A sniper’s primary function is to engage high-value targets across significant distances from concealed positions. They must be able to quickly weigh variables like gravity, temperature, humidity, wind, altitude, and Earth’s rotation before firing. (Here is a look at the longest-range sniper rifles used by militaries around the world.)
Achieving precision over distance demands extensive training and a precision rifle. The modern sniper rifle is capable of hitting targets anywhere from 700 meters to over a mile (1,600 meters). Some sniper rifles are so powerful that they can penetrate brick and concrete walls and even the engine blocks of some armored vehicles. (Here is a look at 20 of modern warfare’s most lethal weapons.)
All sniper rifles in the U.S. military undergo exhaustive tests for accuracy, range, and reliability under diverse conditions. Thanks to technological advances, the modern sniper rifle’s efficiency is leagues ahead of the rifles used in World War I (when the term “sniper” became commonly used). (Also check out: the deadliest snipers of World War II)
24/7 Wall St. identified the 16 sniper rifles used by the American military using data from a range of sources, including military handbooks, government press releases, and firearms publications. Some rifle models that have been recently replaced or are being replaced were also considered.
The 16 sniper rifles the US military uses:
M110A1 Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System (CSASS)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Semi-automatic
- Range: 800 meters
- Weight: 9.3 pounds
- Length: 42.7 inches
- Chambered for: 7.62x51mm
M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle (LRSR)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Semi-automatic
- Range: 1,500 meters for personnel, 2,000 meters for material
- Weight: 35 pounds (loaded, with suppressor)
- Length: 57 inches (with suppressor)
- Chambered for: .50 BMG ammunition
Barrett M82
- Action type: Semi-automatic
- Range: 1,850 meters
- Weight: 30.9 pounds
- Length: 48 inches
- Chambered for: .50 BMG
M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle (EMR)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Semi-automatic
- Range: 800 meters
- Weight: 16.5 pounds (with sight and bipod)
- Length: 44.2 inches
- Chambered for: 7.62x51mm
M91A2 Sniper Rifle
Source: gan chaonan / iStock via Getty Images
- Action type: Bolt-action
- Range: 1,000 meters
- Weight: 14 pounds
- Length: 43 inches
- Chambered for: .300 Win Mag
M40A6
Source: Public Domain via U.S. Marine Corps / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Bolt-action
- Range: 800 meters
- Weight: 16.5 pounds
- Length: 49.8 inches (with suppressor)
- Chambered for: 7.62×51 millimeter NATO
Mk20 Sniper Support Rifle (SSR)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Semi-automatic
- Range: 910 meters
- Weight: 10.7 pounds
- Length: 42.5 inches (with suppressor)
- Chambered for: 7.62x51mm ammunition
M24
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Bolt-action
- Range: 800 meters
- Weight: 15 pounds (loaded)
- Length: 43 inches
- Chambered for: 7.62x51mm ammunition
M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle (ESR)
- Action type: Bolt-action
- Range: 1,200 meters
- Weight: 18.7 pounds (loaded, with suppressor)
- Length: 52.2 inches (with suppressor)
- Chambered for: .300 Win Mag ammunition
Mk13 Mod7
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Bolt-action
- Range: 1,300 meters
- Weight: 9 pounds
- Length: 48.4 inches
- Chambered for: .300 Win Mag
Mk11 MOD 0
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Semi-automatic
- Range: 1,370 meters
- Weight: 15.3 pounds
- Length: 45.5 inches
- Chambered for: 7.62x51mm
McMillan TAC-338
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Bolt-action
- Range: 1,600 meters
- Weight: 11 pounds
- Length: 48 inches
- Chambered for: .338 Lapua Magnum
MK22 Multi-Role Adaptive Design Rifle (MRAD)
- Action type: Bolt-action
- Range: 1,500 meters
- Weight: 19 pounds (loaded, with suppressor)
- Length: 50 inches (with suppressor)
- Chambered for: 7.62 x 51mm, .300 Norma Magnum, .338 Norma Magnum ammunition
Mk15 Special Applications Sniper Rifle (SASR)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Bolt-action
- Range: 1,600 meters
- Weight: 26.9 pounds
- Length: 57 inches
- Chambered for: .50 BMG
M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Semi-automatic
- Range: 800 meters
- Weight: 17.3 pounds (loaded, with suppressor)
- Length: 46.5 inches (with suppressor)
- Chambered for: 7.62x51mm ammunition
Mk12 Special Purpose Rifle (SPR)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Action type: Semi-automatic
- Range: 700 meters
- Weight: 10 pounds (with optics and 30-round magazine)
- Length: 37.5 inches
- Chambered for: 5.56x45mm ammunition
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