The best rifle in the world. Military review and politics

It is simply impossible to determine the champion right away. The sniper rifles of the world are too different in their performance. Discarding their exterior components, we should consider famous models based on their caliber, dimensions and weight, accuracy, range and penetrating power.

Slaying enemies at a distance was the dream of our ancient ancestors. Modern weapons are not just a hobby. A good sniper rifle is the real pride of its owner.

Progenitors of modern developments

The sniper rifle was not initially a single unit - glasses, pince-nez and eyepieces of different diopters were used as a targeting device. The first diopters could be worn or attached to hats.

The invention of the telescope became a prerequisite for the use of lens tubes to achieve maximum precision over long distances. We can say that the famous Galileo, without knowing it, gave a wonderful idea for improving weapons.

Smooth-bore versions did not provide the required characteristics, so the sniper rifle received its further development only after the invention of rifled models.

The very first sniper rifle

It was at this stage that the problem of achieving the required accuracy became quite acute. Weapons of the mid-19th century could provide the required range, but already at 500-700 meters the front sight was comparable in size to the figures of the enemies. It is clear that there was no talk of any more or less accurate aiming at distances over 300 meters.

One of the first sniper rifles produced on an industrial scale was the Colt carbine (1855), which had a diopter sight. Imperfect design (small viewing angle of the sight) and questionable ballistic performance (due to the use of blunt bullets) prevented the rifle from earning wide popularity. The first copy will forever remain on the pages of chronicles, since its invention became the starting point for the construction of the most powerful weapons in the world.

The most massive rifle

Large-caliber sniper rifles amaze not only with their capabilities, but also with their impressive dimensions. Among the bulky carbines that look like anti-tank rifles from the beginning of the last century, the Hungarian Gepard M3 sniper rifle especially stood out.

Having the same purpose as the carbines of the Great Patriotic War, a sniper with 20x82 cartridges can easily penetrate the protection of an armored personnel carrier. The minimum weight of the rifle (without ammunition) is about 21 kg with a length of 1.8 m. Judging by the dimensions, ease of use can be considered a very controversial issue. There is simply no need to talk about any maneuverability, even if just holding a weapon in your hands is not an easy task.

The most accurate

At first it may seem that the best rifle is also the most accurate, but is this really so?

When determining the accuracy of a weapon, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the basic measurement systems. Thus, for Western countries, the usual values ​​are minutes of angle (MOA), and for the countries of the post-Soviet space - linear units, or more precisely, thousandths of a distance.

It’s easier to understand this using the following example: let’s say a sniper rifle is fired from a distance of 300 m. After five shots, a circle of a certain diameter is formed; in the case of 1 MOA, its size will be 8.7 cm. This indicator corresponds to 0.29 thousandths of a distance.

The best sniper rifle in terms of accuracy is the German DSR-1 carbine. The sniper can provide accuracy down to 0.2 MOA, but this figure is only valid for ideal situations. In field conditions, the accuracy is far from being so impressive - the mechanism is sensitive to external influences, and a huge number of settings significantly reduces the speed of the actions performed. In conditions of explosion, according to the direct owners, misfires occur much more often than we would like. Among other things, the design features of the rifle do not leave room for the installation of additional equipment, including night vision devices.

The most formidable and combative

In the middle of the last century, the arsenal of the armed forces had to be radically revised. There were enough small arms for short and medium range, but the same could not be said for long range. Leading designers and engineers worked on the development of the new product, but the best project was proposed by Evgeny Dragunov. The sniper rifle, created by a master gunsmith in 1963, could not fail to impress with its characteristics. With a barrel rifling pitch of 33 cm, it provided accuracy of at least 1.04 MOA when using 7N1 type cartridges.

Dragunov's sniper rifle could not boast of its excellent characteristics for long. Soon it was decided to sacrifice its accuracy by adapting the design to work with armor-piercing incendiary cartridges.

Dragunov sniper rifle today

Despite everything, the modern secondary weapons market shows high demand for the Dragunov carbine. A sniper rifle, the serial number of which has up to three digits, goes out with a bang.

