In the early 1980s, a competition for new sniper rifles was announced in the British Army, which was to replace the obsolete Enfield L42 models. Among various types of small arms, the expert commission noted AWP sniper rifles - products of the British company Accuracy International. This model of the Arctic Warfare series, having become a winner in the competition, under the designation L96 was adopted by the British Army. This article describes and describes the AWP rifle.
What does Arctic Warfare mean?
The AWP rifle (photo presented in the article) was created specifically for the army. The name of the series translates from English as “Arctic Warfare” (AW). The letter P (Polize) indicates that this model is intended for use by law enforcement agencies. L96 - release number of this weapon. Thanks to the special design features of AWP rifles, they can be used at temperatures below 40 degrees.
Description
A distinctive feature of the AWP rifle from other sniper models is the unusual design of its stock. As a basis for it, the English developers used an aluminum beam, to which a barrel, a receiver and a USM are attached. The box itself consists of two plastic halves attached on both sides to an aluminum beam. It is also called the "chassis." Thus, a rigid frame made of aluminum alloy is a place for attaching all parts of the rifle. The design is characterized by increased rigidity, which positively affected the accuracy of the battle. In addition, the owner of such a model of weapons does not have any difficulties during the maintenance of the rifle.
All its parts are very carefully adjusted, which eliminates their wear or loosening. When mounting the receiver as an adhesive, epoxy is used. First, the master’s box is put on glue, and then screwed to the frame. On the surface of the receiver and the trunks themselves, a special epoxy coating is applied in black, green or camouflage shades. Some rifles are painted olive green.
AWP is a magazine rifle equipped with a sliding bolt. With its help, weapons are locked. The rotary shutter angle in AWP, as in other modern models of this design, is reduced to 60 degrees. The front of the rifle contains three combat stops for the shutter. The function of the fourth is performed by its rotary handle. It is equipped with a massive spherical knob, due to which it is quite easy to manage. The stroke of the shutter does not exceed 10 cm, the striker to the capsule - 6 mm. Thanks to this, a little time is needed to fire the rifle mechanism.
The weapon is equipped with a special anti-icing design: for the bolt longitudinal grooves are provided, allowing it to work reliably at very low temperatures. The pulling force is not more than 2 kg. The shooters appreciated the high efficiency of the trigger mechanism: it functions properly even in a state of severe pollution. The bolt handle is locked and the trigger and hammer are locked by a fuse. When using this sniper rifle, random shots are excluded.
Butt device
The butt is equipped with a special hole for the thumb and an emphasis on the cheek, which, if necessary, can be easily adjusted in height. It is equipped with a sniper rifle with replaceable butt plates. They have different thicknesses, which allows them to be adjusted to the individual parameters of shooters. Mount the recoil pad to the base of the rifle. The mount can be adjusted in vertical and horizontal planes. Thanks to this design feature, the rifle is convenient to use in various positions.
Sighting devices
For AWP rifles, open sights and optical sights are provided. They are installed on the weaver slats. The installation process is simple and takes only a few seconds. In addition to optical sights, when shooting, you can also use mechanical. It is designed for a distance of up to 800 meters. The mechanical sight is represented by a height-adjustable front sight, for which special protective pads are provided. The front sight can contain two types of pillars:
- "Swedish". An English manufacturer, it is made for the armed forces of Sweden. This pillar is designed for a distance of 200 to 600 meters. It is regulated in the horizontal plane.
- "Belgian". Designed for the Belgian Armed Forces. This pillar is an unregulated folding, diopter product. It is designed for a distance of at least 400 meters.
Trunk
Rifles are equipped with heavy match trunks. Stainless steel is used for their manufacture. The barrel is free-oscillating, equipped with a special thread through which it is mounted in the receiver. Also, the barrel is equipped with a locking ring and grooves for combat stops. In some rifle trunks, the presence of flame arresters, muzzle brakes and silencers is not ruled out. Integrated silencers can also be found in sniper rifles of this series.
Ammunition
The sniper rifle is produced under cartridges of the NATO standard caliber of 7.62 mm. They are kept in removable steel box-type stores. The store has a capacity of five ammunition.
The performance characteristics
The AWP rifles have the following parameters:
- The total length is 127 cm.
- Barrel length 66 cm.
- Weighs a rifle without ammunition and sights - 6.8 kg.
- Magazine capacity - 5 rounds.
- Caliber - 7.62 mm NATO.
- Shop - removable box.
- The maximum sighting range is 800 meters.
- Used by police special forces.
