M24 Sniper Weapon System

Infobox Weapon
name=Rifle, 7.62 mm, Sniper Weapon System, M24


caption=The M24 rifle
origin=flag|United States
type=Sniper rifle
is_ranged=yes
service= 1988–present
used_by= See Users
wars= First Gulf War, Second Gulf War, War in Afghanistan (2001-present)
designer= Remington
design_date= 1988
manufacturer=
production_date= 1988–
number=
variants= M24A2, M24A3
weight= 5.4 kg (12.3 lb)w/sling empty, without scope
length= 1,092 mm (43 in)
part_length= 660.4 mm (24 in)
crew=
cartridge= 7.62 × 51 mm NATO, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .338 Lapua Magnum
caliber=
action= Bolt-action
rate=
velocity= 853 m/s (~2,800 ft/s)
range= Over 800 m (ammunition/sniper-dependent)
max_range=
feed= 5-round internal magazine
sights=Telescopic; detachable backup iron sights

The M24 SWS (Sniper Weapon System) is the military and police version of the Remington 700 rifle, "M24" being the model name assigned by the United States Army after adoption as their standard sniper rifle in 1988. It is also used by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). The M24 is referred to as a "weapons system" because it consists of not only a rifle, but also a detachable telescopic sight and other accessories.

The United States Marine Corps also employs another variant of the Remington 700 as their standard issue sniper rifle, with the model name M40. The main difference between the M40 and the M24 is that the M24 uses the "long" version of Remington 700 receiver versus the M40's "short action". The M40's short receiver is dedicated to cartridges that do not exceed the length of the issue 7.62 mm NATO round. In contrast, the M24's longer receiver allows the rifle to be converted from 7.62 mm NATO to the more powerful .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge. The U.S. Army specified this capability in case future tactics required the larger cartridge's extra range and penetration.

pecifications

* Sights: 10 × 42 Leupold Ultra M3A telescopic sight (Mil-Dot), detachable emergency iron sights (Redfield Palma International).
* Barrel: 1 twist in 11.25 in (285.75 mm), 5 radials, free-floating.
* Stock: HS Precision — adjustable for length of pull.
* Expected accuracy: 1.0 MOA with M118, 0.75–0.50 MOA with M118LR, and 0.50 MOA with commercial match grade ammunition.

FM 23-10 SNIPER TRAINING (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/23-10/ch22.htm#s2p1)"M118 Special Ball Bullet. ... Its spread (accuracy standard) for a 10-shot group is no more than 12 inches at 550 meters (fired from an accuracy barrel in a test cradle)."M118 accuracy is no more than 1.9 MOA . M24 + M118 accuracy is worse (about 2-3 MOA).

Variants

M24A2

Remington has developed an improved version of the M24 rifle, known as the M24A2. The A2 model features a detachable 10-round magazine, side and top-mounted Picatinny rails (advertised by Remington as "MARS", or Modular Accessory Rail System), barrel modifications designed to accommodate a sound suppressor, and an improved stock with adjustable cheek height and length of pull. Existing M24s can also be converted into M24A2s, which replaces the stock and adds the new detachable magazine feed. The conversion requires a rebarreling of the weapon.

M24A3

Remington has also developed the M24A3 SWS, a long-range variant of the M24 firing the .338 Lapua Magnum round. [ [http://www.remingtonmilitary.com/m24a3sws.htm Remington M24A3 SWS] ]

Users

*flag|China
*flag|Israel
*flag|Japan
*flag|Lebanon
*flag|Mexico
*flag|Taiwan
*flag|United States

ee also

*List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
*List of crew-served weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
*M110 SASS, a semi-automatic rifle intended to replace the M24 Sniper Weapon System

References

External links

* [http://www.remingtonmilitary.com/m24sws.htm Official Remington Military M24 SWS page]
* [http://www.remingtonmilitary.com/downloads/TM%209-1005-306-10%20(TO%2011W3-5-4-10-1)%20M24%20Sniper%20System.pdf Operator's Manual]
* [https://atiam.train.army.mil/soldierPortal/atia/adlsc/view/public/9504-1/fm/23-10/toc.htm FM 23-10 Sniper Training]
* [http://www.snipercentral.com/m24.htm Mel's SniperCentral M24 SWS]
* [http://world.guns.ru/sniper/sn11-e.htm Modern Firearms]
* [http://www.remingtonmilitary.com Remington Military Products Division]
* [http://www.remingtonle.com Remington Law Enforcement Division]