Designated Marksman Rifle
Designated Marksman Rifle ( DMR ) is the English term for a self-loading rifle with a telescopic sight with a selected barrel as infantry armament. As a rule, they are modified orderly weapons , which are designed to close the combat range between assault rifles (up to 400 m) and the sniper rifle (over 600 m).
background
In terms of its conception, the Designated Marksman corresponds to that of the rifle scope shooter involved in the infantry group of the Bundeswehr , who was called a sniper at the time. According to today's understanding, a sniper is trained more intensively, leads the battle independently under the control of a platoon as part of his company and has extensive equipment tailored to his mission, including a repeating rifle as the main armament. The sniper is supported by an observer, the "spotter", who is also trained as a sniper. Telescopic shooters, on the other hand, fight alone or in pairs in the infantry group and have a self-loading rifle with the DMR . If the DMR is based on an assault rifle, its ability to shoot continuous fire is usually dispensed with.
weapons
A common feature of the DMR used today is the use of the 7.62 × 51 mm NATO caliber, introduced in 1953 , which offers greater ballistic reserves compared to the 5.56 × 45 mm NATO caliber introduced later .
United States
The US armed forces use a modified version of the M14 as the DMR . The former orderly rifle was generally optimized and modernized to increase precision. This includes, for example, a plastic stock, a more precise match barrel and a rifle scope with a military reticle .
The Marine Corps uses the M38, a DMR variant of the HK416 derived from the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle .
Germany
From 2008 onwards, some Bundeswehr units requested G3 assault rifles from the depots and took them with them on the ISAF mission to Afghanistan. In addition to the standard FERO-Z24 riflescope on STANAG clamping assembly, the troops used sights and other attachments, some of which were attached on their own initiative, to adapt the G3ZF to the DMR application.
As an interim solution, some G3A3ZF are converted to G3A3ZF-DMR. Significant changes include a handle that is locked to single fire , a Picatinny rail to accommodate the bipod, laser light module and assault handle, and a Schmidt & Bender rifle scope 3–12 × 50 PM II on STANAG tensioning assembly.
The G3A3ZF is being replaced by the G28 , a new precision self-loading rifle in the 7.62 × 51 mm caliber with a new 3–20 × 50 rifle scope from Schmidt & Bender. There are also night vision optics and a red dot sight for close range. The combat range is 600 meters.
Russia
The Dragunov sniper rifle, which was introduced into the Soviet Army in the early 1960s, also fulfills a DMR-like role . Sometimes the shooter provides the weapons with modifications and additions, some of which are made on his own initiative or even by himself, in order to adapt them to the individual needs and preferences of the shooter. These include, for example, mini red dot sights, i.e. illuminated dot sights that can be used in parallel with telescopic sights .
literature
- Ian Hogg : Modern sniper rifles , Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-613-02014-9 .
- Peter Brookesmith: Snipers. History, tactics, weapons , 2nd edition Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-613-02247-8 .
- Jan-Phillipp Weisswange: Think about the effect! Active agent for infantry and dismounted combat. In Strategy & Technology November 2010 ( ISSN 1860-5311 ), p. 11 ff.
- Jan-Phillipp Weisswange among other things: Hand weapons, ordnance and equipment for infantry use , Wehrtechnischer Report 4/2010, Report Verlag, Bonn and Sulzbach, November 2010
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Jan-Phillipp Weisswange: Think about the effect! Active agent for infantry and dismounted combat. In Strategy & Technology November 2010 ( ISSN 1860-5311 ), p. 15
- ^ Joseph Trevithick: The USMC's Beloved M27 Automatic Rifle Gets Another Job As The M38 Marksman Rifle. In: thedrive.com. January 2, 2018, accessed January 12, 2018 .