Moi,
killan puh.joht. Espo toi ystävällisesti tietooni, että USA:n armeijan SASS eli itselataavan tarkka-ampujakiväärin järjestelmä (Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle) on päiväyksellä 26.9.2005 viimein valittu.
ohessa linkki Defence Reviewin sivulle.
http://www.defensereview.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=792
SASS kivääriksi valittiin Knight's Armament Companyn (KAC) Mk 11 MOD 0/SR-25 7.62mm sniper rifle, virallisella armeijan tyyppinimellä M110, testiasenimike oli SR-XM110.
Sinänsä valinta ei ollut yllätys, sillä SR-25 kivääreitä on ollut Mk 11 Mod 0 nimikkeellä mm. Navy Sealeillä ja US Rangereilla käytössä jo toukokuusta 2000 lähtien. Toisaalta samalla nimikkeellä Mk 11 Mod 0 on SOCOM:lla eli Special Operations Commandilla (US Ranger, US Special Forces, Delta Forces, US Marine Recon kuuluvat mm. SOCOM:n alaisuuteen Navy Sealien ohella) käytössä ArmaLiten AR-10:jä. Samoin Kanadan armeija ja US State Department käyttävät ArmaLiten AR-10 SPR:iä pata-kivääreinä.
ArmaLite ja Bushmaster lienevät pettyneitä KAC SR-25:n valintaan eri aselajien yleiseksi, ei vaan erikoisjoukkojen, itselataavaksi ta-aseeksi, sillä ArmaLite oli alusta saakka kuitenkin vahvin ja todennäköisin ehdokas Bushmasterin kanssa. Loppupelissä SASS sopimuksesta kamppaili tasapäin kaksi ehdokasta:
SR-25 ja DPMS Panther. Pitkä valintaprosessi on kuitenkin nyt ohitse, sillä virallisesti se alkoin 16.10.2003 (käytännössä aiemmin) ja loppui nyt 26.9.2005.
Mitä valinta käytännössä tarkoittaa? Se hyvin yksinkertaisesti tarkoittaa sitä, että pitkän siirtymäajan (noin 10-15 vuotta) aikana, valittu itselataava tarkka-ampujakivääri kaliiperissa 7,62x51mm SR-XM110 (jatkossa vain virallisella tyyppinimeltä M110) tulee korvaamaan kaikki Yhdysvaltojen eri aselajien käytössä olevat 7,62x51mm pulttilukkoiset tarkka-ampujakiväärit, lähinnä M24 SWS:t ja eri M40-sarjat.
Asian taustaa oli mm. Ase-lehdessä nro 3/2005 Bushmaster AR-10 -artikkelin yhteydessä.
Joka tapauksessa varmaa on, että jo kalliin SR-25 Mk 11 Mod 0 "Navy Rifle" hinta tulee nousemaan jo hurjasta USD 7999,99 reilusti yli 8000 taalaan kysynnän kasvaessa samalla. Samoin .308 DPMS Pantherin kysyntä ja hinta kasvannee.
Tähtäimenä M110:ssä (SR-XM110) pysyy sama kuin erikoisjoukkojen Mk 11 Mod 0:ssa eli Leupold Mark 4 3,5-10x40mm M3 Taktinen tähtäin; huom! joissain aikaisemmissa Mk 11 Mod 0 malleissa on myös Mark 4:n edeltäjätähtäintä eli Leupold VXIII 3,5-10x40mm M3 Taktinen tähtäin - käytännössä miltei sama kuin Mark 4-versio.
Aika puolestaan näyttää, että kompensoidaanko nämäkin tähtäimet uudella tähtäimellä, sitten kun US Army on valinnut uuden ta-tähtäimen, joka on joko S&B tai Zeiss/Hensoldt. Todennäköisesti kompensoidaan...
Carpe Diem,
MJ
USAn erikoisjoukot tässä vaiheessa selvittelee vielä SCART (L) ja SCAR (H) mallien valintaa ja seuraavaksi on ainakin harkinnassa viritellä SCAR (H):sta snipermallia. Toteutuuko se koskaan jää nähtäväksi. Lukumääräisesti SCAR (H) Sniper tulee varmasti jäämään aika harvalukuiseksi esim. M110:iin verrattuna ja voi olla että M110 on riittävän hyvä USSOCOMillekin.
Tuleekohan sitten noita 24 SWS:iä myyntiin siviilipuolelle vai ampuuko ne sohloiksi ennen vaihtoa? Kuulemma käynniltään ne ei ihan surkeita ole.
Moi,
kyllä ne kaikki myyntiin tulee jollain aikajänteellä, lähinnä sitä mukaa kun niitä poistuu käytöstä ja korvataan M110:llä.
Myytiin tulee kaikki USMC:n M40-sarjan ta-kiväärit tähtäimineen joko pakettina ja ilman - tähtäimet ovat Unertleitä ja USOn MST-100/MST-150:siä. Eli siis koko SWS-paketti varusteineen ja kuljetuslaatikkoineen.
