The M14 rifle, officially the United States Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14, is an American select fire battle rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It became the standard-issue rifle for the U.S. military in 1957, replacing the M1 Garand rifle in service with the U.S. Army by 1958 and the U.S. Marine Corps by 1965. The M14 was used by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps for Basic and Advanced Individual Training from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s.
The M21 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) in the US Army is a national match grade M14 rifle, selected for accuracy, and renamed the M21 rifle. The M21 uses a commercially procured 3–9× variable power telescopic sight, modified for use with the sniper rifle. It is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge.
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.
A designated marksman (DM), squad advanced marksman (AD) or squad designated marksman (SDM) is a military marksman role in an infantry squad. The term sniper was used in Soviet doctrine although the soldiers using the Dragunov SVD were the first to use a specifically designed designated marksman rifle. The analogous role in the Israel Defense Forces is sharpshooter.
The Springfield Armory M1A is a semi-automatic rifle made by Springfield Armory, Inc., beginning in 1971, based on the M14 rifle, for the civilian and law enforcement markets in the United States. "M1A" is a proprietary name for Springfield Armory's M14-pattern rifle. Early M1A rifles were built with surplus G.I. parts until Springfield Armory, Inc. began manufacturing their own. Robert Reese bought Springfield Armory from Elmer Ballance, and moved the manufacturing to Geneseo Ill in 1974.
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting. In modern military usage this typically refers to the use of projectile weapons such as an accurized scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle to shoot at high-value targets at longer-than-usual ranges.
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.
The SEAL Recon Rifle is an American designated marksman rifle and assault rifle used by the United States Navy SEALs. Essentially a heavily modified M16 rifle, it is intended to provide SEAL snipers and designated marksmen with a versatile, accurate, lightweight, and relatively compact weapon chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO.
The Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle (SAM-R) is a semi-automatic designated marksman rifle developed and used by the United States Marine Corps. It gave users the capability to provide fire in support of a rifle squad, providing precision fire in support of an assault, and aid in observation and adjusting of supporting arms.
The United States Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle is a semi-automatic, gas-operated rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It is a modified version of the M14 rifle formerly used by the United States Marine Corps. The USMC Precision Weapons Section at Marine Corps Base Quantico built all DMRs.
The Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R) is an American designated marksman rifle used by the United States Army. It is essentially a heavily modified M16 rifle designed to provide U.S. Army designated marksmen greater accuracy and firepower at longer ranges, increasing an infantry squad's effective range to up to 600 meters.
The Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR) is an American military selective fire battle rifle, and a designated marksman rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It is a variant of the M14 battle rifle and was originally built for use with units of United States Special Operations Command, such as the United States Navy SEALs, Delta Force, and task specific Green Berets ODA teams/units.
A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern scoped high-precision rifle used by infantry in the designated marksman (DM) role. It generally fills the engagement range gap between a service rifle and a dedicated sniper rifle, at around 300–600 metres (330–660 yd).
The SR-25 is a designated marksman rifle and semi-automatic sniper rifle designed by Eugene Stoner and manufactured by Knight's Armament Company.
The Heckler & Koch HK417 is a battle rifle designed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch.
The Marine Scout Sniper Rifle (MSSR) is a Philippine semi-automatic designated marksman rifle developed by the Philippine Marine Corps for their Marine Scout Snipers. Designed in the mid-1990s to replace severely-outdated battle rifles then used as marksman rifles, the MSSR is essentially an M16A1 that has been heavily modified and accurized to serve as a marksman rifle.
The M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle is a semi-automatic, gas-operated designated marksman rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It is a modified and accurized version of the M14 rifle used by the United States military, in a similar vein to the Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle. It is based on the United States Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR), which it replaced. It is manufactured by Sage International and maintained by the USMC's Precision Weapons Section.
