Information AboutL96a1 |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ACCURACY INTERNATIONAL ARCTIC WARFARE | |
| 7.62 mm firearms | |
| bolt-action rifles | |
| sniper rifles | |
| modern german weapons | |
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a family of Bolt-action Sniper Rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International . It is a popular civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in the 1980s. HISTORY The Accuracy International PM (Precision '''M'''agazine) rifle was entered into a British competion in the early 1980s to replacement for the Lee-Enfield derived sniper rifles then in use by the British Army (e.g. L42 ). Accuracy International's name for this rifle was the '''PM'''; the Army designated it as the '''L96'''. It was selected over the Parker-Hale Model 82 (M85). A few years later, the Swedish military were also on the hunt for a new rifle, and Accuracy International entered an upgraded version of the PM, now known as the AW or '''Arctic Warfare'''. This was the start of the Arctic Warfare name, which would become the primary name of the rifle family despite its earlier names. The rifle now featured special de-icing features allowing it to be used effectively at temperatures as low as -40 °C (-40 °F). The stockhole, bolt, magazine release and trigger guard on the AW are large enough to facilitate use with heavy arctic Mittens . This version was accepted into use by the Swedes in 1988 as the PSG-90, and the improved version was also adopted by the British as the '''L96A1'''. It has since spawned an entire family using the Arctic Warfare name, and has been adopted by a number of other countries, including Australia , Germany , The Netherlands , and Singapore . Other AI rifles decended from the L96 include the AI AE, and the '''AI AS50''' (see ''variants'' below). DESIGN The AW is almost unique in being a purpose-designed sniper rifle, rather than an Accurized version of an existing, general-purpose rifle. Rather than a traditional Wooden or Polymer Rifle Stock , the AW has an aluminium bedding block bolted directly to the action, and which extends the entire length of the stock. Two hollow polymer "half stocks", usually green, are in turn bolted to the bedding block, creating a remarkably rugged, yet light, weapon. The AW's distinctive green thumbhole/ Pistol-grip stock, unique design and reliability in adverse Weather conditions have made it a popular, if expensive, weapon. The rifle is extremely accurate (about 0.5 MOA ), and its maximum effective range with a Schmidt & Bender 6 x 24 scope is around 600m. The AW is usually equipped with an integrated Bipod and it also has a monopod in the butt. Most Arctic Warfare rifles are chambered for 7.62 Mm NATO rounds, but can also be fitted for the 5.56 mm rounds. It is mounted with a standard scope and a muzzle brake to cut down on recoil. Currently it is in service with many Countries , including the United Kingdom , Australia , Germany , The Netherlands , Singapore , and Sweden . The L96A1 is the British designation given by the British Army to their version of the Accuracy Arctic Warfare ( AW ). Each country's rifles differ slightly. The Swedish PSG-90 for example, uses a different scope to that of the L96A1, and also uses Sabot rounds. The German Bundeswehr adopted a folding-stock Magnum version of the AW chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62x67 mm) as the Scharfschützengewehr 22 ( G22 ). VARIANTS There are two main types of AW models. Models offered by AI, and Type Classified models in Service with Goverments. AW model are related to, but not synonmous with specific models adopted by Countries.
Artic Warfare Variants:
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