Myyntiin tulee myös kaikki US Armyn M24-sarjan ta-kiväärit tähtäimineen samalla tavall kuin edellä. Tähtäimet ovat Leupoldeja. Eli siis koko SWS-paketti varusteineen ja kuljetuslaatikkoineen.
Ohessa linkki M24 SWS:n tietoihin
http://www.remingtonmilitary.com/m24sws.htm
Hinta kaikille em. tuotteille tullee olemaan kova kuin kaikki USA:n keräilijät ja kaikki "would like to be marine or army sniper":t ostavat niitä into piukkana itselleen. Luonnollisesti myös jotkut kantahenkilökunnan jäsenet ko. aselajeissa ostavat niitä itselleen muistoaseiksi/koristeiksi.
Joten, kyllä sitä jenkkien sniper tavaraa kohta on pilvin pimein saatavilla. Sorry, en nyt tässä muista ulkomuistista toimitettujen M24 SWS:ien enkä kaikkien M40-sarjojen SWS:ien valmistusmäärää. HJu muistanee ulkoa nuo toimitetut ja valmistetut määrät.
Tödennäköistä on, että joku isoista jenkkien asedealereistä kuten esim. Impact Guns ostaa koko potin US Armyltä ja USMC:ltä ja diilaa sitten kovaan hintaan ko. aseet varusteineen eteenpäin ympäri maailmaa kaikille niille, joilla on löysää rahaa maksaa tiukka hinta. Eiköhän niitä tännekin ainakin keräilijöille jos ei sitten muille eksy.
Ei ne niitä kaikkia sohloksi millään kerkiä ampua/ole keritty ampua, varmasti löytyy aivan laidasta laitaan; eli yhdessä ääripäässä täysin uusia varastorasvoissa ja toisessa ääripäässä aivan puhkikulutettuja ruostekasoja - veikkaisin, että suurin osa menee johonkin tuohon välimaastoon.
Eräs tuttu USMC upseeri jo kertoi miten he miettivät M40-sarjojen SWS:ien myyntiä mahdollisimman pikaisesti - lienevät tyytyväisiä päästessään eroon vanhoista tähtäimistä ja aseista, onhan heille nyt tulossa uudet pelit ja pensselit...
Aika paljon muuten USA:n asevoimat nyt satsaa tarkka-ampujien kalustoon:
1. Uusi tähtäin S&B 3-12x50 PMII USMC:lle.
2. Uusi 7,62mm M110 ta-kivääri USMC:lle.
3. Tulossa lähiaikoina uusi .338LM pulttilukkota-kivääri USMC:lle.
4. M107:t eli .50 BMG Barrett antimateriakiväärit USMC:llä.
S&B tähtäimenä tulee kaikkien em. kolmen kiväärin tähtäimeksi.
Niin ja vielä sokerina päälle, sekä nyt valittu 7,62mm M110 SWS -paketti sisältää spotterin tähystyskaukoputken etäisyydenmittausristikolla, että uusi tuleva .338LM SWS paketti sisältää myös spotterin tähystyskaukoputken etäisyydenmittausristikolla.
5. Uusi tähtäin tulossa US Armylle (3-12x joko S&B tai Zeiss/Hensoldt)
6. Uusi 7,62mm M110 ta-kivääri US Armylle.
7. Tulossa lähiaikoina uusi .338LM pulttilukkota-kivääri US Armylle.
8. M107:t eli .50 BMG Barrett antimateriakiväärit US Armyllä.
Uusi valittava tähtäin tulee kaikkien em. kolmen kiväärin tähtäimeksi. Ja samoin kuin USMC:llä, US Armynkin sekä nyt valittu 7,62mm M110 SWS -paketti sisältää spotterin tähystyskaukoputken etäisyydenmittausristikolla, että uusi tuleva .338LM SWS paketti sisältää myös spotterin tähystyskaukoputken etäisyydenmittausristikolla.
HUOM! US Armyn tilausmäärät ovat moninkertaisia verrattuna USMC:n vastaaviin.
Näköjään konfliktit - 2x Irak, Afganistan ja Somalia - opettaa kantapään kautta, että mihin tulee rahaa asevoimissa oikeasti satsata.
Carpe Diem,
MJ
En usko että M40 sarjan ja M24 aseita tulee olemaan siviilimyynnissä, kuten ei muitakaan "modernin" pään aseita joita Yhdysvaltain eri aselajit ovat käyttäneet/käyttävät.
Ja ymmärtääkseni tässä vaiheessa USMC ottaa vastaan vain 180 kpl M110 järjestelmiä, joilla paikataan välitöntä tarvetta.
Eli M110 ei välttämättä tule olemaan se lopullinen valinta USMC:n osalta.
Yksi ase jota ehkä kannattaa pitää silmällä on HK 417.
