Arctic Warfare
| Arctic Warfare | |
|---|---|
|
|
| general information | |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Accuracy International Ltd. |
| Manufacturer country: | United Kingdom |
| Production time: | since 1982 |
| Weapon Category: | Sniper rifle |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1020-1420 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 6.1-16 kg |
| Barrel length : | 406-686 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : |
5.56 × 45 mm NATO .243 Winchester .260 Remington .264 Winchester Magnum 7 mm Remington Magnum 7.62 × 51 mm NATO .300 Winchester Magnum .308 Norma Magnum .338 Lapua Magnum 12.7 × 99 mm NATO |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 5–10 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | Bar magazine |
| Fire types: | Single shot |
| Number of trains : | 4-6 |
| Visor : |
Open sights , Picatinny rail with S&B PM II |
| Charging principle: | Multiple loaders |
| Lists on the subject | |
Arctic Warfare is the name for a range of sniper rifles that have been manufactured by the British arms manufacturer Accuracy International Ltd. since 1982 . (AI) are produced.
history
The PM made by Accuracy International ( P recision M arksman) participated in a competition at the beginning of the 1980s British forces in part. A replacement for the old sniper rifles manufactured by Lee-Enfield (for example the L42A1 ) was sought. The Accuracy International PM prevailed over the Parker-Hale M-85 and was introduced by the British Army as the L96A1 with a Schmidt & Bender 6 × 42 rifle scope.
A few years later, Accuracy International took part in the tender of the Swedish military with an improved version of the PM - already under the name AW for Arctic Warfare - which wanted to procure a new sniper rifle. This tender was the beginning of the series of weapons called Arctic Warfare .
The rifle has special de-icing properties that allow it to be used efficiently at temperatures of around −40 ° C. The breech block, bolt, magazine ejector and trigger guard of the AW have been enlarged to make the rifle easier to use when wearing thick arctic mittens. This version was put into service with the Swedish Army from 1988 as the Prickskyttegevär 90 (Psg 90) .
Details
Instead of a traditional wooden or polymer rifle stock, the AW has an aluminum skeleton frame that runs the entire length of the stock. All other components, including the handle, are attached directly to this frame. The polymer shaft itself consists of two hollow halves that are connected with ten Allen screws . Only four screws connect the two half-shells to the frame. This design ensures that the AW is very robust, but also light.
The AW is usually equipped with a standard bipod. At the customer's request, it can also be equipped with a ground spur at the end of the shaft.
Models
PM (Precision Marksman)
The Precision Marksman , or PM for short, is the original model from which the Arctic Warfare rifle family developed. Many construction details can already be seen in the PM, which were further refined in the later Arctic Warfare. The PM was introduced by the British Army as the L96. The rifle was delivered in caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO .
AW (Arctic Warfare)
The basic model is the Arctic Warfare . It is a Psg 90 with improved details , which in turn was based on the PM and was introduced by the Swedish armed forces . The AW was introduced by the British Army as the L118A1. Like its predecessors, it uses the 7.62 × 51 mm NATO caliber.
AWF (Arctic Warfare Folding)
The Arctic Warfare Folding is a standard AW, in which the piston can be folded sideways. This shortens the overall length of the rifle and makes it easier to transport. All AW models with a folding shaft have the F abbreviation at the end of the type designation. The AWF was introduced by the British Army as L118A2.
AWP (Arctic Warfare Police)
The Arctic Warfare Police (AWP) is a version of the AW for police use. It has no flash hider and no front sight. Before AI offered the colors green and black for all AW variants, the AWP was quite easy to distinguish from its military relatives with its light green shaft thanks to its black shaft. So it was easy to confuse it with the AE, whose barrel is also black. It has a 24-inch (610 mm) barrel and is usually shipped in a 7.62 × 51 mm NATO caliber. Other sources also speak of the availability of the AWP in .243 Winchester .
