US SOCOM .50cal Sniper Rifle Replacement

[Forest Green]

Search For Barrett .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle Replacement Halted By SOCOM

The Extreme Long Range Sniper Rifle was also being eyed as a replacement for .50 caliber Mk 15 bolt-action rifles in U.S. special operations inventory.

www.twz.com

 

[Halcyon66]

Have had experience with the 14.5 ×114 mm Russian anti-tank round, big step up from the 50 Cal and still manageable in a bolt action rifle, of course it comes in the same type of rounds the 50 Cal does, armor-piercing, armor-piercing incendiary, and high-explosive incendiary.

Additionally has a flatter trajectory at longer ranges, making the rounds extremely effective at extreme distances.

They have also been necking down the 14.5 case to 50 Cal which makes a screamer, yet the close to1000 grain 14.5mm are a winner.

It is a big sucker and no that is not my hand.




Regards,

 

[BlackBat242]

The bigger shell is not a 14.5mm - the 50 cal is 12.7mm diameter, and the larger one is ~20mm.

left 12.7 x 99 mm NATO (.50 BMG) M33 Ball, and right 14.5 x 114 mm B-32 AP

 

[Halcyon66]

As said not my hand, did think it was a little large image pulled from the net.

Been over 30 years, thanks for the clarification.

Regards,

 

[Colonial-Marine]

The 14.5mm caliber may be manageable but the resulting rifle makes the .50 caliber Barrett M107 look compact. For more common use I'd think a rifle in such a caliber makes more sense in an anti-material role much like how the Barrett is typically used. But because of how relatively static the battlefield of Ukraine has become the has been ample opportunity for the infantry on both sides to take potshots at each other at ridiculously long ranges.

The 14.5mm has carved out its own unique niche in a category which is more powerful than the common high-velocity HMG cartridges (.50 Browning and Soviet 12.7mm) but weaker than the next typical step-up represented by the larger 20mm calibers often used on vehicle-mounted autocannons. Calibers comparable to the 14.5mm were made but only it had success thanks to the widespread use of the PTRD/PTRS anti-tank rifles and the later KPV heavy machine gun. It's probably as powerful a caliber as you can use in something that is still relatively portable by one or two people. I pity whoever decides to try lugging around a rifle chambered in the big 20x128mm Oerlikon or 20x139mm cartridges.