Army snipers get new XM110 rifle

A sniper with 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment trains on the new XM110 Semi-automatic Sniper System at FOB Salerno, Afghanistan

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.

Read the rest at Stars and Stripes

Related Link:
Sources: Long-range, armor-piercing precision sniper rifles, exported to Iran, now in hands of insurgents