Remarin SWS olisi mielenkiintoinen vehje kieltämättä omistaa, etenkin alkuperäisillä tähtäimillä. Onko siinä paljon eroa tavalliseen Remingtonin varmint-malliin? Remarin varmint-malli on aika "karvalakin" oloinen. Suhteellisen tarkka, tukki on minun mieleen ja se leveä liipaisin, muuten tuntuu olevan aika keskinkertainen ja mitäänsanomaton. Mm. piipun suuta ei ole sorvattu sisäänpäin, vaan on avonainen ja sopiva isku piipun suuhun vie käynnin helposti. Muutenkin lukon rakenne/jäykkyys on mielestäni vähän niin ja näin... mielipiteitä / faktaa?
: En usko että M40 sarjan ja M24 aseita tulee olemaan siviilimyynnissä, kuten ei muitakaan "modernin" pään aseita joita Yhdysvaltain eri aselajit ovat käyttäneet/käyttävät.
M40-sarjan kivääreitä on muutama tuhat. Koska USMC:llä on vahvat perinteet varastoida kaikki kalusto joka sanoo pam liipasinta painettaessa niin eiköhän noi jää johonkin jemmaan joksikin ajaksi. Kyllähän heiltä löytyy vielä Win 97 haulikoitakin kuten kaikkea muutakin poistettua kuten M14-kivääreitä ja M1911A1-pistooleja jotka virallisesti poistettiin käytöstä jo 1980-luvulla.
M24:ia on valmistettu USAN muille sotavoimille käsittääkseni tuhansia ja taas tuhansia. Niitä voidaan antaa "kehitysapuna" Egyptiin, Israeliin ja vaikka Viroon kuten tähänkin asti. Jenkeissä on Homeland Security uutena organisaationa ja vanhaakin kalustoa on poliiseille jaeltu ilmaiseksi paperisotaa vastaan joten veikkaan että kaikki M24:t saadaan "hukattua" paikallispoliisien käyttöön ilman suurta ongelmaa jos halutaan. Rahaahaan noista saisi paljon jos ne myisi siviileille mutta näiden "Washington Sniper"-tapausten jälkeen ei ole välttämättä kovin todennäköistä. DCM-systeemin kautta niitä toki voisi myydä USAn kansalaisille.
: Ja ymmärtääkseni tässä vaiheessa USMC ottaa vastaan vain 180 kpl M110 järjestelmiä, joilla paikataan välitöntä tarvetta.
Eikähän se välitön tarve paikattu alunperin noilla Mk11 Mod 0 ja Mk11 Mod 1:llä jotka alkaa ilmeisesti olemaan aika valmiita.
Tosin eihän mikään ole ikuista ja 10 vuoden päästä kaikki kampe voidaan taas vaihtaa uusiin kun ei ole rahasta pulaa.
:Yksi ase jota ehkä kannattaa pitää silmällä on HK 417.
Tiedän mikä on HK416 mutta en tunne 417:aa. Onko se joku AR-10 viritelmä ?
Moi,
olen täysin samaa mieltä kui HJu.
Merijalkaväki varastoinee joitakin ja loput myydään pois. Armeija puolestaa poistaa käytöstään M24 SWS:t, toki jotain voidaan varastoidakin, muttei mitään bulkkimäärää. Varmasti osa "hukataan" poliisiorganisaatiolle aivan kuten HJu jo totesi. Suuri osa kuitenkin myytäneen. Onhan nytkin jo voinut ostaa M24 SWS:iä, jos on halunnut melkoista kompensaatiota vastaan. Samoin M40-sarjan SWS:ä on ollut liikenteessä, ei niin paljoa kuin M24:ia, johtuen jo pienemmästä valmistusmäärästä.
MK 11- malleja on tosiaan jo sen verran käytössä, ettei M110:llä enää mitään välttämätöntä tarvetta paikata. Erikoisjoukot käyttävät MK 11:sta ja muut ta-yksiköt saavat M110:t.
Enpä minäkään tunne H&K 417:sta?
Carpe Diem,
MJ
HK 417 = 7.62x51
http://www.knightarmco.com/sass.pdf
Aktioista tietäville: Miten Remarin lukko eroaa sakon lukoista rakenteen puolesta? Kumpi on mm. jäykempi? Ainakin minulla on sellainen mielikuva, että Remarin lukko ei olisi mikään ihan surkea, vaikka asesepät ja käyttäjätkin kyllä pitävät Tikan 55/65 aktioita yksinä parhaimmista.
Miksi remingtonin lukkoa ei yleensä käytetä esim. aihioina?
Herranen aika :shock:
Tuolla Picatinnykiskon määrällä suomustaa jo isommankin hauen !
: Aktioista tietäville: Miten Remarin lukko eroaa sakon lukoista rakenteen puolesta? Kumpi on mm. jäykempi?
Remarin lukonkehys on itseasiassa noin 34mm paksua putkea jonka seinämävahvuus lienee jotain 5-6mm luokkaa. Remarin aktio on paljon jäykempi kuin Sako 579 tai 75-sarja.
: Ainakin minulla on sellainen mielikuva, että Remarin lukko ei olisi mikään ihan surkea, vaikka asesepät ja käyttäjätkin kyllä pitävät Tikan 55/65 aktioita yksinä parhaimmista.
