thedrifter
04-24-07, 06:18 AM
Army snipers get new rifle
Task Force Fury first to train with XM110 in combat zone
By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, April 24, 2007
U.S. Army snipers in Afghanistan have become the first troops in a combat zone to field a new semiautomatic sniper weapon, military officials said Monday.
Members of Task Force Fury — based mainly at Forward Operating Base Salerno — have received the XM110 rifle. And while the rifle will not completely replace older sniper rifles such as the M24, it does have some advantages, officials said.
“It’s semi-automatic, so it allows for rapid re-engagement of targets,” Staff Sgt. Jason R. Terry, an Army Sniper School instructor, said in a news release. The older rifles are bolt-action, meaning the shooter must manually feed another cartridge into the firing chamber after each shot.
The XM110s are also fitted with suppressors, a tube that cuts down on muzzle flash and noise.
Terry and other instructors traveled to Afghanistan with the new equipment, then trained snipers in the country on the new rifle. They held a three-day training course, with both class time and range time.
Snipers were also taught how to maintain and repair their weapons, along with perhaps the most important thing: when not to fiddle with something that’s broken.
One of the instructors, Kyle P. Gleason, of the Tank Automotive and Armorist Command, emphasized the basics.
“Here’s your rifle, here’s what it can do and here’s how you take care of it,” he was quoted as saying.
Task Force Fury first to train with XM110 in combat zone
By Joseph Giordono, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, April 24, 2007
U.S. Army snipers in Afghanistan have become the first troops in a combat zone to field a new semiautomatic sniper weapon, military officials said Monday.
Members of Task Force Fury — based mainly at Forward Operating Base Salerno — have received the XM110 rifle. And while the rifle will not completely replace older sniper rifles such as the M24, it does have some advantages, officials said.
“It’s semi-automatic, so it allows for rapid re-engagement of targets,” Staff Sgt. Jason R. Terry, an Army Sniper School instructor, said in a news release. The older rifles are bolt-action, meaning the shooter must manually feed another cartridge into the firing chamber after each shot.
The XM110s are also fitted with suppressors, a tube that cuts down on muzzle flash and noise.
Terry and other instructors traveled to Afghanistan with the new equipment, then trained snipers in the country on the new rifle. They held a three-day training course, with both class time and range time.
Snipers were also taught how to maintain and repair their weapons, along with perhaps the most important thing: when not to fiddle with something that’s broken.
One of the instructors, Kyle P. Gleason, of the Tank Automotive and Armorist Command, emphasized the basics.
“Here’s your rifle, here’s what it can do and here’s how you take care of it,” he was quoted as saying.