United States Marine Corps Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle

Last updated
United States Marine Corps Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle
USMC M16 SAMR.jpg
A U.S. Marine Corps marksman of the 22nd MEU with the SAM-R in Afghanistan.
Type Designated marksman rifle
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service2001–2015 [1]
Wars War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Production history
DesignerPrecision Weapons Section, Weapons Training Battalion
Specifications
Mass10 lb (4.5 kg)
(fully loaded, with heavy barrel, optic, and 30-round STANAG magazine)
Length39.5 in (1,000 mm)
Cartridge 5.56 mm NATO
Action Gas-operated, Rotating bolt
Rate of fire Semi-automatic
Muzzle velocity 3,050 ft/s (930 m/s)
Effective firing range600 yards (550 m)
Feed system20- or 30-round STANAG Magazine

The Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle (SAM-R [2] ) was 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.

Contents

The SAM-R was retired by the U.S. military in the mid-2010s and thus is no longer in service, having been replaced by the M27 IAR. [1]

Background

The Squad Advanced Marksman and his weapon, the Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle, was the product of extensive experimentation by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) of the addition of a designated marksman to a Marine squad. The concept of a designated marksman was already in use by the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Anti-Terrorism) and Marine Corps Security Force Regiment. In exercises, a Marine with a scoped rifle and additional training provided immense benefit to small units. An optic provides information-gathering abilities as well as aiding aiming of support weapons such as machine guns and mortars.

The armorers at the MCWL decided to use the M16 rifle in order to maintain a certain level of commonality in both weapon and ammunition. There was some talk of adopting a weapon such along the same lines as the Mk 11 Mod 0, but instead that transferred over to a possible replacement for USMC personnel now using the Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR), a variant of the M14.

The SAM-Rs were assembled by the Precision Weapons Section of the Weapons Training Battalion at Marine Corps Base Quantico. [2] For the War on Terrorism, the approximately 100 assembled SAM-Rs were sent to the 22nd, 24th, and 26th Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) of II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), which is located at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Squad Advanced Marksmen of I MEF, which is based at Camp Pendleton, California, made do with M16A4s with KAC M5 RAS forearms and TA31F ACOGs. They were nicknamed "West Coast SAM-Rs" though they are simply M16A4s with optics and bipods, and not an 'accurized' rifle like the SAM-R used by the Marines of II MEF.

Replacement

After a lengthy period of debate over the role of accuracy vs. suppressive fire in the Marines, they adopted a new doctrine and weapon in the more accurate M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle for their service rifle in September 2018 [3] [4] and it will replace most of the M4 Carbine for the infantry.

Certain M27s are selected for accuracy; when provided with scopes and suppressors they are designated as the: M38 Designated Marksman Rifle. The rifles are distributed one per squad.

Specifications

The original test weapon was a modified M16A4 rifle with a free-floated 1:7 stainless steel match grade heavy barrel, a "Mil-Std-1913 modular rail system" (this most likely implies the use of the Knight's Armament Company Free-Floating Rail Adapter System) and an M16A1 trigger assembly (semi and full-auto functioning). A number of day optics were used initially, which included Hensoldt Blitz, Leupold CQ/T, ACOG, [2] Leupold TS-30A1 and ultimately the Leupold TS-30A2. The test night optic was the AN/PVS-17B, apparently now being fielded with USMC combat units though the AN/PVS-22 is preferred.

The later SAM-R was roughly a modified M16A4 pattern rifle:

See also

Related Research Articles

The Colt Canada C7 is a Canadian family of military rifles, manufactured by Colt Canada, having similar design and function to the Colt M16A3.

M24 Sniper Weapon System 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.

Knights Armament Company American firearms and firearms parts manufacturer

Knight's Armament Company (KAC) is an American firearms and firearms parts manufacturer, best known for producing the Rail Interface System (RIS) and the Rail Adapter System (RAS) grips for firearms use. They currently produce a variety of firearms, specifically AR-15 rifles. One of their best known rifles is the SR-25 semi-automatic designated marksman rifle.

Designated marksman

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.

Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight American series of telescopic sights manufactured by Trijicon

The Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) is a series of prismatic telescopic sights manufactured by Trijicon. The ACOG was originally designed to be used on the M16 rifle and M4 carbine, but Trijicon has also developed ACOG accessories for other firearms. Models provide fixed-power magnification levels from 1.25× to 6×. ACOG reticles are illuminated at night by an internal tritium phosphor. Some versions have an additional daytime reticle illumination via a passive external fiberoptic light pipe or are LED-illuminated using a dry battery. The first ACOG model, known as the TA01, was released in 1987.

Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle Designated marksman rifle

The United States Navy Mark 12 Mod 0/1/H Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) is a semi-automatic 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, but that nomenclature has been replaced as the weapon became a stand-alone weapons system, and not just an add-on upper receiver assembly.

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.

United States Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle Designated marksman rifle

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.

United States Army Squad Designated Marksman Rifle Designated marksman rifle

The United States Army Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R) is a heavily modified M16-series rifle intended to provide increased accuracy at longer ranges, giving infantry squads greater firepower.

Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle American selective fire military designated marksman rifle

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.

Designated marksman rifle Scoped high-precision rifles used by infantry

A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern scoped high-precision rifle used by infantrymen 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).

SR-25 Designated marksman rifle

The SR-25 is a designated marksman rifle and semi automatic sniper rifle designed by Eugene Stoner and manufactured by Knight's Armament Company.

M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System Sniper rifle/Designated Marksman Rifle

The M110 Semi Automatic Sniper System is an American semi-automatic precision rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO round. It is manufactured by Knight's Armament Company, developed from the Knight's Armament Company SR-25, and adopted by the U.S. military following the 2005 US Army Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle competition. The M110 is to be replaced by the lighter and more compact M110A1 CSASS, which is developed from the G28, a variant of the Heckler & Koch HK417.

Marine Scout Sniper Rifle Designated marksman rifle

The Marine Scout Sniper Rifle or MSSR is a semi-automatic designated marksman rifle developed from the Colt M16A1 rifle by the Philippine Marine Corps Scout Snipers due to the lack of a dedicated precision rifle which is used in the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle Designated 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.

M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle American assault rifle

The M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR) is a 5.56mm select-fire assault rifle, based on the HK416 by Heckler & Koch. It is used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and is intended to enhance an automatic rifleman's maneuverability. The USMC initially planned to purchase 6,500 M27s to replace a portion of the M249 light machine guns employed by automatic riflemen within Infantry and Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalions. Approximately 8,000–10,000 M249s will remain in service with the Marine Corps to be used at the discretion of company commanders. In December 2017, the Marine Corps announced that it would equip every member of an infantry squad with the M27.

Lewis Machine and Tool Company Designated marksman rifle

Lewis Machine and Tool Company (LMT) is an American armaments company founded by Karl Lewis in 1980. LMT manufactures complete weapon systems such as the M4 carbine and the M203 grenade launcher. LMT products are used by the military forces of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Estonia and the United States.

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

M110A1 Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System Sniper rifle/Designated Marksman Rifle

The M110A1 Compact Semi Automatic Sniper System is an American semi-automatic precision rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO round. It is manufactured by Heckler & Koch (H&K) and developed from the company's HK417, and similar to the Bundeswehr G28 configuration. Despite a designation similar to the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, the M110A1 is a distinct design as the former was a development of the Knight's Armament Company SR-25. The M110A1 is expected to supplant and eventually replace the M110 in U.S. military service. The rifle can also be configured as a Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDMR) with a low-power variable optic.

References

  1. 1 2 "Marine brass endorses infantry plan to ditch M16 for M4". Military Times. 27 July 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle (SAM-R)".
  3. ↑ https://www.benning.army.mil/Infantry/Magazine/issues/2018/Apr-Jun/PDF/3)News2-SDM.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  4. ↑ https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/17301/the-usmcs-beloved-m27-automatic-rifle-gets-another-job-as-the-m38-marksman-rifle [ bare URL ]
  5. ↑ "Pro Patria, Inc - Designated Marksman".

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.