Over the past decades, the sniper gun has undergone many modifications, and the design and materials used are in many ways inferior to more modern models.

The Dragunov sniper rifle has been criticized more than once due to the 7.62x51 cartridges used. There is some debate as to whether such bullets can effectively perform modern tasks. But the fact that the famous American M-14 has been improved to accept cartridges of the same dimensions speaks volumes in itself. By the way, designers from Britain and Germany did not lag behind their colleagues, equipping their L129A1 and G3 rifles with this caliber, respectively.

Best rifle for champions

To talk about which sniper rifle can rightfully be called the best, let’s draw conclusions based on the competition data. Among the domestic arsenal, the ORSIS T-5000 rifle can confidently claim this title. With an aiming range of over 1.65 km, it is capable of providing an accuracy of 0.5 MOA. These are the indicators demonstrated by the special purpose sniper group “Alpha” during participation in the world championship.

The best "M-ki"

Sniper rifles in the world constantly compete on numerous indicators. In this ongoing competition, the winner is quite often American sniper rifles whose serial number begins with the letter “M.” They are all developed by different designers, but are somewhat similar to each other.

Among them are the famous M-21, M-110, and, of course, the large-caliber M-82.

The task of developing an effective sniper rifle for the US Navy was set during the Vietnam War. The designers did not reinvent the wheel, deciding to modernize the then contemporary M-14. A new sight for a sniper rifle and redesign of the design for other cartridges, and in some configurations a shot silencer - that’s all that was needed to release the new M-21, which was replaced by the M-24.

The beautiful Barrett M-82 does not need additional advertising. It can rightfully be called one of the most popular and productive rifles. This sniper served as the basis for more powerful modifications, but even in its original configuration it is still considered one of the best and is in service with many countries around the world.

The M-110 rifle can be called the successor to the M-24.

The best rifles. Israel

The arms race between the USA and the USSR is a thing of the past, and other states have long been able to boast of powerful weapons. The Galil gas operated semi-automatic rifle, also known as the GALATZ, is considered one of the finest examples of modern “support weapons”.

Strictly speaking, the sniper rifle is nothing more than a successful modernization of the Galil assault rifle of the same name. Redesign of the barrel and trigger mechanism, optical sight and the ability to install a silencer make the carbine quite convenient, given its low weight (about 8 kg) and length (1,115 m).

The best "Germans"

The fact that Germany really knows how to make weapons is unlikely to raise any questions in anyone's mind. Doubters should take a closer look at the characteristics of the PSG-1, which in the 80s of the last century was put into service with local police and special forces.

If you still have doubts, you can pay attention to the miniature DSR-1 and its modifications, which have become famous throughout the world due to their exceptionally high accuracy of 0.2 MOA.

The best domestic rifles

Even if you do not take into account snipers from the beginning of the last century, Russian manufacturers definitely have something to boast about.

In the 80s of the last century, it was decided to develop a new model of rifle for special forces. The working name "Vintorez", which appeared in the design documentation, has been preserved to this day. This is what they now call a silent special sniper rifle, which makes it possible from a distance of 400 meters not only to hit the enemy covertly, but also to pierce a steel helmet.

Compactness, mobility, ease of assembly and the ability to equip it with special equipment made the sniper weapon a world leader for many years, until it was replaced in its post by the famous “Exhaust”. The special-purpose sniper rifle, first introduced in 2005, is chambered for 12.7mm ammunition. Two sights - optical and mechanical, the ability to adjust the height of the line of fire, the butt, as well as the position of the butt plate - are not all the advantages of the new product. The effective range is increased to 600 m, the muffler is integrated, but can be removed for cleaning or transportation.

“Exhaust” is a sniper rifle designed for a special “weakened” cartridge. According to official information, it has no analogues among the weapons of other countries. This sniper is virtually silent and impressively deadly.

Best non-combat rifles

This category includes not only children's toys, but also most fictional weapons, among which the blaster takes pride of place. The sniper rifle is presented in many game settings, where the parameters of the weapon are many times higher than their real counterparts. Most popular franchises can show several examples of unprecedented equipment that you just want to get your hands on, even if only in the form of a souvenir.

