XM110 Sniper Rifle High Accuracy

The XM110 Super Sniper is Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS) . Soldiers like to exchange stories about the lethality of .50 caliber sniperrifles. One story has it that the M107 Long-Range Sniper Rifle (LRSR) “reached out and touched someone” from 1,400 meters away while the insurgent hid atop a water tower with a rocket propelled grenade. What really happens in battle we may never know for sure, but the facts about the sniper rifles that Program Executive Office Soldier’s (PEO) Soldier Weapons program provides to soldiers speak for themselves: the rifles are accurate, reliable, sustainable, and the Soldier Weapons program gets them to soldiers in record time. After comprehensive testing, independent evaluation and full material release, the M107 Sniper Rifle was acquired and ready for fielding in less than 36 months, thanks to the accelerated acquisition path offered by the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP).

In fact, soldier feedback drove the SEP requirements for the new XM110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS) contract. Like the M107, the XM110 Sniper Rifle is what the Army calls a Non-Developmental Item, Commercial-Off-The-Shelf product. That means that the Army “militarizes” the designs of small arms already on the market and shortens the acquisition cycle by reducing or eliminating the research and development phase. However, Soldier Weapons representatives are quick to point out that this path does not mean a relaxation of the Army’s high standards.

The SEP approach and the acquisition of these off-the-shelf products enable Soldier Weapons to validate product maturity and readiness by focusing on extensive and comprehensive
technical and operational testing prior to the production phase. The test results may reveal needed modifications and enhancements. Once the weapon meets the Army’s performance criteria, it becomes part of the Army’s inventory.

LTC Kevin Stoddard, Product Manager for the Crew Served Weapons component of this program, is confident the combined industry and government team working on the XM110 Sniper Rifle will come through again for soldiers on the XM110 program. “The gun has actually been performing extremely well,” Stoddard said. “We will have technical and operational testing completed by early summer and begin fielding the first of 4,492 XM110s by January.”

The XM110 Rifle is intended to replace the bolt-action, M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS), but the future of the M24 is still undecided. It will depend upon an upcoming Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) analysis. “Ultimately, snipers will have what they need for increased survivability,” Stoddard said. “For now, we have the XM110, M107 and the M24. All are accurate, reliable and sustainable.”

XM110 Sniper Rifle

Accurate:1,000m Minute of angle: 1 Recoil: 8 ft.-lb.


Reliable: Barrel life: > 5,000 rounds.


Sustainable: U.S. Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command Rock Island Arsenal, Ill.
Depot support: Contractor Logistics Support, Knight’s Armament Co., Vero Beach, Calif.


First Unit: Equipped Winter 2007

Mission: Target reduction and observation. As part of the Infantry battalion, snipers normally perform some portion of both missions, simultaneously. Occasionally, one mission may take
precedence over the other; however, target reduction missions generally facilitate the gathering of valuable intelligence information.


Accessories:20-round magazine Variable power optic sight, 3.5-10x-40mm. Spotting scope, Transport case, Tactical soft case, Cleaning / maintenance equipment, Detachable bipod Manuals.