Erotellaan nyt Suomen ja USAn asesepät. Jenkkisepät pitää Tikkaa vaikeana koska se ei ole Rem700 jota he pitää "helppona" koska se pyöreän muotonsa puolesta sopii helposti sorvipakkaan. Suomessa taas Tikka on se tuttu ja turvallinen ja Rem700 on joku amerikkalainen tusinalaite jonka sepittäminen ei ole kovin tuttua.
: Miksi remingtonin lukkoa ei yleensä käytetä esim. aihioina?
USAssa ei paljon muita käytetä. Taitaa olla jotain 10 remari-aktio per mikä tahansa muu aktio kun kustomaseista ja erityisesti tarkkuusaseista puhutaan. Suomessa Remareita ei paljon sepitetä koska halpoja Tikka-aktioita on saatavilla ja asesepät osaa niitä laittaa helposti.
Tää on ihan samaa kuin miksi USAssa viritellään Ford Mustangeja ja Euroopassa Porscheja.
Moi,
Tietopäivitys M110 & Mk 11 kivääreistä, lainaus suoraan Marine Corps Timesista nro 7 marraskuulta.
US Armylle menee yhteensä 4400 kpl:tta M110 SWS:ää vuoteen 2009 mennessä kompensoimaan M24 SWS:t ja kun tähän lukuun lisää jo US Armyn käytössä olevat ArmaLitet ja MK 11:t niin 7,62 NATO AR-10 johdannaisten itselataavien ta-kiväärien määrä breikkaa helposti yli 5000 kpl:een määrän. Näin ollen, kaikki M24 SWS:t kompensoidaan M110:llä, joten eiköhän niitä M24 SWS:iä ala tulemaan myyntiin parin seuraavan vuoden aikana.
USMC:lle menee tällä hetkellä vain tuo Tuukan mainitsema 180 kpl:tta Mk 11 ja melko pian hyvin todennäköisesti myös suurempi määrä M110 korvaamaan M40-sarjan pulttilukot...
Miellyttäviä lukuhetkiä.
Carpe Diem,
MJ
Lainaa
New rifle keeps snipers on offensive — and defensive
MK11 is lighter than bolt-action gun, has 20-round magazine
By Christian Lowe
Times staff writer
The Marine Corps sniper, with his bolt-action rifle and high-powered scope, is an icon of the modern Corps.
Since the days when Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock — the father of the Marine sniper community — took out enemy forces in the steamy jungles of Vietnam, the Corps has remained steadfast, adhering to the precision and balance afforded by the old-school bolt-action sniper rifle. As the sniper's motto goes: "One shot, one kill."
Until now.
In response to an emergency request from II Marine Expeditionary Force commanders in Iraq, the Corps is purchasing 180 sniper rifles that for the first time would break from single-shot tradition. The Corps hopes to have the new multi-shot, semi-automatic sniper rifles in the hands of scout-sniper teams in Iraq by February.
Marine officials and snipers say the new rifle will help defend sniper teams in an urban battlefield, such as Fallujah, where multiple targets pop up faster than the current M40A3 bolt-action rifle can handle.
"The M40 is not ideally suited to some of the targets [snipers] are encountering," said Maj. Patrick Cashman, who is in charge of developing infantry requirements for Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Va., and is helping fulfill II MEF's request.
"They need something that's a little faster and they need something that can ideally assist them in the break-contact portion of their mission."
So Marine Corps Systems Command decided to purchase 180 of the Titusville, Fla.-based Knight's Armament-manufactured "MK11 Mod 0" sniper rifle — the same one used by Navy SEALs since 2000 — to answer II MEF's need.
Though admittedly not as accurate at long ranges — from 800 to 1,000 yards — as the M40A3 sniper rifle, the MK11 is 6 pounds lighter and isn't as long, making it easier for snipers to maneuver in the nooks and crannies of buildings and transport the weapon over long distances.
"You're never going to get as accurate at a bolt-action rifle, but we're talking about inches at 800 yards," Cashman explained.
The 20-round magazine and higher rate of fire also helps make the MK11 a defensive weapon, eliminating the need for snipers to carry three weapons — the M40A3, an M16A4 carbine and M9 pistol — on their way to a hide, snipers say.
But an added advantage of the MK11, particularly in an urban fight where the enemy lurks among the population sharing the roads and alleys with Marines on patrol, is the rifle's resemblance to a standard M16A4.
"One of the concerns is if you're sitting in a sniper team and you have somebody observing your position and they see someone going out with what looks like a high-powered hunting rifle, they're probably going to figure out what that guy's job in life is," Cashman said. "This looks a little bit more like an M16, so it assists you if you're dropping off sniper teams.
"It could be two Marines, or it could be a sniper team."
The MK11 can accommodate a silencer and is equipped with a bipod and rail-mounted long-range scope. It also fires the same high-powered 7.62 ammunition used with the M40A3.
"We wanted to get this capability as quickly as possible, and if we started having requirements for specialized ammo it would have delayed everything," Cashman said.
