History of the Sniper Rifle
In the human being’s incessant quest for newer and more effective ways of evening the odds, some truly impressive inventions dot the trail of history. The sniper rifle is to tactical violence what the electron microscope is to vision. It drastically reduces the number of variables involved in zeroing in on a chosen target and is, for all intents and purposes, a highly specialized precision instrument.
Given a choice, most manufacturers of sniper rifles would probably market their product under a name that has less negative connotations. While such rifles are doubtlessly highly accurate and a credit to the art of firearm making, they are almost never used under very valorous circumstances. A sniper specializes in picking off a target from a location of concealment, without warning. This considerably detracts from the image of the fearless gunslinger. One of the most descriptive depictions of a rifle manufactured exclusively for sniping (or rather, assassination) was the one made by a Belgian manufacturer for Edward Fox’s character in the film ‘The Day Of The Jackal’.
However, sniper rifles are also necessary equipment in war situations, and their effectiveness (coupled with the sniper’s skill, of course) have often turned the course of many a battle. In war situations, snipers may also be required to target installations rather than human beings, in which case the rifle used would pack a considerably heavier punch and even explosive bullets. They are also used in law enforcement.
However, the sniper rifle is primarily an anti-personnel device and most models have been derived from the hunting rifle model, since accuracy and long range are common factors in both. Other than that, they do not initially appear to differ very much from other highly accurate rifles, other than in the fact that rapid repeat-firing capability is not a prerequisite. Many purists would contend the claim that sniper rifles are jazzed-up hunting rifles, and with good reasons.
Sniper rifles may be needed top shoot at stationary, slowly moving targets and targets in rapid motion. They tend to be bolt-operated or semi-automatic, and calibrated for longer than usual ranges. The primary means of achieving longer range is via a longer barrel, which may measure up to 600 mm in some cases. This allows the entire power of ignited gunpowder to be translated into bullet speed. They are also invariably equipped with telescopic sights and often even infrared targeting devices that allow for accurate placement of the shot. Yet another advanced feature in contemporary sniper rifles is the night scope, which again operates on the infrared principle. This allows a target top be aimed at without detection.
For enhanced accuracy, a sniper rifle may come equipped with a swiveling stand on which it is mounted to reduce the margin of error. This is almost mandatory, since human body is not the steadiest of mechanisms under circumstances of high stress. Despite the frequent Hollywood depiction of cold-blooded killers with nerves of chilled steel, most real-life snipers are people who are subject to the same levels of stress that others are.
Another frequent feature in a sniper rifle is the silencer. Though the need for one depends on the situation, it can generally be assumed that the sniper will have to shoot at more than one target and that he therefore cannot allow his first shot to give him away. Silencers, unfortunately, subtract from the range of the fired bullet and can affect accurate placement of a shot even over shorter distances.
Sniper rifles are invariably manufactured with trigger mechanisms that minimize the required pressure on the trigger a s much as possible. This is because the greatest danger of fudging a shot arises at the time when the trigger is pulled. In most other rifles and other firearms, triggers are heavier on the pull as an added safeguard against accidental shooting.
Where they are used in law enforcement, sniper rifles are generally not required to be manufactured to extremely high standards. For one, range if usually not a necessary factor (even though accuracy always is). Most rifle work in law enforcement takes place in confined city locations.
Examples of sniper rifles being manufactured today would include the Barrett M98, the Dakota Longbow T-76, the Enfield No. 1 and the Mauser 86SR. German and Swedish makes have found the highest favor down the ages, owing to more precise engineering. However, several Russian, English and American models such as the Tactical Ops Tango 51 are also in extensive use today.