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XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle
XM2010 November 2010
The XM2010 rifle
Type Sniper rifle
Place of origin United States
Service history
In service 2011–present
Used by See Users
Production history
Designed 2010
Manufacturer Remington Arms
Produced 2010–present[1]
Specifications
Mass 12.1 lb (5.5 kg)[1]
Length 46.5 in (118 cm)[1]
Barrel length 24 in (61 cm)[1]

Cartridge .300 Winchester Magnum[1]
Action Bolt-action[1]
Effective firing range 1,300 yd (1,200 m)[2]
Feed system 5-round detachable box magazine[1]

The XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle (ESR), formerly known as the M24 Reconfigured Sniper Weapon System, is a sniper rifle developed by PEO Soldier for the United States Army.[3] It is derived from the M24 Sniper Weapon System and is intended to replace existing M24s. After winning a competitive bidding process, Remington was awarded the production contract. Up to 3,600 weapons will be procured. The Army had anticipated fielding upgraded weapons to deployed U.S. Army Snipers near the end of December 2010.[4][5] Later project manager for Soldier weapons Colonel Douglas Tamilio said the XM2010 expected fielding will happen in January 2011.[2]

The XM2010 system differs from the prior M24 Sniper Rifle in that the XM2010 fires .300 Winchester Magnum ammunition to provide approximately 50% additional effective range relative to the M24's 7.62x51mm NATO. This chambering to dimensionally larger cartridges is possible because the M24 was designed to use the "long-action" version of the Remington 700 receiver. The U.S. Army hopes that the additional effective range helps their snipers in engagements in mountainous and desert terrain in which the War in Afghanistan is fought.[6] The general penalties for using bigger, more powerful magnum rifle ammunition compared to smaller, non-magnum standard rifle cartridges are increases in recoil, jump, flash, weight, and barrel wear.

Design[]

PEO AN PVS-29 Night Sight

AN/PVS-29 Clip-on Sniper Night Sight

The XM2010 differs from 7.62×51mm NATO chambered M24 Sniper Weapon System in that XM2010 sniper weapons are:[7][8]

  • Chambered to .300 Winchester Magnum.
  • Barreled to a 610 mm (24 in) long, 254 mm (1 in 10 inch) twist rate (using Obermeyer 5-R rifling) hammer-forged free floating barrel.
  • Fitted with a new chassis (stock) assembly that maximizes the amount of physical adjustments for the sniper to provide a better user customized fit. The chassis has a folding buttstock that shortens the system for easier transport and better concealment during movement and accommodates the mounting of accessories via removable Mil Std 1913 Picatinny Rails.
  • Fitted with a five-round detachable box magazine.
  • Fitted with a quick-attachable/detachable Advanced Armament Corp. sound suppressor with muzzle brake to reduce recoil and jump and audible and visible signature with an available thermal sleeve that reduces mirage effect on heated suppressors.[9]
  • Fitted with a Leupold Mark 4 6.5–20×50mm ER/T M5 Front Focal variable power telescopic sight featuring a 30 mm tube diameter, first focal plane Horus Vision H-58 grid system range estimation reticle and Bullet Drop Compensation,[10][11] fielded with the AN/PVS-29 or AN/PVS-30 Clip-on Sniper Night Sight.[12][13]
  • The application of advanced corrosion resistant coatings throughout the system.

According to Remington Arms each rifle is tested to meet (and typically exceeds) the requirement to fire ≤ 1 MOA (less than a 2-inch shot group at 200 yards) before being released for fielding.