A portion of the 180 rifles will be fielded to the sniper schools at Quantico, Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Camp Pendleton, Calif. The MK11s fielded to units in Iraq will be turned over to the sniper teams who replace them on following rotations, Cashman added.
The Army recently awarded a contract to Knight's Armament for the XM110, a variant of the MK11, to replace the service's M24 bolt-action sniper rifles. The Army plans to field 4,400 of the rifles through 2009.
Officials with Systems Command declined to comment on the Corps' purchase of the 180 MK11 rifles — except to confirm the $1.2 million cost of the program — and would not say whether the Corps is looking to replace the M40A3 with the new, semi-automatic rifle for all sniper teams.
MK11 specs
Ammunition: 7.62mm (.308 Win.), M118 LR (combat use) and M852 Match.
Barrel rifling and twist: five grooves, right-hand twist with one turn in 11 inches.
Muzzle velocity: 2,571 feet per second.
Barrel length: 20 inches.
Maximum effective range: 1,000 meters.
Overall length: 39.5 inches.
Maximum height (w/20-round magazine and day optic): 10.25 inches.
Rifle weight (unloaded, without sights, adapters or mounts): 10.44 pounds.
Is this HK 417?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/CatoY2k/11523-HK417_12.jpg
Yes it is.
How to soldier: Heckler & Koch's HK416 upgrade tackles the M4 and M16.
Form Jane's International Defence Review, Oct. 2005.
By Charles Q Cutshaw
It is fairly common knowledge that the special operations community has long had reservations about the M4A1 Carbine. Lethality problems first surfaced in 1993, when Somali gunmen who had been repeatedly shot by Delta Force soldiers were able to continue fighting.
But lower than expected lethality is not the only issue with the M4A1. According to a 2001 Special Operations Command study, changing the M16 to a short-barrelled car- bine configuration creates a mechanism that approaches or exceeds the weapon's limits. The study states that all M 16-derived car- bines are "fundamentally flawed" for a variety of reasons. Shortening the gas tube gives rise to several undesirable side-effects, including early timing, in which the bolt is unlocked and moving to the rear while the cartridge case is still adhering to the chamber wall under residual pressure from the fired round. This causes failures to eject, separated case heads and other malfunctions.
The M4A1 has generally required intensive maintenance by its Special Forces users to keep it operational. Such problems have not arisen in the more common M16 series rifles because the latest M16A2 versions fire three-round bursts, which limits stress on the rifle, and because problems that are inherent in the carbine do not exist in full-length rifles.
Quality control
The main users of carbines are special operations units; and the nature of the missions these elite units undertake often leads to their M4A1 carbines being used in ways that were not envisaged when they were designed. Special operations users frequently have to lay down heavy volumes of fire to break contact with larger enemy forces. They also often add relatively heavy accessories to their carbines under the Special Operations Peculiar Modification (SOPMOD)XModular Weapon System (MWS) Programmes. The addition of such accessories not only adds weight to the weapon, but can also reduce its reliability. According to the study, the M4Al's reliability has been further compromised by a decline in quality control.
Specific M4A1 deficiencies include problems with reliability, safety, accuracy and ergonomics. Reliability problems have included failure to extract, failure to eject, broken bolts, failure to function in extreme cold and severe malfunctions in over-the-beach operations. Safety-related issues have included frequent cookoffs, burst barrels and burst receivers when the M4A1 has been used in over-the-beach or riverine operations and the barrel has filled with water.
Accuracy problems have included barrels becoming loose or shot out after firing a relatively low number of rounds, rail systems not retaining zero and general difficulties controlling the M4A1 in full automatic.
From an ergonomic standpoint, problems have been identified with a poor cheek-weld area on the butt-stock, , lack of ambidextrous controls, poor pistol grip and vertical foregrip geometry, and "multiple ergonomic deficiencies in the SOPMOD/ MWS systems". The most serious problems have involved jamming and overheating. Ultimately, it was concluded that a complete redesign of the M4A1 would be necessary to resolve the inherent issues - a programme with an estimated cost of up to USD2 million. Although a carbine reliability parts set was developed to address the issues identified, it was no more than a 'band aid' on a system that SOCOM considered to be flawed.
Another fundamental problem with the basic AR (Armalite Rifle) design arises from Stoner's use of a gas system similar to that of the Swedish Ljungman. This blows fouling and gases back into the rifle's receiver: a major flaw that makes the rifle sensitive to ammunition certain types of ammunition, which can generate quantities of carbon fouling, causing serious problems.
The US Army learned this lesson early as it specified ball powder for 5.56x45mm military ammunition. This powder quickly fouled the receiver and, in combination with some other misunderstandings regarding the M16A1, resulted in the deaths in combat of soldiers and Marines whose rifles ceased to function due to fouling, earning the rifle a reputation for poor reliability.
The fouling problem was quickly rectified by switching powders, but the basic AR remains a 'dirty' gun that requires intensive cleaning and maintenance. An entire generation of US service personnel has grown accustomed to this as the norm, although older military hands recall the American Ml and M14, FAL/L1A1 and Heckler & Koch (H&K) G3, which did not need the the high level of maintenance required by theM16.
