In mid-July 2019, information appeared in the American press that the US Marine Corps would soon be armed with new Mk13 Mod 7 Long Range Sniper Rifle sniper rifles, which had reached operational usability. According to the official website of the United States Marine Corps, the new rifle reached full operational readiness in the second quarter of 2019. At the same time, the first units of the Marine Corps received new sniper rifles back in 2018 to conduct comprehensive tests of the new weapon.
It is planned to equip the new rifle with reconnaissance snipers from the reconnaissance units of the American marines. As noted in the American press, the Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle is the first truly new sniper rifle to be adopted by the US Marine Corps since the Vietnam War. In the troops, the new weapon should replace the M40 rifle, which was put into service back in 1966 and the replacement of which was long overdue.
M40 sniper rifle will be replaced with Mk13 Mod 7
Current and former snipers of the US Marine Corps have already repeatedly said that the weapons at their disposal are inferior in their tactical and technical capabilities to sniper weapons of other American military units, and in some cases to those weapons that are in service with the Taliban or representatives the terrorist organization ISIS banned in Russia. So the question of replacing the M40 rifles has been ripe for a long time and was only a matter of time.
Previously, the Mk13 Mod 7 rifles were already used by fighters of the elite special operations forces, the so-called "Navy Seals". Now they will become available to ordinary snipers of the Marine Corps units. According to Sputnik, it is planned to spend $ 5.3 million to replace old M40 sniper rifles with new types of sniper weapons. These rifles remained in service with the Marines for more than 50 years and were repeatedly modernized, more plastic parts appeared in their design, new sights and various removable accessories appeared. But the main limitation of the M40 sniper rifles was their.308 Win caliber or the standard NATO cartridge 7, 62x51 mm. This ammunition has limited ballistic characteristics and quickly loses energy at ranges over 700 yards (640 meters). At the same time, the effective range of the M40 rifle was limited to 1000 yards (914 meters).
The new sniper rifle, which is still known as the Mk13 Mod 7 (Long Range Sniper Rifle), is an example of a high-precision weapon, which in its parameters is seriously superior to the sniper rifles of the past. The Mk13 Mod 7 rifle should replace the M40A6 model, providing the American Marines with an increase in the effective range of destruction of targets and an increase in the lethality of weapons. The new long-range sniper rifle will become the primary weapon of the Marine Corps sniper and sniper units.
Captain Nick Berger noted:
“Thanks to the new rifle, reconnaissance snipers will get their hands on a weapon system that will make them even more deadly when firing at long distances. The new rifle will prepare shooters to fight any enemy in any terrain."
One of the features of the Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle is that its bullet maintains supersonic flight speed over most of the trajectory, in this regard, it significantly exceeds its predecessor, the M40A6. Mk13 Mod 7 provides accurate sniper fire at a distance of up to 1250 meters.
Most likely, the new Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle, like the M40A6, is based on the Remington 700 magazine sniper rifle equipped with a sliding bolt (long bolt travel). The novelty features a new.300 Winchester Magnum caliber and a new high-precision barrel, on which you can install a silencer from the Mk11 model. The features of the model also include an adjustable butt, the presence of bipods, box magazines for five rounds. The package includes 8 magazines, a carrying strap, a cleaning kit, a silencer and a container for transporting weapons.
The features of the new rifle also include the presence of an improved M571 daytime sniper optical sight, which has an improved reticle and provides greater magnification. The new telescopic sight will allow Marines to confidently identify enemies at long distances, creating the necessary safety buffer between the sniper and enemy soldiers. Many Marines, who have already tested the new precision rifle, note that the weapon significantly improves their firing accuracy. In addition to improved daytime optics, the Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle is compatible with the AN / PVS-27 medium-range night sight.
New.300 Winchester Magnum cartridge
The main distinguishing feature of the new sniper rifle, which some units of the US Marine Corps are going to equip, is the new cartridge, which provides the weapon with increased characteristics in terms of range and accuracy. We are talking about.300 Winchester Magnum ammunition (7, 62x67 mm), which was created back in 1963 and was originally positioned in the United States as a hunting ammunition. This cartridge used a case from a Holland & Holland hunting cartridge of the same caliber with a collar on the bottom. In aggregate, the combination of a relatively light bullet of 7, 62 mm and a large-volume sleeve made it possible to significantly increase the muzzle velocity of the bullet, which reached about 1000 m / s; with light bullet options, the speed increased even more. Such characteristics of the ammunition provided it with a high flatness of flight, which is very convenient for firing at long distances, since it reduces the shooter's work and reduces the effect of errors in the incorrect determination of the range to the target. The flat, almost flat trajectory of the bullet ensured high firing accuracy. Very soon, the novelty attracted the attention of not only hunters, but also the American military, who decided that the.300 Winchester Magnum cartridge was a suitable ammunition for sniper rifles. The new cartridge was very useful to the American military when they needed to increase the firing range of sniper rifles in combat in Afghanistan.
An important advantage of the ammunition is the long range of a direct shot compared to other cartridges of a similar caliber. Even at a firing distance of more than a kilometer, the dispersion of a bullet in some cases does not exceed 1 arc minute, which is considered an unattainable result when firing less powerful cartridges of 7.62 mm caliber. This is especially noticeable in comparison with the previous M40 Marine sniper rifle and its modifications designed for the 7, 62x51 NATO cartridge. This cartridge starts to lose energy quickly after 700 yards (640 meters). This feature requires serious training from the sniper when engaging distant targets. According to experts, the sniper has to make a lot of adjustments when shooting. Already at a distance of 600 yards (549 meters), the sniper can expect the trajectory of the bullet to decrease by 105 inches (266.7 cm), and at a distance of 1000 yards (914 meters) this value will increase to 421 inches (1069 cm), and this already a very serious vertical deviation. It was the maximum effective firing range of the M40 rifles, which is approximately 1000 yards, that became a serious limitation for the American Marines during the hostilities in Afghanistan and Iraq.
If we talk about the new Mk13 Mod 7 sniper rifle, which is equipped with the new.300 Winchester Magnum cartridge (7, 62x67 mm), it retains its effectiveness at a distance of up to 1300 yards (1189 meters). The new high power cartridge requires only 246 inches (625 cm) of vertical correction from the sniper at 1000 yards, and the horizontal adjustment at the same range is limited to 40 inches (for 5 mph wind). High-power ammunition has more energy and a bullet speed of about 1000 m / s, which makes it easier to hit distant targets. The American Marines, who have already tested the new rifle, are pleased with the new cartridge and weapons that allow them to confidently hit the enemy at a distance of 1100-1200 meters.
