The US Army’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team has tested the new M110-A1 7.62-mm marksman rifle manufactured by German company Heckler & Koch Defense Inc.
Around 30 soldiers based in New York and Massachusetts participated in the two-day trial, learning how to operate the weapon and develop combat skills to help their units.
Participants were taught how to disassemble, reassemble, and fire the weapon and the impact of wind and elevation on longer-range fire. Afterward, soldiers practiced their skills with the new weapon, engaging in target practice at the Fort Drum sniper range.
“[The rifle] was developed to fill the gap between the rifleman and a sniper,” US Army training specialist David Beesley said in a press release.
M110-A1 Capabilities
Equipped with a Sig Sauer Tango6 optic and special buttstock and suppressor, the rifle can effectively shoot targets up to 300 meters (984 feet) away.
Beesley explained that the army needed a weapon with a range between 300 and 600 meters to reduce reliance on snipers for long shots.
Cavalry scout Sgt. Johnathan Harris stated that one advantage of using the new weapon is that soldiers will no longer have to carry much equipment for surveillance because the rifle has six-times zoom and night vision capabilities.
“It feels like this weapon and I belong together,” Cpl. Luis Alvarez, one of the soldiers to get his hands on the new firearm, remarked.
