M110sass Sniper Rifle

The M110 SASS (Semi-Automatic Sniper System) is billed as an anti-material and anti-personnel sniper rifle firing the 7.62x51mm NATO standard cartridge. At the moment, it is being heralded as the best sniper rifle of its class and has already seen operational actions in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division with excellent results. The system was developed in response to the shortcoming presented by the M24 SWS (Sniper Weapon System), specifically when using the bolt-action platform in a target rich environment. The M110 promotes a better rate-of-fire and higher lethality than her Remington M24 predecessor.

The basic premise behind the development of the M110 centered around the principle of self-defense for the sniper. Being a semi-automatic magazine-fed weapon, complete with a 10- or 20-round box of ammunition, the M110 can easily be turned from an offensive performer to a defensive one should the need arise. Based on battlefield data covering over five years, the M110 was born directly from these after-action reports where one too many instances saw the sniper or spotter in trouble from advancing enemy threats with little to counter the threat. As a semi-automatic weapon with no bolt-handle to operate, the sniper need not be distracted with the operation of loading the next cartride into the chamber. The M110 now offers the sniper a more dynamic battlefield role in which his own - and his spotter's - livelihood can now be considered in safer hands.

The M110 is fielded with a suppressor (optional), a detachable folding bipod and the XM151 spotting 3.5-10x variable scope on the MIL-STD-1913 rail system. A hard or soft case is also part of the SASS package as are the varying-count magazines (10- or 20-round magazine), user documentation and maintenance tools, applicable cleaners and equipment.

The firing action is semi-automatic, gas-operated from a roating bol design. Muzzle velocity is listed at roughly 2,571 feet per second with an effective range between 800 and 1,000 meters. The buttstock is adjustable and can compress the overall 46.5 inch length down to a manageable 50.5 inches. Fully-loaded, the rifle weighs approximately 15.3lbs.