1 MOA accuracy, half again farther than the M24's 800 m (875 yd).

On 20 September 2010, the Army gave Remington a $28 million contract to rebuild 3,600 M24 rifles. By January, 250 had been ordered to be changed.

The U.S. Army issued three XM2010s to snipers at the United States Army Sniper School on 18 January 2011 [7] and began using the rifle in combat in Afghanistan in March 2011. [4] [8] Snipers in the field learned how to use and maintain the new rifle during a three-day course. After the course, snipers had no difficulty hitting targets out to 1,000 meters from "ridgetop to ridgetop". In addition to the more powerful cartridge, the new optic improves the rifle's ability to sight a target quickly without calculations of range estimation.

All 250 XM2010 rifles were to be fielded in eight Brigade Combat Teams by mid-May 2011. [9] Based on the results and feedback from troops, the U.S. Army decided in May 2011 to replace its entire fleet of M24s, ordering a total of 2,558 M2010 rifles. [10] [11] By September 2012, the Army had fielded more than 1,400 systems as part of an urgent material release. The M2010 achieved Type Classification-Standard in July 2013 and Full Materiel Release in September 2013, supporting procurement for the balance of the Army requirement. On 25 April 2014, the 2,558th M2010 rifle was completed. [8] [12] [13]

Precision guided firearm testing

In January 2014, the Army bought six "smart scopes" made by TrackingPoint for testing on the M2010 sniper rifle. Costing between $22,000 and $27,000, the computerized scope marks a selected target, gathers and compensates for external factors, and uses a special trigger that does not pull until the system is sure the bullet will land where intended. It can help a bolt-action rifle to hit targets out to 1,250 yd (1,143 m). It is intended to help non-snipers take shots at longer ranges, not replace sniping skills. [14]

Replacement plans

The U.S. Army plans to field the Barrett Mk22 MRAD (Multi-Role Adaptive Design) in 2021 to eventually replace the M2010. This bolt-action weapon can be user field converted to fire 7.62×51mm NATO, .300 Norma Magnum and .338 Norma Magnum. With the Norma Magnum chambering options, the Mk22 can shoot out to 1,500 m (1,640 yd), 300 m (328 yd) further than the M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle. [15]

Design details

AN/PVS-30 Clip-on Sniper Night Sight. PEO AN PVS-30 Night Sight.jpg
AN/PVS-30 Clip-on Sniper Night Sight.

The M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle differs from 7.62×51mm NATO chambered M24 Sniper Weapon System in that M2010 sniper weapons are: [16] [8]

According to Remington Arms each rifle is tested to meet (and typically exceeds) the requirement to fire ≤ 1 moa/0.3 mil (less than a 2-inch shot group at 200 yards (180 m)) before being released for fielding. [22]

Ammunition

U.S. Army project manager for new weapons Colonel Douglas Tamilio with XM2010 in 2010 XM2010 Douglas Tamilio.jpg
U.S. Army project manager for new weapons Colonel Douglas Tamilio with XM2010 in 2010

In 2009, the U.S. government purchased MK 248 MOD 1 .300 Winchester Magnum match-grade ammunition for use in .300 Winchester Magnum sniper rifles like the U.S. Navy Mk13 SWS or reconfigured M24 SWSs. This ammunition was developed as a .300 Winchester Magnum Match Product Improvement (PIP) and uses the 14.26 g (220 gr) Sierra MatchKing Hollow Point Boat Tail (HPBT) very-low-drag bullet fired at a nominal muzzle velocity of 869 m/s (2,850 ft/s) ± 15.2 m/s (50 ft/s). According to the U.S. Navy, this ammunition should increase the maximum effective range of .300 Winchester Magnum sniper rifle systems to 1,370 m (1,500 yd), decrease wind deflection on bullets in flight, and use a reduced muzzle flash propellant that remains temperature stable across an operational temperature range of −32 to 74 °C (−26 to 165 °F). [23] [24] [25] According to JBM Ballistics, [26] using the 0.310 G7 ballistic coefficient provided by Bryan Litz, and a Weapon Employment Zone (WEZ) analysis of the XM2010 rifle with various .300 Winchester Magnum ammunition types by Bryan Litz, the MK 248 MOD 1 .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge, when fired at its nominal muzzle velocity of 869 m/s (2,850 ft/s), should have 1,286 to 1,289 m (1,406 to 1,410 yd) supersonic range under International Standard Atmosphere conditions at sea level (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3). [27] [28]

In January 2014, the U.S. Department of Defense annual testing report found that the older A191 or MK 248 Mod 0 .300 Winchester Magnum service round loaded with aerodynamically less efficient 190 gr (12.32 g) Sierra MatchKing Hollow Point Boat Tail (HPBT) bullets (0.270 G7 ballistic coefficient provided by Bryan Litz) fired from the XM2010 demonstrated adequate performance and lethality. Live fire tests were conducted in March 2013 against ballistics gelatin, light material barriers, and other targets to determine the projectile's ability to perforate targets. This was the first time the Pentagon's Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) tested the round, which can hit targets out to 1,200 m (1,312 yd). [29] [28]

Civilian use

In March 2015, Remington Defense announced that they will start offering some of their products for sale on the civilian market. One of those products is the M2010 sniper rifle. [30]

Users

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Table of handgun and rifle cartridges</span> Small arms cartridge data

This is a table of selected pistol/submachine gun and rifle/machine gun cartridges by common name. Data values are the highest found for the cartridge, and might not occur in the same load.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sniper rifle</span> Type of rifle used for long-range engagements against enemy personnel

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M24 sniper weapon system</span> Bolt action sniper rifle

The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) or M24 is the military and police version of the Remington Model 700 rifle, M24 being the model name assigned by the United States Army after adoption as their standard sniper rifle in 1988. The M24 is referred to as a "weapon system" because it consists of not only a rifle, but also a detachable telescopic sight and other accessories.

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

The .338 Lapua Magnum is a Finnish rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. Due to its use in the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, the cartridge has become widely available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accuracy International AWM</span> Sniper rifle

The Accuracy International AWM is a bolt-action sniper rifle manufactured by Accuracy International designed for magnum rifle cartridges. The Accuracy International AWM is also unofficially known as the AWSM, which typically denotes AWM rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum.

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 M40 rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle used by the United States Marine Corps. It has had four variants: the M40, M40A1, M40A3, and M40A5. The M40 was introduced in 1966. The changeover to the A1 model was completed in the 1970s, the A3 in the 2000s, and the A5 in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">.44 Magnum</span> Revolver cartridge designed by Elmer Keith and Smith & Wesson (S&W)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">.308 Winchester</span> Rimless, centerfire, bottlenecked rifle cartridge

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">.257 Weatherby Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">.300 Winchester Magnum</span> Rifle cartridge

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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.

References

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  22. XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle / M2010 ESR (USA)
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  25. $49.9M US Contract for 300 Winchester Magnum Ammo.
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