Anti-materiel rifle - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

An anti-materiel rifle is a rifle

Rifle

A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...

that is designed for use against military equipment (materiel

Materiel

Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....

) rather than against other combatants ("anti-personnel").

The offensive use of anti-materiel rifles or Special Application Sniper Rifles (SASR) is termed Hard Target Interdiction (HTI) by the United States military.

Anti-materiel rifles are similar in form and appearance to modern sniper rifle

Sniper rifle

In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...

s and can often serve in that role, though they are usually chambered for cartridges more powerful than are normally required for neutralizing an enemy combatant and can operate at a greater range. In general, anti-materiel rifles are chambered for 12.7x99mm NATO (.50 BMG

.50 BMG

The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...

), 12.7x108mm Russian, 14.5x114mm Russian

14.5 x 114 mm

The 14.5×114 mm is a heavy machine gun and anti-materiel rifle cartridge used by the Soviet Union, the former Warsaw Pact, modern Russia, and other countries....

, and 20mm

20 mm caliber

The 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....

cartridges. The large cartridges are required to be able to fire projectiles containing usable payloads like explosives, armour-piercing cores, incendiaries, or combinations of these, as found in the Raufoss Mk211 projectile.

Due to the considerable size and weight of anti-materiel rifles and other support equipment, sniper cells operating in 2- or 3-man or larger teams become a necessity. The recoil produced by the employed cartridges dictates that these rifles are designed to be fired from the prone position

Prone position

The term means to lie on bed or ground in a position with chest downwards and back upwards.-Etymology :The word "prone," meaning "naturally inclined to something, apt, liable," has been recorded in English since 1382; the meaning "lying face-down" was first recorded in 1578, but is also referred to...

. Bipod

Bipod

A bipod is a support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with two legs. It provides significant stability along two axes of motion .-Firearms:...

s and monopod

Monopod

A monopod, also called a unipod, is a single staff or pole used to help support cameras, video cameras, binoculars, rifles or other precision instruments in the field.-Camera and imaging use:...

s and muzzle brake

Muzzle brake

Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators are devices that are fitted to the muzzle of a firearm or cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire...

s are used as accessories to employ these rifles as comfortably and accurately as possible. Firing several 12.7x99mm NATO, 12.7x108mm Russian, or larger calibers from the (unsupported) standing position

Standing position

In shooting, the standing position, also known as "offhand", refers to shooting while standing. It is often regarded as the most difficult position. The rules vary depending on the shooting discipline. Generally, one must stand freely, without the aid of a rest or bench. Highpower rifle, smallbore...

or in a kneeling position

Kneeling position

The kneeling position is a position for rifle shooting. There are no longer international competitions in pure kneeling shooting, but it is included as the last part of 300 metre rifle three positions, 300 metre standard rifle and 50 metre rifle three positions.It takes a very long time to achieve...

would be very uncomfortable for the operator.

The origins of the anti-materiel rifle go back to the First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, during which the first anti-tank rifle

Anti-tank rifle

An anti-tank rifle is a rifle designed to penetrate the armour of vehicles, particularly tanks. The usefulness of rifles for this purpose ran from the introduction of tanks in World War I and until the Korean War...

s appeared. While modern tanks and most other armored vehicles are too well protected to be affected by anti-materiel rifles, the guns are still effective for attacking unarmored or lightly armored vehicles. They can also be used against enemy aircraft, small watercraft, communications equipment, radar equipment, crew served weapons and similar targets. Their value is in being able to precisely target and disable enemy assets from long range for a relatively low cost.

Anti-materiel rifles can also be used in non-offensive roles for safely destroying unexploded ordnance

Unexploded ordnance

Unexploded ordnance are explosive weapons that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were used or discarded.While "UXO" is widely and informally used, munitions and explosives of...

