Steyr HS .50 / HS .460

Last updated

Steyr HS .50
Steyr HS .50-right side-scope.jpg
Steyr HS .50
Type Anti-materiel rifle
Place of originAustria
Service history
Used bySee Users
Wars Iraq War
Syrian Civil War [1]
War in Iraq (2013-2017) [2]
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) [3] Russo–Ukrainian War (2014–present)
Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
Production history
Manufacturer Steyr Mannlicher
Produced2004
VariantsHS .460
HS .50 M1
Specifications (HS .50)
Mass12.4 kg (28.5 lbs)
Length1,370 mm (54 inches)
Barrel  length833 mm (33 inches)
Cartridge
Caliber .50 BMG
Action Bolt action
Effective firing range1500–2500 m
Feed system
  • Single shot (HS .50, HS .460)
  • 5 round detachable box magazine (HS .50 M1)

The Steyr HS .50 and the Steyr HS .460 are single-shot anti-materiel rifles manufactured by Steyr Mannlicher and chambered in .50 BMG and .460 Steyr, respectively. Unlicensed variants of the HS. 50 include the AM-50 Sayyad produced by Iran, the Golan S-01 produced by Syria and the Ghoul produced by the Al Qassam Brigades.

Contents

Design and features

The Steyr HS .50 is a single-shot bolt-action rifle. It has no built-in magazine, and each round has to be loaded directly into the ejection port and is pushed into the chamber by the bolt. The fluted barrel is cold hammer-forged and has an effective range of up to 1,500 m. It has an adjustable bipod, a muzzle brake that reduces recoil significantly, and a Picatinny rail for the installation of various optics.

The original Steyr HS-50 was designed by Heinrich Fortmeier, on behalf of Steyr Arms.

Variants

HS .460

The HS .460 is chambered for the .460 Steyr round, developed for markets where ownership of the .50 BMG by private citizens is banned, but .46 rounds are not, such as California.

HS-50

The "HS-50" is a single shot bolt action .50 BMG rifle, with 2 barrel length options (29" / 33"), The rifle comes standard with a 0 MOA picatinny rail

HS-50 M1

The HS .50 M1 is an evolution of the HS .50. It is magazine-fed from a five-round magazine feeding horizontally left from the receiver, has a longer top Picatinny rail and more Picatinny rails on the side, an adjustable cheekpiece, a newly designed fixable bipod, and a monopod at the buttstock.

AM-50 Sayyad

Iran produces an unlicensed version under the name AM-50 Sayyad. [4] The AM-50 has been in production since 2008 and has been widely exported. [5] Because of its wide exports, AM-50 rifles have also been supplied to or captured by groups opposed to Iran, such as Syrian rebels. [3] The AM-50 reportedly has much worse fit and finish than the Steyr HS .50. [5]

On December 21, 2023, Hamas showed video footage of a Hamas fighter manufacturing AM-50s. [6]

Golan S-01

In June 2018, media organizations affiliated with the Syrian government [7] reported that Syria had begun producing an unlicensed variant of the rifle, dubbed the Golan S-01, in reference to the Golan Heights. Its first prototype was issued in 2015. Unlike the original HS .50, the Golan S-01 fires the Soviet 12.7×108mm anti-materiel rifle cartridge. [8] It is slightly heavier than the HS.50, weighing in at 13.5 kg and has an effective firing range of 1,600 meters, a 100-meter improvement over the previous generation of anti-materiel rifles used by the Syrian Army. It is also 100 mm longer than the HS .50, measuring in at 1,470mm total length. [9] It is manufactured by Golan Rifle Plant. In 2023, the SSRC has upgraded the Syrian produced Golan S-01 AMR. New model was introduced with a new stock, box magazine, and scope. [8]

Al-Ghoul

Named after hamas engineer and senior operative Adnan al-Ghoul, this is a Palestinian-made sniper used by Hamas military wing, Al-Qassam brigades. One of the world’s longest sniper rifles with a length of 1.5 meters, it differs from the typical model as it uses 14.5mm and 12.7mm caliber ammunition. Al-Ghoul has a range of 2 km. [10] Hamas first used this rifle in the 2014 Gaza war. The group also stated that these rifles are “evidence of the distinction of its military industries”. [11] Whether the rifle is actually made in Gaza or made in Iran and then brought through Hezbollah is unclear.[ citation needed ]

Users

Steyr HS-50 Iranian sniper STEYR HS-50.jpg
Steyr HS-50 Iranian sniper

AM-50 Sayyad / Golan S-01 operators

AM-50 Sayyad used by Iranian Navy Takavaran Velayat 94 Military exercise 03 by Mbazri.jpg
AM-50 Sayyad used by Iranian Navy Takavaran

“Ghoul” variant operators

Infobox al-Aqsa.png  al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades (in Gaza)

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "La 104ème brigade de la Garde républicaine syrienne, troupe d'élite et étendard du régime de Damas". France-Soir (in French). 20 March 2017. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Correspondent, Thomas Harding, Defence (13 February 2007). "Iraqi insurgents using Austrian rifles from Iran". Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2018– via www.telegraph.co.uk.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Iranian .50 Cal- The AM-50 Sayyad and Its Use in the Middle East". www.calibreobscura.com. 13 December 2018. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  4. ↑ "Iran Army hints at the deployment of Special Forces to Syria and Iraq - FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  5. 1 2 Staff writer (September 2021). "TECHNICAL REPORT: IRANIAN AM-50 12.7 × 99 MM ANTI-MATERIEL RIFLE". Conflict Armament Research.
  6. ↑ "Hamas manufactures Iranian AM-50 sniper rifles in underground bunkers in Gaza | Hamas Gaza - Israel War 2023 | analysis focus army defence military industry army". 22 December 2023.
  7. ↑ The Syrian army showed a AMR, it's based on Steyr HS.50 and is called Golan S-01.
  8. 1 2 The SSRC has upgraded the Syrian produced Golan S-01 AMR over the past year
  9. ↑ News Desk (23 June 2019). "First Syrian-made sniper rifle enters military service: photos". AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "What is the "Ghoul" Rifle manufactured by the Al-Qassam Brigades - Jordan News | Latest News from Jordan, MENA". Jordan News | Latest News from Jordan, MENA. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "Guest Post: Ghoul 14.5mm Anti-Materiel Rifle, a Palestinian copy of the Steyr HS-50 or Modified Domestically? -". The Firearm Blog. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "El Ejército Argentino se capacita con los nuevos fusiles Steyr-noticia defensa.com - Noticias Defensa defensa.com Argentina". www.defensa.com. 19 June 2018.
  13. ↑ "Galería - Tiradores especiales de la Compañía de Comandos 603". 9 October 2020.
  14. ↑ "El Ejército de Bolivia dota a sus unidades con rifles de precisión Steyr HS .50 M1".
  15. ↑ "FotoB1dotare". brigadaspeciala.ro.
  16. ↑ "Спецподразделения МВД вооружатся австрийскими пистолетами". lenta.ru. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  17. ↑ "Міністерство оборони України". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Iraq: Turning a blind eye: The arming of the Popular Mobilization Units" (PDF). Amnesty International. 5 January 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  19. ↑ Puxton, Matteo (25 February 2019). Macé, Maxime (ed.). "Pour se battre en Syrie, l'Iran enrôle massivement des Afghans chiites". France Soir (in French). Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
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