L115A1

L115A1 / Accuracy International AWM


The Accuracy International AWM (Arctic Warfare Magnum) is a bolt-action sniper rifle manufactured by Accuracy International designed for magnum rifle cartridge chamberings. The Accuracy International AWM is also unofficially known as the AWSM (Arctic Warfare Super Magnum), which typically denotes AWM rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum.
On 25 September 2012 Accuracy International announced on their company website that the AWM .338 Lapua Magnum rifle is being fazed out and replaced by the Accuracy International AX338 rifle.

The Arctic Warfare Magnum system

The Arctic Warfare Magnum system

The Accuracy International AWM rifle is a variant of the British Accuracy International Arctic Warfare (AW) rifle that was the basis of a family of sniper rifles using the Arctic Warfare name. As such the design details of the AWM variant are similar to the ones found in the basic AW rifle system. Compared to the AW, the AWM has a longer bolt to accommodate dimensionally larger magnum-length cartridges such as the .300 Winchester Magnum and the .338 Lapua Magnum. The bolt head, locking ring, and extractor and magazines were also revised to work with the increased size and operating pressures of magnum rifle cartridges.

The AWM features a detachable single stack removable box magazine which holds five rounds. The normal cartridges for this rifle, and the ones which have been accepted by NATO for use in AWM rifles, are .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum.

Muzzle brakes are fitted to reduce recoil, jump and flash and act as a base for optional iron sights and suppressors.

Normally, the AWMs are outfitted with a Schmidt & Bender PM II 10×42/MILITARY MK II 10×42 telescopic sight with 10× fixed power of magnification. However, a Schmidt & Bender PM II/MILITARY MK II with variable magnification of either 3–12×50, 4–16×50 or 5–25×56 can be used if the operator wants more flexibility to shoot at varying ranges, or when a wide field of view is required. Accuracy International actively promotes fitting the German made Schmidt & Bender PM II/MILITARY MK II product line as sighting components on their rifles, which is rare for a rifle manufacturer. The German and Russian Army preferred a telescopic sight made by Zeiss over Accuracy International's preference.

The AWM rifle is normally supplied in a metal transit case together with a telescopic sight, mount, butt spacers, bipod, spare magazines, sling, cleaning and tool kits.

Magnum chamberings

.300 Winchester Magnum

The .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62x67mm) cartridge was designed as a magnum hunting cartridge and offers a flatter trajectory and a significant increase in muzzle velocity, wind resistance and supersonic range over the dimensionally smaller 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. The ability of the .300 Winchester Magnum chambering to obtain fairly high muzzle velocities combined with for their diameter or caliber relatively heavy and long very-low-drag bullets significantly enhance the hit probability at longer ranges and hence the effective range compared to the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. For precision shooting, the Federal Gold Medal Match grade is the most commonly used ammunition.[citation needed]

The AWM chambered for the .300 Winchester Magnum is fitted with a fluted, stainless steel barrel that is 660 mm (26") long for optimum muzzle velocity and nominal weight. The .300 Winchester Magnum barrel features a non-traditional 279.4 mm (1:11 in) right-hand twist rate.

.338 Lapua Magnum

The AWM in the .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6 x 70 mm) calibre was designed as a dedicated long range sniper rifle combining the maneuverability of rifles chambered in 7.62x51 mm NATO with the greater power and range of the .50 BMG cartridge.

Compared to most .50 calibre rifles, the AWM offers considerably less rifle weight, recoil, muzzle flash, smoke and report[citation needed]. Although the .338 Lapua Magnum delivers less kinetic energy to the target compared with the .50 BMG, both cartridges have similar trajectories, resistance to wind drift and penetration, while the .338 Lapua Magnum unquestionably outperforms the 7.62x51 mm NATO and .300 Winchester Magnum, especially at ranges beyond 800 metres (875 yd) and 1,100 metres (1,203 yd). AWM rifles in .338 Lapua Magnum can also be deployed against unarmoured hard targets, including armoured glass.

The AWM .338 Lapua Magnum is fitted with a stainless steel, fluted, 686 mm (27") barrel, which research has found to be the best compromise between muzzle velocity on the one hand, and weight and length on the other. The rifle's barrel has an unconventional 279 mm (1:11 in) right-hand twist rate, optimized for firing .338-calibre very-low-drag bullets up to 16.85 g (260 gr). When the AWM .338 Lapua Magnum was developed military issue cartridges were loaded with 16.2 g (250 gr) very-low-drag bullets. Longer, heavier very-low-drag bullets like the Sierra HPBT MatchKing .338-calibre 19.44 g (300 gr) and the 21st century 19.44 gram (300 grain) .338-calibre HPBT Scenar can be used, but require a 254 mm (1:10 in) twist rate to stabilize them under high air density conditions as found on arctic coasts.

A limitation of AWM rifles is that .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges loaded to the Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives (C.I.P.) maximum allowed overall length of 93.50 mm (3.681 in) do not fit in the magazine due to a lack of internal magazine length. The reason for this limitation is that the AWM bolt action was initially developed for dimensionally smaller cartridges and then modified for the .338 Lapua Magnum chambering.[4] Ammunition manufacturers produce .338 Lapua Magnum military issue cartridges loaded with 16.2 g (250 gr) very-low-drag bullets (overall lenght ≤ 91.44 mm / 3.600 in) that fit in the 91.50 mm (3.602 in) long AWM magazines. As long as .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges that fit in the magazines are used, the AWM rifles can be used as repeating rifles instead of single shot rifles.

To address .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition length limitations of the AWM Accuracy International has since developed the AX338 long range rifle as the AWM successor model. Compared to the AWM, the bolt action of the AX338 is longer and wider and the internal magazine is lengthened, allowing the unimpaired use of .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges loaded to the C.I.P. (Permanent International Commission for the Proof of Firearms Portable) maximum allowed overall length of 93.50 mm (3.681 in). Further the AX338 has a 238 mm (1:9.375 in) twist rate to adequately stabilize longer, heavier .338 caliber very-low-drag projectile designs that became more common in the 21st century.

Ammunition types currently available for the .338 Lapua Magnum are FMJ, hollow point, Armor Piercing (AP) and Armor Piercing Incendiary (API).

Longest confirmed sniper kill

In November 2009, British Army sniper Corporal of Horse (CoH) Craig Harrison, a member of the Household Cavalry, set the longest recorded sniper kill record by killing two Taliban machine gunners consecutively south of Musa Qala in Helmand Province in Afghanistan at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd) using a L115A3 rifle.[7][8][9][10] In the reports CoH Harrison mentions the environmental conditions were perfect for long range shooting: no wind, mild weather, clear visibility.