Ammunition[]

XM2010 Douglas Tamilio

Project manager Colonel Douglas Tamilio with XM2010

In 2009 the U.S. government purchased MK 248 MOD 0 and MOD 1 .300 Winchester Magnum match-grade ammunition for use in .300 Winchester Magnum sniper rifles like the U.S. Navy Mk.13 SWS or reconfigured M24 SWS's. This ammunition was developed as a .300 Winchester Magnum Match Product Improvement (PIP) and uses the (190 gr) and 14.26 g (220 gr) Sierra MatchKing Hollow Point Boat Tail (HPBT) very-low-drag bullet fired at a nominal muzzle velocity of 869 m/s (2,850 ft/s) ± 15.2 m/s (50 ft/s). According to the U.S. Navy this ammunition should increase the maximum effective range of .300 Winchester Magnum sniper rifle systems to 1,370 m (1,500 yd), decrease wind deflection on bullets in flight and use a reduced muzzle flash propellant that remains temperature stable across an operational temperature range of -32 °C to 74 °C (-25 °F to 165 °F).[14][15][16] According to JBM Ballistics,[17] using the G7 ballistic coefficient provided by Bryan Litz, the MK 248 MOD 1 .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge, when fired at its nominal muzzle velocity of 869 m/s (2,850 ft/s), should have approximately 1,286 m (1,406 yd) supersonic range under International Standard Atmosphere conditions at sea level (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3).

History[]

The U.S. Army is likely to upgrade its 2,500 M24 SWS to XM2010 standard.[18]

Operational deployment[]

The U.S. Army issued three XM2010s to snipers at the United States Army Sniper School 18 January 2011.[19] Army snipers have been using the XM2010 in combat in Afghanistan since March 2011.[6][8]

Users[]

Gallery[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Remington XM2010". Remington Defense. http://www.remingtonmilitary.com/en/Firearms/Sniper%20Rifles/XM2010.aspx. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lopez, Todd. "U.S. Army Expects to Field XM2010 Sniper Rifle in January". US Army. http://www.defpro.com/news/details/18827/. Retrieved 25 December 2012. 
  3. "XM2010". https://peosoldier.army.mil/newpeo/Equipment/Temp.asp?id=IW_XM2010. Retrieved 10 December 2010. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 PEO Soldier (1). "Army awards contract for upgraded sniper weapon system". http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/10/01/45970-army-awards-contract-for-upgraded-sniper-weapon-system/. Retrieved 3 October 2010. 
  5. Fuller, BG Peter N.; COL Douglas A. Tamilio (18 MAY 2010). "Project Manager Soldier Weapons Briefing for NDIA". PEO Soldier. United States Army. http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2010armament/TuesdayLandmarkBTamilio.pdf. Retrieved 28 October 2010. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 New rifles give Army snipers in Afghanistan needed range Vanden Brook, Tom, "New Rifles Give Army Snipers In Afghanistan Needed Range", USA Today, 9 December 2010, p. 7
  7. Remington Wins M24E1 Army Sniper Rifle Contract
  8. 8.0 8.1 Sniper's Spring XM2010s Unleashed in Afghanistan by PEO Soldier, “Infantry Bugler” magazine, September 2011
  9. Advanced Armament Corp. 240-SD Fast-Attach 7.62mm Silencer
  10. New 34mm-tube Mark 4 Scope with Horus Reticle for M24E1
  11. Mark 4 6.5-20x50mm ER/T M5 Front Focal Riflescope
  12. Clip-on Sniper Night Sight (Clip-on SNS), AN/PVS-29
  13. Clip-on Sniper Night Sight (Clip-on SNS), AN/PVS-30
  14. Detail Specification Cartridge, .300 Winchester Magnum Match, MK 248 MOD 1 DODIC AB43, NSN 1305-01-568-7504 Revision A 17 March 2009.
  15. U.S. Navy Small Arms Ammunition Advancements.
  16. $49.9M US Contract for 300 Winchester Magnum Ammo.
  17. JBM Ballistics freeware online ballistic calculator.
  18. Lance M. Bacon (30). "Improved carbines headed your way". Gannett Government Media Corporation. http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/04/army-improved-carbines-heading-your-way-043011w/. Retrieved 30 April 2011. 
  19. Dan Lamothe (17). "Corps fielding new semi-automatic sniper rifle". http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2011/03/marine-corps-sniper-rifle-m110-031711w/. Retrieved 23 March 2011. 

External links[]


All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle and the edit history here.
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