Accuracy International AWM

The .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62×67mm) cartridge was designed as a magnum hunting cartridge and offers a flatter trajectory and a significant increase in muzzle velocity, wind resistance and supersonic range over the dimensionally smaller 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The ability of the .300 Winchester Magnum chambering to obtain fairly high muzzle velocities, combined with relatively heavy and long very-low-drag bullets, significantly enhance the hit probability at longer ranges and hence the effective range compared to the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. For precision shooting, the Federal Cartridge's Gold Medal Match grade is the most commonly used ammunition.

The AWM chambered for the .300 Winchester Magnum is fitted with a fluted, stainless steel barrel that is 660 mm (26 in) long for optimum muzzle velocity and nominal weight. The .300 Winchester Magnum barrel features a non-traditional 279.4 mm (1:11 in) right-hand twist rate.

A Dutch ISAF sniper team with an Accuracy International AWM .338 Lapua Magnum rifle.

A British sniper (centre) carrying his L115A3 Long Range Rifle with attached suppressor, on a joint training mission with French snipers.

The AWM in the .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm) calibre was designed as a dedicated long range sniper rifle. The rifle is fitted with a stainless steel, fluted, 686 mm (27.0 in) barrel, which research has found to be the best compromise between muzzle velocity, weight, and length. The barrel has an unconventional 279 mm (1:11 in) right-hand twist rate, optimized for firing .338-calibre very-low-drag bullets up to 16.85 g (260 gr). When the AWM .338 Lapua Magnum was developed military issue cartridges were loaded with 16.2 g (250 gr) very-low-drag bullets. Longer, heavier very-low-drag bullets like the Sierra HPBT MatchKing .338-calibre 19.44 g (300 gr) and the 21st century 19.44 gram (300 grain) .338-calibre HPBT Scenar can be used, but require a 254 mm (1:10 in) twist rate to stabilize them under high air density conditions as found on arctic coasts.[3]

A limitation of AWM rifles is that .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges loaded to the Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives (C.I.P.) maximum allowed overall length of 93.50 mm (3.681 in) do not fit in the magazine due to a lack of internal magazine length. This is because the AWM bolt action was initially developed for dimensionally smaller cartridges, and then modified for the .338 Lapua Magnum chambering.[4] Ammunition manufacturers produce .338 Lapua Magnum military issue cartridges loaded with 16.2 g (250 gr) very-low-drag bullets (overall length ≤ 91.44 mm (3.600 in)) that fit in the 91.5 mm (3.60 in) long AWM magazines. As long as .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges that fit in the magazines are used, the AWM rifles can be used as repeating rifles instead of single shot rifles.

To address .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition length limitations of the AWM, Accuracy International has since developed the AX338 long range rifle as the AWM successor model. The bolt action of the AX338 is longer and wider than the AWM, and the internal magazine is lengthened, allowing the unimpaired use of .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges loaded to the C.I.P. (Permanent International Commission for the Proof of Firearms Portable) maximum allowed overall length of 93.5 mm (3.68 in). Furthermore, the AX338 has a 238 mm (1:9.375 in) twist rate to adequately stabilize longer, heavier .338 caliber very-low-drag projectile designs that became more common in the 21st century.[5][6]

Ammunition types available for the .338 Lapua Magnum are FMJ, hollow point, armour piercing (AP) and armour piercing incendiary (API).

Schmidt & Bender 5-25×56 PM II LP telescopic sight, similar to the sight used by Harrison, and its adjustment controls

In November 2009, British Army sniper Corporal of Horse (CoH) Craig Harrison, a member of the Household Cavalry, set the record for longest recorded sniper kill, at the time, by killing two Taliban machine gunners consecutively south of Musa Qala in Helmand Province in Afghanistan at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd) taking 10 shots to hit the target, using a L115A3 Long Range Rifle.[7][8]

In the reports CoH Harrison mentions the environmental conditions were perfect for long range shooting: no wind, mild weather, clear visibility.[9]

In June 2017, a Canadian JTF2 sniper broke this record for a confirmed kill at 3,450 m (3,773 yd) with a C15 Long-Range Sniper Weapon.[10]

Seen at 5× zoom

Seen at 25× zoom

The P4 stadiametric rangefinding reticle as used in the Schmidt & Bender 5-25×56 telescopic sight. The small red figure in the images is the silhouette of a man standing at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd).