Judging by the parents' opinions, the blaster is a sniper rifle that is definitely at the top of children's expectations. And this is not surprising, because its appearance and characteristics are amazing.

What is the best sniper rifle?

After considering the parameters of most famous carbines, we note that the best sniper rifle cannot be chosen unambiguously. There are too many variables that affect the final result.

The first thing to understand is that any weapon is developed for a specific combat tactic. The sniper rifle is no exception. This is what determines such a spread in the maximum and effective range of sniper guns. It cannot be said that a rifle that shoots accurately from 1.5 km is definitely better than a competitor that shoots from 500-700 meters.

The second thing you need to pay attention to is the mobility of the installation. Dimensions can become a hindrance to maneuverability. The final dimensions of the weapon also affect the possibility of its assembly and transportation.

Thirdly, it should be understood that weapons are constantly being updated. The iconic sniper rifle, which has had no analogues for many decades, will one day give way to a representative of a new generation on the pedestal.

There are quite a few prerequisites for this, even if we do not take into account the flight of design ideas. The optical sight is becoming more and more advanced; modern mechanisms cannot be compared with the optics of the last century. They can provide greater accuracy.

Special-purpose devices are also developing quite quickly - even when it gets dark, the picture can already be seen quite clearly.

The materials used in the development of sniper rifles are becoming both stronger and lighter. Consequently, the structures themselves are significantly reduced in size. The new type of ammunition puts forward its own requirements for modern rifles - their lethality increases significantly.

Official snipers in the USSR appeared during the Second World War. Before this, there were only small groups of OGPU employees trained for special assignments. Genrikh Yagoda, who served as chairman of the GPU and People's Commissar of the NKVD from 1934 to 1936, was personally responsible for the implementation of the policy of “great terror” pursued by I.V. Stalin.
Units of well-trained snipers also existed under Stalin's guards. For this purpose, very good optical sights were purchased from Germany, on the basis of which domestic models were subsequently created - PE and PB. In a modern army, any airborne or infantry company is “replenished” with a sniper squad.

Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD)
The main sniper weapon of the Russian army - SVD (Dragunov sniper rifle) was created almost half a century ago (entered service with the Soviet Army in 1963). Since then, only a few modifications of the rifle have appeared, but nothing better or more reliable has been invented. Its main purpose is to support a motorized rifle squad with “point” fire.
A PSO-1 optical sight with fourfold magnification is attached to the rifle. For hand-to-hand combat, a bayonet can be attached to the SVD. A special 7.62 mm sniper cartridge with a steel core provides better accuracy. All types of 7.62x54R cartridge can be used for shooting from the SVD. The magazine holds ten rounds, arranged in a staggered pattern.
SVD characteristics:
Caliber - 7.62 mm;
Weight with loaded magazine - 4.21 kg;
Barrel length - 620 mm;
Operating rate of fire - 30 rpm;
Initial bullet speed - 830 m/s;
Sighting range - 1300 m;
The sighting range with a night sight is 300 m.

Initially, the entire range of tasks of assault rifles lay with submachine guns. However, after the Second World War, active development of weapons began, capable of automatic fire with rifle-caliber cartridges. Modern assault rifles are the pinnacle of engineering, having balanced characteristics between heavy weapons and sniper systems. This rating presents best assault rifles in the world, top 10.

10. FN F2000

Unlocks the rating of assault rifles FN F2000, whose development began in the 1990s. Belgian designers were faced with the task of creating a universal weapon that would be effective in all situations. Because of this, the choice of layout fell on the then popular “bullpup”. Moreover, the Belgians managed to patent a frontal extraction system for spent cartridges (the spent cartridges fall out at the muzzle), which made it possible for left-handed people to use this rifle.

The FN F2000 can be equipped with various types of sights, as well as a laser rangefinder and a 40 mm grenade launcher. Now this assault rifle is in service with special units of Belgium, Pakistan, Poland, Chile and Peru. Also, batches of these machines were sent to Saudi Arabia and Slovenia.

