The SEAL Recon Rifle (also known as the "Sniper M4"
and "Recce") is a heavily modified
M16-series rifle intended to provide
US Navy SEAL
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
snipers with a versatile, accurate, lightweight, and relatively compact weapon chambered in
5.56×45mm NATO
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, an ...
.
History
The concept of a 5.56
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
-based accurized rifle was first seen in 1993 when American troops were deployed in
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.
Development
Developed in-house by SEAL team armorers,
the rifle's existence was centered less around a rigid specification and more around the concept of an
accurized rifle that could share the duties and ammunition of fielded
M4 carbines, whilst also being able to engage targets beyond the carbines' range.
When further development was handed over to
Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division
Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane Division) is the principal tenant command located at Naval Support Activity Crane (NSA Crane). NSA Crane is a United States Navy installation located approximately southwest of Bloomingt ...
,
the
US Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
incorporated their own concepts and funding into the joint program, resulting in the
Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle
The United States Navy Mk 12 MOD 0/1/H Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) is a designated marksman rifle that was in service with United States Special Operations Forces in the designated marksman role until 2017, also designed to be shorter than stand ...
which many SEALs were disappointed with.
Former SEAL Sniper Kyle Defoor recounts:
Specifications
Initially, SEAL Recon Rifles were built in-house with the only requirements being a 16"
barrel (406mm), and the ability to shoot any
5.56×45mm cartridge
Cartridge may refer to:
Objects
* Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition
* ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device
* Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators
Other uses
* Cartridge (surname), a ...
in inventory, including the first iterations of the 77-grain (5g)
Mk262 Mod0 cartridge.
Otherwise, the rifle was individualized to the tastes of the user by the armorer or the SEAL themselves.
The stainless steel barrels were sourced from Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels, had a 1:8 (203mm) twist
a unique heavy profile, beginning at 0.980 inches (25mm) in diameter for the first 2.60 inches (66mm) of length, then narrowing down to 0.850 inches (22mm) in diameter, 0.750 inches (19mm) in diameter underneath the front sight block, and 0.725 inches (18mm) in diameter to the muzzle. These barrels were mated to flat-top upper receivers featuring a M1913 rail, to which optics and back-up
iron sights could be attached. Operators commonly chose to install back-up iron sights manufactured by
Knight's Armament Company
Knight's Armament Company (KAC) is an American firearms and firearms parts manufacturer, best known for producing the Rail Interface System (RIS) and the Rail Adapter System (RAS) grips for firearms use. They currently produce a variety of fire ...
, ARMS Inc, and Troy Industries with the rifles.
Recon rifles were reportedly fitted with free-float handguards, the most popular being the KAC M4 Match RAS and a longer-length LaRue free-float handguard, either of which provide plentiful rail space to mount accessories. KAC free-floated rails (P/N 20214) were part the Mk12 Mod 1 package and were in common use by the
Global War on Terror.
Barrels were sometimes fitted with Ops Inc 12th model suppressors and their accompanying muzzle brakes.
See also
*
Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle
The United States Navy Mk 12 MOD 0/1/H Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) is a designated marksman rifle that was in service with United States Special Operations Forces in the designated marksman role until 2017, also designed to be shorter than stand ...
References
External links
SEAL Recon Rifle images and parts-list at CloneRifles.com.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seal Recon Rifle
5.56×45mm NATO firearms
Rifles of the United States
Designated marksman rifles
ArmaLite AR-10 derivatives