According to JBM Ballistics,[11] using drag coefficients (C_d) provided by Lapua, the L115A3 has an approximate supersonic range (speed of sound = 340.3 m/s) of 1,375 m (1,504 yd) under International Standard Atmosphere conditions at sea level (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m³) and 1,548 m (1,693 yd) at the 1,043 m (3,422 ft) altitude or elevation (air density ρ = 1.1069 kg/m³) of Musa Qala. This illustrates how differences in environmental conditions can significantly affect bullet flight.

The Schmidt & Bender MILITARY MK II 5-25×56 mm scope used by Harrison on the L115A3 Long Range Rifle has windage and elevation adjustment of 0.1 milliradian (mil), double turn elevation turret, and parallax and illumination control. The sight has a maximal vertical elevation range of 26 mil, and the sight adjustment increment of 0.1 mil equates to a 247.5 mm (9.74 in) point of impact shift at a distance of 2,475 m (2,707 yd). To increase the maximal elevation range Accuracy International produces mounts for telescopic sights with a 13.1 mil (45 MOA) built in vertical cant designed for their .338 Lapua Magnum rifles fitted with the 5-25×56 telescopic sight. Even with a 13.1 mil canted mount the employed sighting system is not able to dial in over 39.1 milliradian of vertical aiming correction, which is significantly less than Harrison required during his record shot.[12][13]

The external ballistics software program by JBM Ballistics predicts that the bullets of British high pressure (over-pressure rounds with pressures and velocities significantly exceeding standard maximums for the cartridge) .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges using 16.2 g (250 gr) Lapua LockBase B408 bullets fired at 936 m/s (3,071 ft/s) muzzle velocity under International Standard Atmosphere conditions at 1,043 m (3,422 ft) elevation (air density ρ = 1.1069 kg/m³) and assuming a flat fire scenario (a situation where the shooting and target positions are at equal elevation) and a 100 m (109 yd) zero (the distance at which the rifle is sighted in) arrive at 2,475 m (2,707 yd) distance after approximately 6.017 seconds flight time at 251.8 m/s (826 ft/s) velocity and have dropped 120.95 m (396.8 ft) or in angular units 48.9 milliradian (168 MOA) on their way. Harrison had to use the P4 reticle offering 0.5 mil spaced holdover hash marks in his 5-25×56 telescopic sight to compensate for the lack of vertical aiming correction and thus achieve the required aiming solution. The long horizontal line at 5× zoom or magnification represent 49.1 milliradian (168.6 MOA) or slightly over the required assumed vertical elevation.[14]

Royal Marines with L115A1 rifles.

The British Armed Forces adopted the AWM rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum as the L115A1 Long Range Rifle. The British L115A1 rifles are outfitted with Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 mm PM II/MILITARY MK II 3-12×50 mm 0.1 mil telescopic sights. The L115A1 is in service with the Royal Marines, British Army and RAF Regiment in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The L115A3 Long Range Rifle.

In November 2007 the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced that their snipers in the Army, Royal Marines and RAF Regiment were to get a new rifle. Accuracy International would supply 580 L115A3 Long Range Rifles with daytime telescopic sights. The L115A3 is being supplied as part of a broader Sniper System Improvement Programme (SSIP) which also includes night sights, spotting scopes, laser rangefinders and tripods.[15] The L115A3 rifle was first deployed to Afghanistan in May 2008.[16] Some features of the improved L115A3 include:

• Schmidt & Bender 5-25×56 mm PM II LP/MILITARY MK II 5-25×56 0.1 mil parallax, illumination, double turn telescopic sights
• Suppressors to reduce the flash and noise signature;
• Folding stocks for better carrying in a backpack;
• Adjustable cheek pieces for more comfort and better eye alignment with the telescopic sight
• Butt spikes (monopods) to aid stability during firing
• Adjustable bipods, which differ from the original Accuracy International bipod
• 5-round box magazines.

The MOD claims a muzzle velocity of 936 m/s (3,071 ft/s) for the L115A3 (another folding stock variant next to the AWM-F).[17]

When the L115A3 Long Range Rifle was only 6 years into its life cycle the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognized the improved capabilities of the AX series rifles in regard to special forces use. The AX series new chassis system provided more flexibility to utilize (future) low light and day light aiming optics, laser designators, and other accessories without the need for custom made mounting interface kits. The right folding AX series chassis system was also more compact in the folded configuration making it more portable and concealable, and featured a pistol grip. On request of the MOD Accuracy International explored the possibility of updating the L115A3 Long Range Rifle to the AX series chassis system, to produce a rifle that is a hybrid of AWM and AX features. The AX enhancements were well received by the MOD and British snipers, and an update program was launched thus producing the L115A4. The L115A4 can easily be mistaken for a new AX series rifle. The Schmidt & Bender 5-25×56 mm PM II LP/MILITARY MKII 5-25×56 as well as the suppressor, bipod and several other accessories from the L115A3 were reused in the L115A4 resulting in significant cost savings. Along with the rifle updates, the L115A4 includes a new deployment case, maintenance kit, and other accessories.