Over the years there have been many attempts to rectify this inherent M16 operating system design deficiency by substituting gas piston and operating rod systems, with mixed success. But when Army Special Operations began looking for a product improvement for the M4, H&K offered to undertake the programme at no cost to the government, other than the loan of 10 carbines as Government Furnished Equipment through a contract with USSO-COM, for assessment.
After a detailed assessment of the carbine's general design and the issues already identified by the military, H&K proposed numerous modifications to improve the weapon's accuracy, safety, ease of maintenance, ergonomics, modularity and commonality of parts, using the performance of
the H&K G36 as a benchmark. H&K aimed to increase the reliability and component service life of the basic weapon by a factor of two to three times.
The HK416 began operational use in combat in 2005 with several special operations units and has successfully met all requirements. In a recent military acceptance test, a 254 mm barrelled HK416 fired more than 15,000 rounds without suffering a stoppage or parts failure. After 12,000 rounds, the carbine was capable of firing one inch, five-round groups at 100 m from a rest, using match grade ammunition. The test sample carbine had fired over 20,000 rounds as of June 2005 without suffering a failure, or a degradation in velocity or accuracy of more than five per cent.
So what has H&K done to make such a dramatic upgrade to the M4's reliability? Apart from the addition of a new buffer and drive spring, the modifications have all been made to the upper receiver. The Ljungman direct impingement gas system has been replaced by a piston and operating rod taken from the G36, which is itself an improved version of the proven AR-18 piston and operating rod system. This new operating rod system is the most significant single improvement in the weapon and is responsible for much of its increased reliability.
Overheating has also been dramatically reduced. When the M4A1 carbine is fired extensively in full automatic, hot gases that are blown back into the receiver can cause overheating, which in extreme cases may cause the barrel to loosen or stretch. When the latter occurs, the barrel can become bent, which can cause bullets to shoot out the side of the barrel. Overheating can also cause failures to extract and other problems. The operating rod system eliminates many of these problems along with the carbon fouling. The H&K system also eliminates the gas rings that surround the bolt, which are themselves problematic when they wear or get out of alignment.
Smooth carbine operation H&K has also developed an improved buffer and drive spring that smoothes the carbine's operation and reduces the cyclic rate to approximately 650 rounds per minute. The MIL-STD-1913 rail hand-guard is fully free-floated and retains bore sight when removed and replaced. The improved H&K handguard can be removed and replaced in less than a minute, without the use of special tools. HK416 barrels are cold-hammer forged and chrome lined.
The guns that have both upper and lower receivers manufactured by H&K also have some extra improvements: the buffer retention in the lower receiver has been modified and improved; and the magazine well has been flared to facilitate inserting magazines during quick changes.
H&K diopter-type sights have also been added, with a folding front sight and a removable rear sight that is fully adjustable for windage and elevation via the traditional H&K rotating drum system.
H&K-developed magazines that can be used with any AR-type rifle or carbine afford another significant improvement. The original aluminium AR magazines were designed to be disposable, but in reality they have often been used repeatedly. This presents two problems: they wear out relatively quickly as a result of their thin aluminium construction; and their openings allow access to dust and debris.
Although some modifications have been made to the original magazine design over the years, there had been no fundamental changes until H&K undertook a redesign. H&K magazines are all steel, with a completely new follower that will not 'nosedive', even when pushed as far to the front as possible. The feed lips have been modified to provide improved feed, as have the guide ribs, and there are no external openings in the magazines, except for a small opening at the top where the follower moves up and down.
This lack of openings means that when the H&K magazine is attached to the rifle there is no place for dust to enter. The magazine spring has also been redesigned and the magazine reconfigured somewhat. This is readily noticed when standard magazines and H&K magazines are placed side-by-side. Both 20 and 30 round versions of the magazine are available.
Room for improvement
Shooting the HK416 reveals just how much room for improvement there was with the
basic M4 design. Accuracy is excellent in both full and semi-automatic and the smooth operation of the HK416 in full automatic is remarkable. Muzzle rise is virtually nonexistent and the reduced cyclic rate makes it easy to squeeze controlled bursts.
Anyone familiar with the M16 or M4 has nothing new to learn when presented with an HK416. The manual of arms is the same, so there is virtually no learning curve. What is different, however, is how the HK416 transforms the M4 platform - it is essentially a new weapon that completely outperforms the current M4.
The HK416 can be purchased as a simple upper receiver replacement upgrade with an H&K buffer and drive spring that brings existing Ml6s or M4s up to HK416 standard, enabling organisations that already have Ml6s or M4s to obtain what is essentially a new and dramatically improved weapon for the cost of these components. The upgrade can be accomplished in seconds and there are no training issues. For those who want a completely new weapon, the HK416 is also available in that configuration.