AWS (Arctic Warfare Suppressed)
The Arctic Warfare Suppressed is the silenced version of the standard AW . The slightly longer silencer (24 inches, 610 mm) completely encloses the 16-inch barrel (406 mm). With the AWS, conventional ammunition caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO can also be fired. However, since the silencer only prevents the muzzle bang and not the sonic boom , subsonic ammunition is normally used. With this ammunition, the range is limited to around 180 m.
AWC (Arctic Warfare Covert)
The Arctic Warfare Covert is an AWS with a folding stock (F). The special thing is that the covert is delivered in an inconspicuous hard case. The rifle is folded into the assembly stock with butt (target optics remain mounted), 16-inch barrel including silencer (length: 24 inches), magazine, bipod and bolt disassembled to fit in the case. There is also a compartment for a pack of 20 7.62 × 51 mm subsonic ammunition. The Bundeswehr has introduced a modification of the AWC as G25 for the special forces.
AWM (Arctic Warfare Magnum)
The Arctic Warfare Magnum , AWM for short , is designed for the .300 Winchester Magnum caliber . For this, the chamber, locking sleeve and trunnion had to be enlarged. The AWM-F was introduced unchanged by the Bundeswehr as the G23 in small numbers as required. Later, a modified version of the AWM-F was introduced as the G22 ordonance. It differs from the AWM-F in that it has a ground spur, a grain saddle with a grain at the end of the barrel and a barrel with cooling cuts.
AWSM (Arctic Warfare Super Magnum)
The Arctic Warfare Super Magnum is an AWM in caliber .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6 × 70 mm). The barrel was lengthened to 27 inches (686 mm) compared to the AWM. The AWSM was introduced by the British Army as L115A1 (AWSM) and L115A2 (AWSM-F). The further improved model L115A3 has a new muzzle brake, which can be exchanged for a silencer. The model L115A4 is able to fire heavy projectiles, for this interchangeable magazines and magazine lock have been modified
AW50 (Arctic Warfare .50 caliber)
The Arctic Warfare 50 , AW 50 for short , is a revised AW, which fires ammunition in the 12.7 × 99 mm NATO caliber . The AW50 was introduced by the British Army as the L121A1. The AW50 was introduced by the Bundeswehr as the G24 among the special forces.
AW50F
The Australian Defense Force is the only armed forces to use an AW50 that is equipped with a foldable shaft.
AE (Accuracy Enforcement)
The cheapest model of the Arctic Warfare rifle family is the Accuracy Enforcement (AE). It is an affordable version of the AW for law enforcement agencies. The AE has no adjustment options on the stock and is only supplied in the 7.62 × 51 mm NATO caliber and with a 610 mm barrel.
| PM | AW | AWF | AWP | AWS | AWC | AWM | AWM-F | AWSM | AWSM-F | AW50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Army | L96 | L118A1 | L118A2 | L115A1 | L115A2 / A3 * / A4 * | L121A1 | |||||
| armed forces | G25 | G23 / G22 * | G24 | ||||||||
| cartridge | 7.62 × 51 mm NATO | 7.62 × 51 mm NATO | 7.62 × 51 mm NATO | 7.62 × 51 mm NATO | 7.62 × 51 mm NATO | 7.62 × 51 mm NATO | .300 WM (7.62 × 67 mm) |
.300 WM (7.62 × 67 mm) |
.338 Lapua (8.6 × 70 mm) |
.338 Lapua (8.6 × 70 mm) |
.50 BMG (12.7 × 99 mm NATO) |
- with deviations explained in the text.
Special versions
AS50 (Arctic Semi-automatic .50 caliber)
The Arctic Semi-automatic 50 rifle ( AS50 ) is a self-loading sniper rifle in 12.7 × 99 mm NATO caliber. It was developed as a joint project between AI and the American Naval Surface Warfare Center .