9. HK 416

9th place in the ranking is occupied by a German assault rifle HK 416, which was created on the basis of the American M4 carbine, but the main mechanisms are still closer to the H&K G36. HK 416 is distinguished by its versatility, which is expressed in the ability to install any additional modules, as well as high accuracy and accuracy.

However, the rifle has a serious drawback - its high rate of fire. Because of this, the owner may very quickly run out of ammunition, which can lead to serious problems on the battlefield. The HK 416 is in service with special forces in Germany, Italy, Norway, the USA, Armenia and the Russian Federation.

8. Steyr AUG a3

In eighth place - Steyr AUG a3. Development of the Austrian assault rifle began in the late 1960s. According to the reform of the Austrian armed forces, the infantry needed weapons that were as versatile as possible. The Steyr company, which was responsible for the development, managed to solve the problem in a rather original way.

Steyr AUG is a whole set of interchangeable modules, as a result of which the weapon can be adjusted to the owner or a specific combat situation. The Steyr AUG a3 modification, created in 2005, is an even more versatile option. The owner can install various types of sights, for example, collimator, night, and it is also possible to attach an under-barrel shotgun. In addition to Austria, the Steyr AUG a3 is in service with many countries, such as Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and others.

7. FAMAS

Takes 7th place in the ranking of the best assault rifles FAMAS, adopted by France in 1977, thus becoming one of the first assault rifles with a bullpup layout. FAMAS is distinguished by its high reliability and high accuracy of fire, which is why the French military fell in love with the rifle. In addition, it is possible to install auxiliary modules, such as additional handles to suppress recoil. Subsequently, a major modernization of the mountings and mechanisms of the machine gun for the FELIN kit was carried out.

6. FN SCAR

Assault rifle FN SCAR was developed by the Belgian branch of the American company FN Herstal in 2004. These rifles are mainly used by the Texas Rangers, but they are also supplied to the regular army.

The FN SCAR is a simple and reliable weapon for which dust getting into the internal elements is not critical (the main problem for the M16 family of rifles). The FN SCAR has good ergonomics, good accuracy and accuracy of fire, both in automatic and single mode. This is offset by excess weight - the FN SCAR is about half a kilogram heavier than the M16.

The 5th place in the ranking of the best slot machines in the world is occupied by Israeli. It was developed in 1993 as part of a replacement for the obsolete Galil. The Tavor is made using a bullpup layout with a linear design, which ensures high shooting accuracy. This forced the designers to place the sighting bars much higher. Also, the engineers implemented the ability to remake the bolt, so that the cartridges will begin to fly out from the opposite side, which allows left-handed people to use the machine gun effectively.

In general, TAR is a whole complex of universal weapons that can be adapted to perform any task.

It is a whole family of different assault rifles developed by the German company Heckler & Koch, designed to perform a range of combat missions. The first samples entered service with the Bundeswehr army in 1995, as part of a program to replace the outdated G3.

The machine gun has a fairly large weight, comparable to the AK-74, and additional stiffening ribs on the handle make the HK G36 even heavier. Thanks to this, the design of the machine is much more resistant to mechanical damage. Also, the HK G36 assault rifle has excellent accuracy at a distance and low recoil, which allows you to fire comfortably.

3. M16

M16- one of the best and most famous assault rifles in the world, adopted by the United States. The M16 became available to the army in 1962, and its various modifications are still in service with the American army today.

The rifle gained its main popularity during the Vietnam War, where it was actively used by American soldiers. In addition, the M16 is extremely popular among the civilian population, who use this weapon for hunting, sport shooting and other entertainment.

Among the advantages of the M16 are ergonomics and accuracy when firing a single cartridge. However, when firing in long bursts, the accuracy of this assault rifle seriously drops.

2. Bushmaster Acr 3

Bushmaster Acr 3- an attempt to improve the appearance of the M16 from the American company Bushmaster Firearms International. During the development process, the designers decided to use some elements from the XM8 and FN SCAR in the new machine gun. Thanks to the modular system, the owner has the opportunity to quickly replace individual components of the weapon, thereby changing its characteristics to suit a given combat mission. And although the rifle turned out to be quite versatile, the main obstacle was the cost of $2,700 per unit in the basic configuration.

