U.S Army Order Mk17, M107 and MK15 Sniper Assault Rifle By Ussocom

Mk17 Sniper Rifle, M107 Sniper Rifle and MK15 Sniper Rifle
In the weapon systems commodity area, PEO-SW develops, acquires and manages weapons and ammunition that provide SOF with high reliability and precision capabilities to increase combat effectiveness. During FY09, more than 2,100 SOF-unique weapons and 6,300 weapons accessories were fielded to operational SOF units. New designs that have been developed during the past year include the MK17 Sniper Support Rifle, which will replace the light sniper systems beginning in FY10, and the MK17 Sniper Rifle“common receiver,” which by changing barrel, bolt, firing pin and trigger module, can fire 5.56mm ammunition.

MK17 Sniper Rifle

More than 6 million rounds of enhanced small arms ammunition, developed as a Special Operations Science and Technology (SOST) effort, were fielded in FY09 for use in all 5.56mm and 7.62mm weapons. These SOST rounds provide the SOF warfighter with better accuracy and increased and consistent terminal ballistic effects. In addition, they are insensitive to extreme temperatures and significantly reduce visible signature. New developments in small arms ammunition include 40mm pre-fragmented, programmable, high-explosive ammunition for the MK47 Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher, and medium-velocity 40mm ammunition for the MK13 Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module.

Emerging requirements in the target-engagement arena include continuing improvements to weapon accessories to make them smaller, lighter, more capable and more energy efficient. The weapon shot counter (WSC) for the M4A1 has been completed, and a WSC specific to the SOF Combat Assault Rifle and SOF sniper rifles will com mence in FY10. In addition, the requirement for the Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) system has been approved.

M107 Sniper Rifle

The PSR seeks to increase the effective range of the SOF sniper and is envisioned to replace the existing M24 and MK13 sniper systems for anti-personnel engagements, and a future increment will seek to replace the M107 Sniper Rifle and MK15 “Heavy Sniper Rifle” for anti-materiel engagements. During FY09, the weapons program office effectively responded to several urgent needs for rapid acquisition of weapons and related equipment to meet expanding operational requirements in theater, which included fielding of MK44 miniguns on ground vehicles and the MK14 Multi-Shot Grenade Launcher.

The M107 Sniper Rifle is a .50 caliber, shoulder fired, semi-automatic sniper rifle. Like its predecessors the rifle is said to have manageable recoil for a weapon of its size owing to the barrel assembly that itself absorbs force, moving inward toward the receiver against large springs with every shot. Additionally the weapon's weight and large muzzle brake also assist in recoil reduction. Various changes were made to the original M82A1 to create the M107, with new features such as a lengthened accessory rail, rear grip and monopod socket. Barrett has recently been tasked with developing a lightweight version of the M107 Sniper Rifle under the "Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle Congressional Program," and has already come up with a scheme to build important component parts such as the receiver frame and muzzle brake out of lighter weight materials.

Mk15 Sniper Rifle

The XM107 Sniper Rifle was originally intended to be a bolt-action sniper rifle, and it was selected by the U.S. Army in a competition between such weapons. However, the decision was made that the US Army did not, in fact, require such a weapon. The rifle originally selected under the trials to be the XM107 was the Barrett M95.