List of anti-materiel rifles by country

Rifle	Country of origin	Caliber
Steyr HS .50 Steyr HS .50 The Steyr HS .50 is a .50 BMG single-shot anti-materiel sniper rifle manufactured by Steyr Mannlicher.- Design and features :The Steyr HS .50 is a single-shot bolt action rifle. It does not have a magazine so each round has to be loaded directly into the ejection port and is pushed into the chamber...	Austria	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
Steyr IWS 2000 Steyr IWS 2000 The Steyr IWS 2000 is an Austrian semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle, produced by Steyr Mannlicher. IWS stands for Infantry Weapon System. It is actually a smoothbore weapon, like many modern tank guns, and not a true rifle but this can help accelerate projectiles and increase ballistic effectiveness...	Austria	15.2 mm proprietary Steyr APFSDS
Istiglal Istiglal Anti-Material Rifle The Istiglal IST-14.5 Anti-Material Rifle is a recoil-operated, semi-automatic anti-material sniper rifle developed by the Azerbaijani Defense Industry. The name Istiglal means Independence in Azerbaijani.-History:...	Azerbaijan	14.5x114mm
ČZW-127 ČZW-127 The ČZW-127 is an anti-materiel sniper rifle of Czech origin. Due to the patented lever-delayed blowback action, CZW claims it to possess recoil smooth enough to be usable even without a muzzle brake....	Czech Republic	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) 12.7x108mm (.50 Russian)
AMR-2 AMR-2 The AMR-2 is a 12.7mm Sniper Rifle developed in China as an anti-materiel sniper rifle, introduced in early 2000s. Designed and developed by China South Industries Group, the rifle uses bolt-action and a conventional design. The AMR-2 fires 12.7x108mm sniper rifle cartridge from a 5-round box...	China	12.7x108 mm (.50 Russian)
JS-05	China	12.7x108 mm (.50 Russian)
JS 12.7	China	12.7x108 mm (.50 Russian)
LR2A	China	12.7x108 mm (.50 Russian)
M99 Barrett M99 The Barrett Model 99 "Big Shot" is a single-shot sniper rifle first introduced in 1999 by the Barrett Firearms Company . The company is better known worldwide for its earlier .50 caliber rifles, the semi-automatic M82A1 and bolt-action M95. Like the M95, the rifle uses a bullpup configuration...	USA	12.7x99mm NATO
M99B / M06	China	12.7x108 mm (.50 Russian) 12.7x99mm NATO
W03	China	12.7x108 mm (.50 Russian)
RT-20 RT-20 (rifle) The RT-20 is a Croatian anti-materiel sniper rifle developed by Metallic in Rijeka in the mid-1990s and marketed by RH-Alan. It was developed to shoot the thermal sights on Serbian M-84 and T-72 tanks. The name itself is actually an acronym of the Croatian word Ručni Top 20 , or "Hand Cannon 20mm"...	Croatia	20x110mm Hispano
Lahti L-39	Finland	20 × 138 mm (Solothurn Long) 20x138mmB The 20×138mmB cartridge was a type of ammunition used mainly for anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons during World War II. The designation means the caliber was 20 mm, the length of the cartridge case was 138 mm and B indicates it was a belted case...
PGM Hecate II PGM Hecate II The Hecate II is the standard heavy sniper rifle of the French Army, sometimes known as the FR-12,7 .It is manufactured by PGM Précision of France...	France	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr	German Empire	13.2 mm (.525 inches)
Gepard anti-materiel rifles	Hungary	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO), 12.7x108mm (.50 Russian), 14.5x114mm Russian
Vidhwansak Vidhwansak Vidhwansak is an Indian multi-caliber anti-material rifle or large-caliber sniper rifle manufactured by Ordnance Factory, Tiruchirapalli. It can be used in the anti-materiel role for destroying enemy bunkers, lightly armoured vehicles, radar systems, communication equipment, parked aircraft, fuel...	India	12.7x108mm (.50 Russian) 14.5x114mm 20x 82mm 20 mm caliber The 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun....
Wz. 35 anti-tank rifle	Poland	7.92 mm DS
WKW Wilk WKW Wilk The WKW Tor or Wilk is a modern anti-materiel and/or sniper rifle which is being produced in Poland by factory Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów. WKW Tor stands for Wielkokalibrowy Karabin Wyborowy or Large Caliber Sniper Rifle. Its military designation in Polish army is known as the Tor...	Poland	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