AICS (Accuracy International Chassis System)
When Accuracy International Chassis System AI comes to users of the - especially in shooters in the United States popular - Remington 700 against -Systemes. It uses the shaft of the AW, on which the barrel including trigger and magazine slot can be mounted. This is a cheaper option compared to an original Arctic Warfare. These variants can usually be recognized by the recoil reducers, which are atypical for AI, as well as by the repeating lock. The lock in the Remington system is round or cylindrical, while in the AW it is square. Barrels of various calibers can be fitted, including .243 Winchester, 7.62 × 51mm NATO, .30-06 Springfield, 7mm Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .338 Lapua Magnum.
There are three versions that differ only in the colors green and black as well as some details:
- Version 1.0: fixed shaft, no modification options
- Version 1.5: fixed shaft, height-adjustable cheek rest
- Version 2.0: foldable barrel, height-adjustable cheek rest
Rifle scope
The Arctic Warfare is equipped with a Schmidt & Bender Police Marksmen II rifle scope with fixed or variable magnification as standard. Accuracy International actively promotes the PM-II rifle scope manufactured by Schmidt & Bender in Germany as part of the Arctic Warfare product family and lists it as the only rifle scope in its price lists. This support is quite unusual and very rare for a gun manufacturer.
User states
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Bangladesh
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Germany - AWM-F as G22 , AW50 as G24, AWC as G25, whereby G24 and G25 are only used by special forces. -
Russia - AWM for special forces only -
Sweden - AW as Psg 90 -
United Kingdom - PM as L96, AW as L96A1, AWSM as L115 / A1 / A3, AW50 as L121 / A1, AWC (22nd SAS)
See also
literature
- AI AW series brochure (PDF file; 1.81 MB, English)
- AE brochure (PDF file; 365 kB, English)
Web links
- Manufacturer homepage ( Memento from August 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
- Arctic Warfare on ketmer.com (English)
- Arctic Warfare on WaffenHQ.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ AI Customs ( Memento of March 2, 2001 in the Internet Archive ) (April 23, 2009)
- ↑ Maxim Popenker: AI Arctic Warfare / L96. Retrieved November 23, 2019 .
- ↑ picture of an L96. ( Memento of August 8, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) In: militaryimages.net. April 23, 2009.
- ↑ SAS Weapons - L96A1 Sniper Rifle. Retrieved November 23, 2019 .
- ↑ AWP on AI.com ( Memento from June 22, 2001 in the Internet Archive ) (April 23, 2009)
- ↑ AWS on ketmer.com (April 23, 2009)
- ↑ AWC on ketmer.com (English) (April 23, 2009)
- ↑ Soren Sünkler: sniper Bundeswehr . 1st edition. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03361-0 , p. 127 .
- ↑ SAS Weapons - L96A1 Sniper Rifle. Retrieved November 23, 2019 .
- ^ Ian V. Hogg: Weapons and Equipment Volume 7 Modern sniper rifles . 2nd Edition. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-613-02014-9 , pp. 60 .
- ↑ Soren Sünkler: sniper Bundeswehr . 1st edition. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03361-0 , p. 1117 .
- ↑ SAS Weapons - L96A1 Sniper Rifle. Retrieved November 23, 2019 .
- ↑ SAS Weapons - L96A1 Sniper Rifle. Retrieved November 23, 2019 .
- ↑ SAS Weapons - AW50F (L121A1). Retrieved November 23, 2019 .
- ↑ Soren Sünkler: sniper Bundeswehr . 1st edition. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03361-0 , p. 125 .
- ↑ AICS on Hinterland Shooting Supplies.com ( Memento from April 24, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) (April 23, 2009)
- ↑ Schmidt & Bender PM II ( Memento from July 17, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) (English) (April 23, 2009)
- ↑ Arctic Warfare (section "Use") (April 23, 2009)
- ↑ Command International Special Operations Magazine, K-ISOM, Issue 5, May / June 2009
- ↑ Sünkler, Sören: sniper the armed forces. 1st edition. Motorbuch Verlag, 2011.
- ↑ Report on altair.com.pl ( Memento from July 31, 2012 in the web archive archive.today ) (Polish) (April 23, 2009)
- ↑ Report on special units.net (April 23, 2009)
- ↑ Psg 90 on soldf.com (Swedish) (April 23, 2009)