M21 Sniper Weapon System
Rifle, 7.62 mm, Sniper, M21 | |
---|---|
Type | Sniper rifle/Designated marksman rifle |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1968–present |
Used by | See Users |
Wars |
|
Production history | |
Designer |
|
Designed | 1968 |
Manufacturer | |
Variants | box magazine |
Sights | Front: National Match front blade. Rear: Match-grade hooded aperture with one-half minute adjustments for both windage and elevation 26+3⁄4 in sight radius. |
The M21 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) in the US Army is a national match grade M14 rifle, selected for accuracy, and renamed the M21 rifle.[5] The M21 uses a commercially procured 3–9× variable power telescopic sight, modified for use with the sniper rifle.[6] It is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge.
Overview
The use of "sharpshooters" (or snipers) can be traced in U.S. military history from the time of the Revolutionary War of 1775–1781. Every U.S. military action since that time has required the special talent of such men. From 1955 to 1956, the United States Army Marksmanship Training Unit undertook a program to "reiterate the lessons learned" from past wars. However, this program was short-lived. The prevailing military attitude then envisioned any future conflict as nuclear with defeat or victory decided in hours.[7]
With the adoption of the M14 service rifle, no provision was made for an M14 sniper rifle, [and] the designation of a sniper in the rifle squad was discontinued.
This version, designated as the XM21, had a specially selected walnut stock and was first fielded in the second half of 1969. An improved version with a fiberglass stock was designated the M21 in 1972. The M21 remained the Army's primary sniper rifle until 1988, when it was replaced by the M24 Sniper Weapon System; some M21s were later re-issued and used in the Iraq War.[10][11]
In standard military use, the M21 uses a 20-round
The M21 was criticized by an internal
Service
The XM21 Sniper Weapon System was issued to U.S. Army snipers during the Vietnam War, along with a commercially available sniper scope for day use, and a PVS-2
The XM21 served from 1969 to 1975, and the M21 officially served as the main Army sniper rifle from 1975 to 1988 until the introduction of the M24, which had supplanted the M21 in Ranger Battalions by 1990. However, many M14 and M21 variants came back into favor in the Iraq and Afghan wars in the 2000s.[11][13]
Users
- El Salvador[14]
- Israel[2]
- Panama: Formerly used by the defunct Panama Defense Forces[15]
- Philippines Philippine Army - Standard issue sniper rifle for regular infantry units. Being refurbished by Government Arsenal, while replacing key parts including installing new optics.[16]
- Tunisia[17]
- United States[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ "浴火重生——对越自卫反击战对我国轻武器发展的影响". September 23, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 9780850456028.
- ^ FM 23-8, April 1974, p. 7
- ^ TC 23-14, October 1969, p. 17
- ^ FM 23-8, M14 and M14A1 Rifles and Rifle Marksmanship. Headquarters, Department of the Army, April 1974, p. 178
- ^ TC 23-14, Sniper Training and Employment, Headquarters, Department of the Army, Oct 1969, p. 17
- ^ a b c TC 23-14, Oct 1969, p. 4
- ^ TC 23-14, Oct 1968, p. 5
- ^ Graff, Corey, https://gundigest.com/gun-reviews/optics-reviews/leatherwood-art-scope-m1000-review, History of the Leatherwood ART Scope, Gun Digest, 2020
- ^ "M21". November 10, 2010.
- ^ a b "U.S. Army M21 & XM21 Sniper Weapon System". Sniper Central. Archived from the original on December 12, 2006.
- ^ "Infantry News" (PDF). Vol. 79. US Army Infantry School. March–April 1989. p. 5.
- ^ M21 Sniper Rifle Archived October 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine – ArmyRanger.com
- ^ Montes, Julio A. (May 2000). "Infantry Weapons of the Salvadoran Forces". Small Arms Review. No. 8.
- ISBN 9781855321564.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20150923173943/http://www.arsenal.mil.ph/images/bulletjune2015issue.pdf
- ISBN 978-0935554007.