1st place in the top 10 best assault rifles is occupied by. Its creation began in 2011, and the work was based on the developments accumulated over the past 10 years.

Increasingly, partisan detachments are appearing in various local conflicts, trying to turn the tide of hostilities in their favor with targeted strikes, for which the ideal weapon is a sniper rifle. This type of weapon also does not leave the arsenal of the world's leading armies, and remains an indispensable tool for solving problems by special forces. Although progress has a significant impact on the defense industry, most of the contenders for the Top 10 best sniper rifles in the world have been in service for about fifty years, but still they have to give way to new, more ergonomic and accurate options.

10 L42 Enfield (UK)

9 SR-25 (USA)

8 AS50 (UK)

7 M21 (USA)

6 HK PSG1 (Germany)

5 Dragunov rifle (USSR)

4 Mosin rifle (Russia)

3 L115A3 AWM (UK)

2 CheyTac LRRS M-200 Intervention (USA)

1 Barrett 50 Caliber (USA)

The best sniper rifle in the world | Video

The best sniper rifle is the most deadly. To determine the best samples, a complex of different indicators is used - grains, weight, bullets, barrel length, caliber.
The authors of the site usarmy4life.com compared all these factors and compiled their list of the most effective sniper rifles in the world.

10. M40A3

The M40 series (M40A1, M40A3, M40A5) was based on the Remington 700 rifle and was mainly popular with hunters. But then US Marine Corps gunsmiths re-engineered the impeccable Remington action to chamber the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge, resulting in an easy-to-handle rifle with an effective range of up to 1 km.

9. Knights Armament M110

The creation of Eugene Stoner, this rifle is similar in design to the M16, but with some updates. It has a longer barrel and fires 7.62x51mm NATO cartridges. Effective firing range is up to 800 meters. Supports the installation of a muffler or flash suppressor.

8. LWRC SABR

This rifle has two quick-change barrels, 12 and 20 inches long, so it can be effectively used both for its intended purpose and in close combat. Cartridge – 7.62x51 mm NATO.

7. Stealth Recon Scout (SRS)

Another rifle with interchangeable .308 and .338 caliber barrels. But its main feature is that it is a bullpup rifle with a full-size barrel, but a shortened overall length. For mid-range shooting, the shooter uses a .308 caliber barrel and bolt, and for long-range shooting, a .338 caliber.

6. Accuracy International AS50

This rifle was developed specifically for the SEAL unit. It is capable of working properly in the harshest conditions, including sand and mud. The magazine holds 5 rounds of .50 caliber. Effective firing range – 1,500 m.

5. McMillan TAC 50

Also known as the “Big Mac” because it fires .50 caliber ammunition. Holds the record for the longest confirmed kill distance - 2,429 meters. Often used to destroy enemy vehicles.

4. Barrett .416 Model 99

This rifle shoots less powerful .416 cartridges (10.6x83 mm), but its muzzle velocity is higher due to its aerodynamics. This means that wind, moisture and temperature are not so critical for it. Effective firing range – 2,600 m.

3. AWSM

The full name is Arctic Warfare Super Magnum, which means it is designed to shoot in the most extreme temperatures - it has a fulled action that helps with ice control. Cartridge – .338 Lapua, effective firing range – 1,100 m.

2. Barrett M107A1

The Barrett M107 is a time-tested, reliable rifle. But its weight and overall length are not conducive to rapid movement on the battlefield. Therefore, the manufacturer redesigned it and gave it a new name - M107A1. She lost 2.2 kg, but remained just as deadly, and it also became possible to install a silencer. Like other .50 caliber rifles, it can be effectively used against enemy vehicles from a distance of up to 2 km.

1. Cheytac M200 Intervention

This rifle holds the world record for the best group of hits at a distance of 2,122 m - 3 bullets fit into 16 5/8 inches. And for good reason—the .408 Chey Tac is designed for deadly accuracy. Its aerodynamics effectively combat friction in flight, and the initial speed is 914 m/s. On the TV show “Future Weapons,” a former SEAL unit hit a silhouette target with it 3 out of 6 times at 2,313 m.