Another new addition is H&K's enhanced grenade launcher module (EGLM) that mounts on the HK416's bottom MIL-STD-1913 rail in a matter of seconds, without the need for any tools, This 40x46 mm launcher opens to the side so that it is not restricted to short 40 mm rounds, as is the case with the M203. The EGLM, like the HK416, is fully ambidextrous and can be fired either on the carbine or as a stand-alone grenade launcher. When the EGLM is removed from the carbine and replaced, it retains zero. The EGLM is compatible with any weapon with a MIL-STD-1913 bottom rail. A shorter version of the EGLM has recently been adopted by the US Army, with the designation XM320. The author found the EGLM straightforward to use with minimal instruction on the weapon and its sighting system.
H&K has transformed the M4A1 carbine into a completely new weapon, which resembles the M4 externally but has internal modifications that make it far superior to the current M4A1. The HK416 is more reliable, more accurate, easier to maintain and has a service life of two to three times mat of the M4. It is adaptable to either M4 carbines or M16 rifles and is available in barrel lengths of 254,368,419 and 508 mm.
All HK416 barrels have a twist rate of one turn in 178 mm. The simplicity and economy of converting existing weapons by changing upper receivers cannot be emphasised enough. In the final analysis, we can only wonder why something like the HK416 had not been undertaken before, since the problems associated with the M4 carbine have been known for years. With the HK416 modification, the M4 and M16 should be capable of soldiering on foranother 50 years.
Tuukka sanoi:
"En usko että M40 sarjan ja M24 aseita tulee olemaan siviilimyynnissä, kuten ei muitakaan "modernin" pään aseita joita Yhdysvaltain eri aselajit ovat käyttäneet/käyttävät. "
TBA is selling those models:
http://www.texasbrigadearmory.com/m24.htm
http://www.texasbrigadearmory.com/m40a1.htm
Except Texas Brigade Armoru is selling copies i.e. official M40, M40A1 and M40A3 are made by USMC armory. They can not bought anywhere because USMC does not sell guns. Good copies are made by Texas Brigade Armory, Iron Brigade Armory and a host of others.
Remington sells the bona-fide M24s nowadays to anyone who can buy a Remington rifle. Rifle only was something like +3000 USD and the whole set with everything including the scope, iron sights, spare parts and carrying cases was closer to 6000 USD.
Hi Laur,
Thanks for updates!
Regarding to Mr. Cutshaw's writings I wouldn't rely on them word to word as he has written a lot BS during past decades e.g. shooting tests on rifles that weren't even produced yet; manufacturers were puzzled a bit. Anyway that's another story.
This time Mr. Cutshaw at least seems to write well...which really surprises me.
What comes to TBA's, IBA's and other makers copies of M24s and M40 series the truth is exactly the way HJu writes, good and pricey copies.
Probably e.g. TBA's and IBA's copies of M24s and M40s are better and more accurate than original US Army M24s or US Marine M40s, but who really knows that for sure... I quess nobody does.
Carpe Diem,
MJ
HJu and MJ, Mike Lau (owner of TBA) writes in his "Military and Police Sniper" (if i remember correctly) that people are not disturbed about this high price. The reason is psychological. Thay wanna feel themselves like US armed forces sniper in combat. Small boys collect toy soldiers, big boys collect copies of combat weapons. If we continue this line, all we want go to nature and bring mammouth to our cave :)
If people want to feel like US snipers in combat they should buy a +6KUSD rifle and shoot crappy M80 ammo pulled out of machine gun belts :-)
I believe TBA, IBA, George Gardner, Patriot Rifles etc. can produce as good or even better rifles than USMC but that is only because civilian outfits can change over to better parts anytime they come to the market. USMC takes usually 10-15 years to change anything on their rifles because of maintenance and spare parts standardization issues. Because the demand is pretty high the civilian outfits can charge premium prices on rifles that are basically tuned Rem700´s.
I would like to own a handmade custom Rem700 (actually a Surgeon) just for the fun of it. Now that Badger makes trugger guards that accept AICS magazines the Rem700 slowly can become a viable alternative to other sniper rifles. I do not really understand fixed magazine rifles in combat in the new millenium. They were probably ok in 1960ies but not anymore.
Here is that HK 416 article in acrobat reader format
http://www.hkdefense.us/corporate/media/pdf/JanesIDR416_Oct05.pdf
Via ar15.com comes next "Jane's Defence Weekly" article.
JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY - MAY 31, 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
US sniper system enters operational testing
SCOTT GOURLEY JDW Correspondent
California
-The US Army is preparing for the imminent fielding of a small number of the new sniper weapons
-The SASS would be a man-portable, shoulder-fired system
The US Army has begun operational testing of its new XM110 7.62 mm Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS). In addition to the testing, it is also believed that the army is preparing for the imminent fielding of a small number of the new weapon systems on an "urgent need basis".
The XM110 will expand the inventory of army sniper weapons, which currently includes the M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) and the M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle (LRSR).
The M24 is a 7.62 mm bolt-action, six-shot, repeating rifle while the M107 is a .50 calibre semi-automatic weapon.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Stoddard, product manager for Crew Served Weapons, the XM110 SASS emerged in late 2004 in response to a changing battlefield requirement to engage both light-skinned materiel and personnel in an urban environment, offering multiple targets that needed to be engaged quickly and accurately.