The AWM-F commonly referred to as Geweer Lange Afstand (GLA) (Long Range Rifle) chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum has been introduced from 1996 by the Dutch Army’s Korps Commandotroepen snipers and the AWM is used by all Schutter Lange Afstand (SLA) (Long Range Marksmen) of the 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade (airborne infantry), 13th Light Brigade (motorised infantry), 43rd Mechanized Brigade (mechanized infantry). In 2007 the snipers of the Netherlands Marine Corps also received this sniper rifle. The Dutch AWM-F rifles are outfitted with Schmidt & Bender 10×42 PM II and 3-12×50 PM II telescopic sights. The rifles are designated as Accuracy, antipersoneel scherpschuttersgeweer.338 (Accuracy anti personnel sniper rifle .338) and the Military of the Netherlands claim a maximum effective range of 1,100 m (1,203 yd) for their AWM-F rifles and have used these rifles in Afghanistan with great success.[18][19]

AWM-F or G22 in Bundeswehr nomenclature with attached suppressor.

Since 1998 the Bundeswehr fields an AWM-F chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62 × 67 mm in Bundeswehr nomenclature), with a 3–12×56 SSG telescopic sight made by the German company Zeiss, under the designation of G22 (for Gewehr 22) or Scharfschützengewehr 22 (sniper rifle 22). The German G22 rifles have folding stocks and emergency iron sights. For their G22 rifles, the Bundeswehr claims an effective range of 1,100 m (1,203 yd) and muzzle velocity of 885 m/s (2,904 ft/s).[20][21]

Zeiss 3–12×56 SSG reticle.

The German ammunition manufacturer Metallwerk Elisenhütte Nassau (MEN) has specially developed 7.62 × 67 mm ammunition for the G22.[22]

The Carl Zeiss Optronics (previously branded as Hensoldt) telescopic sight has a mil-dot reticle and a scale that enables the operator to see the dialled in elevation setting through the rifle scopes ocular. The Bundeswehr 3–12×56 SSG telescopic sight differs somewhat from the further developed 3–12×56 SSG-P telescopic sight. The Bundeswehr telescopic sight has no parallax setting option and the range scale has a setting range from 0 to 10 instead of 0 to 11 symbolizing the 11.2 milliradian elevation adjustment range shown in the current Carl Zeiss Optronics 3–12×56 SSG-P telescopic sight brochure.[23]

The G22A1 has a Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 telescopic sight and Harris Engineering bipod and is in use with German special forces.[24]
The G22A2 is an upgraded variant featuring an AX series chassis stock, a new monopod and bipod, a new double chamber muzzle brake and a Steiner-Optik GmbH M5Xi 5-25×56 MTC LT LPF – TreMoR3s telescopic sight.[25] The accessory pack besides spare and maintenance parts includes a Kestrel 5700 Elite Weather Meter with an integrated ballistic calculator.[26] In 2019 Accuracy International was awarded a contract to refurbish and upgrade all G22 and G22A1 rifles to the G22A2 standard.[27]

The Unit Tindakhas (UTK) of the Pasukan Gerakan Khas (PGK) snipers from Royal Malaysia Police use the AWM, chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum alongside the 7.62mm Accuracy International Arctic Warfare.[28]

The snipers of Marinejegerkommandoen and Forsvarets Spesialkommando are known to have used the AWM, chambered in either .300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua Magnum,[29][30] though by now they've probably been replaced by the new Barrett MRAD.

The snipers of the Russian Alpha Group counter-terrorism unit are using the AWM-F chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum with Zeiss 3–12×56 SSG series telescopic sights.[31][32]

The 707th Special Mission BN from ROK Army and the Republic of Korea Naval Special Warfare Flotilla from ROK Navy use AWM series sniper rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum outfitted with Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 PM II telescopic sights. It has had some telescopic sight attachment problems.[33]