KSVK 12.7 KSVK 12.7 The KSVK 12.7 is a large caliber anti-materiel sniper rifle developed in Russia for the purpose of counter sniping and penetrating thick walls, as well as light armored vehicles.-Development:...	Russia	12.7x108 mm (.50 Russian)
Zastava M93 Black Arrow Zastava M93 Black Arrow The M93 Black Arrow is a 12.7mm or .50 caliber anti-materiel rifle developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms.The M93 Black Arrow is designed on the basis of the Mauser system, which was, during its one hundred years long combat history, proven to be one of the most accurate and reliable...	Serbia	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) or 12.7x108 mm (.50 Russian)
Denel NTW-20 Denel NTW-20 The NTW-20 is a South African anti-materiel rifle or large-calibre sniper rifle, developed by Denel's Mechem division in the 1990s. The weapon was designed by Tony Neophytou and intended for deployment against a wide variety of targets, including parked aircraft, telecommunication masts, power...	South Africa	14.5x114mm Russian (NTW 14.5) 20x 83.5mm 20 mm caliber The 20 mm caliber is a specific size of cannon or autocannon ammunition, commonly the smallest caliber which is unambiguously a cannon and not a heavy machine gun.... (NTW 20) 20x110mm (NTW 20)
PTRD-41 PTRD The PTRD-41 was an anti-tank rifle produced and used from early 1941 by the Soviet Red Army during World War II. It was a single-shot weapon which fired a 14.5x114mm round...	USSR	14.5x114mm Russian
Solothurn S-18/100 Solothurn S-18/100 The Solothurn S-18/100 20 mm Anti-Tank Cannon was a Swiss & German anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War. It had a semi-automatic action in a bullpup configuration. As a result of its large, powerful ammunition the gun had a tremendous recoil, and its size made portability difficult...	Switzerland	20 × 105 mm B
Solothurn S-18/1000 Solothurn S-18/1000 The Solothurn S-18/1000 20 mm Anti-Tank rifle was a Swiss and German anti-tank rifle used during the Second World War. It was a variant of the earlier S-18/100 with modifications for a higher muzzle velocity, as well as a larger cartridge size...	Switzerland	20 × 138 mm (Solothurn Long)
Kalekalıp Avunya	Turkey	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
Accuracy International AS50 Accuracy International AS50 The AS50 is a .50 BMG sniper/anti-materiel rifle manufactured by British firearms producer Accuracy International. The AS50 enables operators to engage targets at very long range with high accuracy using explosive or incendiary ammunition...	United Kingdom	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) .50 BMG The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
Accuracy International AW50 Accuracy International AW50 The AW50 is a .50 BMG anti-materiel rifle designed by Accuracy International. It is a re-engineered version of the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare L96 sniper rifle .-Users:-See also:...	United Kingdom	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
Accuracy International AW50F	United Kingdom	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
Boys anti-tank rifle	United Kingdom	Kynoch & RG .55 Boys (13.9x99mm)
Barrett M82A1/M107	United States	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)
Barrett XM109 Barrett XM109 The Barrett XM109 is an anti-materiel rifle, chambered in 25 × 59 mm, under development by Barrett Firearms Manufacturing.-Overview:The XM109, originally known as the Objective Sniper Weapon or "Payload Rifle" , is a semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle, designed primarily for engagement of light...	United States	25x59mm 25 mm grenade The 25 mm grenade is a type of explosive ordnance used in some modern grenade launchers.Examples of weapons designed to launch 25 mm grenades are the experimental XM25, the Barrett XM109 payload rifle, and the XM307 ACSW. The original use for this round was for the OCSW, now known as the XM307 ACSW...
McMillan Tac-50 McMillan Tac-50 The McMillan Tac-50 sniper rifle is produced in Phoenix, Arizona in the United States by the McMillan Brothers Rifle Company. This long-range anti-materiel/anti-personnel weapon is based on previous designs from the same company, which first appeared during the late 1980s...	United States	.50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO)

External links

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List of anti-materiel rifles by country

See also

External links