The solution called for a semi-automatic 7.62 mm weapon to supplement the sniper's role of supporting combat operations with greater firepower and greater possible stand-off ranges.
According to the army solicitation, the SASS would be "a man-portable, shoulder-fired system utilising military standard 7.62 mm x 51 mm calibre ammunition but optimised for the open-tip M118LR long-range ammunition. Additionally, M993 armour-piercing (AP) ammunition will be fired based on specific mission requirements. Compatibility with the existing family of military 7.62 mm x 51 mm calibre ammunition is also required".
The accompanying statement went on to define the full 7.62 mm x 51 mm ammunition family as the M118 Long Range cartridge, M993 AP cartridge, M82 Blank cartridge, M80 Ball cartridge and M60 High Pressure Test cartridge.
The government solicitation reportedly drew responses from five interested vendors, with the contract awarded in late September 2005 to Knight's Armament Company.
Col Stoddard noted that the company submitted its winning proposal based on the Mk 11 MOD 0 sniper rifle the company fielded to US Naval Special Warfare SEAL Teams as well as the 'Stoner Rifle' SR-25 that was fielded to the US Army 75th Ranger Regiment.
Utilising the Mk 11 as the basic design, the company made a number of changes to satisfy specific SASS requirements. Col Stoddard pointed to modifications that included a new detachable weapon suppressor, a different configuration of the accessory mounting rails and changes to some of the trigger components.
Other SASS design features include a folding detachable bipod, 10- and 15-round magazines and a variable power day optic scope.
In addition to the weapon components, SASS elements also include a new XM151 spotting scope from Leupold that provides the spotter with the same reticle that the sniper sees in the Mark 4 Leupold sniper scope on the weapon.
"It's a system now," Col Stoddard said. "So it's a crew; it's a team of crew-served weapons. We manage everything that has 'team' or 'crew' involved and that's a sniper team. So we're giving a product not only to the sniper but we're giving something to the spotter as well as part of this system. The system has performed well in developmental testing and we're happy with the testing so far. It shows very high reliability and very good accuracy."
Follow-on operational testing (OT) for the XM110 is currently taking place at Fort Drum, New York. Fifteen systems entered OT in mid-May, leading to a planned low-rate initial production (LRIP) decision around the end of June.
"When the OT is done I'll go to full materiel release," Col Stoddard said. "My plan for full materiel release 'standard' [and change from XM110 to M110] is in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2007 [FY07]. So I'll do an LRIP, I'll qualify the production line and then we will go to a full standard in [the first quarter] of FY07, around December of this year."
Col Stoddard is expecting to receive supplemental funding in mid-2006 to support LRIP through to the end of FY06, with the programme then picking up its own funding in the Program Objective Memorandum beginning in FY07.
A base contract is already in place with options that can be executed for weapon deliveries.
Col Stoddard identifies a current Authorised Acquisition Objective level of 4,492 systems to meet all army requirements.
"Right now that's the amount of guns I'm buying, but I could buy more if the army wants," he said.
"We're always concerned about reliability," he added. "We want to make sure that things are durable and reliable and that they do what the KPP [key performance parameters] says. I need to know that if I point it at something that it hits what I'm pointing it at and it hits very accurately what I'm pointing it at. Having said that, because it has done so well in [early trials] and because it comes from the pedigree of the Mk 11 that has been out there since the late 1990s, we went ahead and the users have already seen the programme."
The lethal element of the XM110 7.62 mm x 51 mm Semi-automatic Sniper System is now in operational testing(Source: US Army)
//http://www.hkpro.com/hk417.htm
Hi Laur,
Good updates!
Carpe Diem,
MJ
This kind of news from Strategypage.
Lainaa
The U.S. has had such great success with it's M-24 sniper rifle (and a big increase in sniper training), that it is spending $11.3 million to buy new rifles, plus spare parts and accessories. The M-24 itself costs about $3,500, although a complete "system" (with various scopes) puts the price closer to $10,000. The 15 pound (with scope) weapon is based on the Remington 700 hunting rifle. The bolt action M-24 uses specially made (for accuracy) 7.62mm ammo. Under controlled conditions, the M-24 with its special ammo will put ten rounds within a 12 inch circle at 500 meters. For your average sniper, the rifle is very accurate out to 800 meters (and 1200 meters for a really good shooter.) Although there are a lot of semiautomatic sniper rifles out there, the bolt-action M-24 has been very well received by snipers since it was introduced in 1988. Israel has bought it, as have many police departments. The U.S. Marine Corps uses their own version of it (the M-40, also based on the Remington 700).
//http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/200610715911.asp
Lainaa
//http://www.hkpro.com/HK-Blackwater.htm
Hensoldt and HK 417.
//http://www.i-e-a.de/productssimple51.html
//http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2007/01/99m-from-us-navy-for-mk11-sniper-rifles/index.php
//http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2007/01/99m-from-us-navy-for-mk11-sniper-rifles/index.php