M24 Sniper Rifle

Overview:

The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) 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 x 51 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. The M24 SWS is to be replaced with the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, a contract awarded to Knight's Armament Company. However, the Army still plans on acquiring M24s from Remington until February 2010.

Specifications:

Type

• Sniper rifle.

Place of Origin

• United States.

Sights

• Leupold Mark 4 10x40mm LR/T M3 scope[2], detachable emergency iron sights (Redfield Palma International).

Barrel

• 1 twist in 11.25 in (285.75 mm), 5 radials, free-floating, 416R Stainless Steel. Stock: HS Precision — adjustable for length of pull.

Accuracy

• According to MIL-R-71126(AR), the M24 shall achieve the accuracy results stated below when using M118 Special Ball and fired from a Government approved machine rest. The average mean radius shall be less than or equal to the following values:

• 200 yards: 1.3 inches.
• 300 yards: 1.9 inches.
• 200 meters: 1.4 inches.

Weight

• 5.4 kg (12.3 lb)w/sling empty (without scope).

Length

• 1,092 mm (43 in).

Barrel Length

• 660.4 mm (24 in).

Cartridge

• 7.62 × 51 mm NATO.
• .300 Winchester Magnum.
• .338 Lapua Magnum (M24A3).

Action

• Bolt-action.

Muzzle Velocity

• 2,580 ft/s (790 m/s) w/M118LR Sniper load (175 gr.).

Effective Range

• Over 800 m (ammunition/sniper-dependent).

Feed System

• 5-round internal magazine.

Sights

• Telescopic; detachable backup iron sights.