M21 Sniper Weapon System
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rifle, 7.62 mm, Sniper, M21 | |
|---|---|
 M21 sniper rifle |
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| Type | Sniper rifle |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1969–1988 (officially replaced by M24 SWS) |
| Used by | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Army Weapons Command, Combat Development Command, Limited Warfare Agency |
| Designed | 1969 |
| Manufacturer | Rock Island Arsenal, Springfield Armory |
| Variants | M25 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 5.27 kg (11.6 lb) |
| Length | 1118 mm (44 in) |
| Barrel length | 560 mm (22 in) |
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| Cartridge | 7.62x51mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Muzzle velocity | 853 m/s (2,800 ft/s) |
| Effective range | 690 m (750 yd) |
| Feed system | 5, 10 or 20-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Front: National Match front blade .062 Rear: Match-grade hooded aperture with one-half minute adjustments for both windage and elevation. 26 3/4 in sight radius. |
The M21 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) is the semi-automatic sniper rifle adaptation of the popular M14 rifle. It is chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The United States Army wanted an accurate sniper rifle during the Vietnam War. The M14 was selected because of its accuracy, reliability, and the ability for a quick second shot. As a result, in 1969, the Rock Island Arsenal converted 1,435 National Match (target grade) M14 rifles by adding a Leatherwood 3–9x Adjustable Ranging Telescope (ART) telescopic sight, and providing National Match grade ammunition. It was designated the XM21 until 1975, when it became the M21.
The M21 remained the Army's official sniper rifle until 1988, when it was replaced by the bolt-action M24 Sniper Weapon System. The M21 still remains in the inventory of some units.
In standard military use, the M21 uses a 20-round box magazine as the other members of the M14 family, and weighs 5.27 kg without the scope. The U.S. military never officially authorized or purchased magazines in any other capacity, although 5- and 10-round magazines are available.
[edit] M25 Sniper Weapon System
The M25 is an upgraded version of the M21 developed by 10th Special Forces Group's armorers for use by United States Army Special Forces and United States Navy SEALs in the late 1980s. It saw some use in the Gulf War.
[edit] Technical specifications
- Action: A M14NM (National Match) action.
- Stock: A McMillan M1A fiberglass stock, having the same pattern as the M14.
- Optics: A Bausch & Lomb Tactical 10×40 scope, or sometimes Leupold MK4 10x scopes.
[edit] Service
The XM21 Sniper Weapon System was used by the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War, and saw limited action in military conflicts and operations in the late 1960s until the late 1980s. There are limited numbers in some Army National Guard units and in a few specialized active units such as the OPFOR units of the Joint Readiness Training Center.[1]
Springfield Armory, Inc. also manufactures variants of its M1A rifle called M21 Tactical Rifle and M25 White Feather Tactical/Carlos Hathcock rifle, which are based upon M21 and M25 Sniper Weapon Systems but are slightly different, most notably they are fitted with a Picatinny rail to mount a scope[2].
[edit] Photos
 Right side of the M21 with main parts labelled |
 Right side of the M21 |
 Members of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry during joint South Korea/U.S. Exercise Team Spirit '84. The soldiers are armed with an M21 sniper rifle (left) and an M16A1 rifle with M203 grenade launcher (right) |
 Soldier from the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Tennessee Army National Guard), patrols Balad Ruz, Iraq, with his M21 sniper rifle |
 M25 special forces sniper rifle |
 Close-up on the Bausch & Lomb Tactical scope and BPT Advanced Scope Mounting System mount on the M25 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "U.S. Army M21 & XM21 Sniper Weapon System". Sniper Central. http://www.snipercentral.com/m21.htm.
- ^ Springfield Armory, Inc.'s official pages of the M21 Tactical Rifle and M25 White Feather Tactical/Carlos Hathcock model
[edit] External links
- U.S. Army Field Manual 23–10, Appendix B: M21 Sniper Weapon System
- Lee Emerson's Word doc. on the M14 and nearly all known variants
- SniperCentral's page about the M21
- Brief M21 description and history from the U.S. Army.
- M21 on Global Security.org (the same text can be found at FAS.org)
- M25 at SniperParadise.com
- M25 at AnySoldier.com
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