The Accuracy International AWM (Arctic Warfare Magnum or AI-Arctic Warfare Magnum) is a
bolt-action
Bolt action is a type of manual Action (firearms), firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt (firearms), turn-bolt via a cocking handle, bolt handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the firearm (a ...
sniper rifle
A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long range shooting, long-range rifle. Requirements include high accuracy, reliability, mobility, concealment, and optics, for anti-personnel weapon, anti-personnel, anti-materiel rifle, anti-materiel and sur ...
manufactured by
Accuracy International
Accuracy International is a British firearms manufacturer based in Portsmouth, England. The company specializes in sniper rifles, anti-materiel rifles and civilian competition rifles.
The company was founded in 1978 by a group of individual ...
designed for magnum rifle cartridges. The Accuracy International AWM is also unofficially known as the AWSM (Arctic Warfare Super Magnum), which typically denotes AWM rifles chambered in
.338 Lapua Magnum.
On 9 September 2012, Accuracy International announced that the .338 Lapua Magnum AWM rifle was phased out and replaced by the
Accuracy International AXMC sniper rifle. The bolt action of the AXMC was designed to be significantly stronger and more capable of handling higher chamber pressures and temperatures and thus higher
bolt thrust
Bolt thrust or breech pressure is a term used in internal ballistics and firearms (whether small arms or artillery) that describes the amount of rearward force exerted by the propellant gases on the Bolt (firearms), bolt or Breechblock, breech of a ...
safely compared to the AWM and hence is longer and wider. The AXMC magazine was also appropriately enlarged to function with .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges loaded to the
(C.I.P.) maximum allowed overall length of .
Arctic Warfare Magnum System
The Accuracy International AWM sniper rifle is a variant of the British
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International. It has proved popular as a civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in the ...
(AW) rifle that was the basis of a
family of sniper rifles using the Arctic Warfare name. As such the
design details
A design is the concept or proposal for an object, process, or system. The word ''design'' refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, and is sometimes used to refer to the inherent nature of something ...
of the AWM variant are similar to the ones found in the basic AW rifle system. Compared to the AW, the AWM has a longer bolt to accommodate larger magnum-length cartridges such as the
.300 Winchester Magnum and the .338 Lapua Magnum. The bolt head, locking ring, and extractor and magazines were also revised to work with the increased size and operating pressures of magnum rifle cartridges.
The AWM features a detachable single stack
removable box magazine which holds five rounds. The normal cartridges for this rifle, and the ones which have been accepted by NATO for use in AWM rifles, are .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum.
Muzzle brake
A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral (ported barrel) to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter re ...
s are fitted to reduce recoil, jump and flash and act as a base for optional
iron sights
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons such as firearms, airguns, crossbows, and bows, or less commonly as a primitive finder sight for optical telescop ...
and
suppressor
A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a gun barrel#Muzzle, muzzle device that suppresses the muzzle blast, blast created when a gun (firearm or airgun) is discharged, thereby reducing the sound inten ...
s.
Standard configurations include a
Schmidt & Bender PM II 5-25×56FFP MK II
telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a ''reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate p ...
with P4F graticule but variants with variable magnification of either 3–12×50 or 4–16×50 are also available. Accuracy International actively promotes fitting the German made Schmidt & Bender PM II/MILITARY MK II product line as sighting components on their rifles, which is rare for a rifle manufacturer. The German and Russian Army prefer a telescopic sight made by
Zeiss.
The AWM rifle is normally supplied in a metal transit case together with a telescopic sight, mount, butt spacers, bipod, spare magazines, sling, cleaning and tool kits.
Magnum chamberings
.300 Winchester Magnum
The .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62×67mm) cartridge was designed as a magnum hunting cartridge and offers a flatter trajectory and a significant increase in muzzle velocity, wind resistance and supersonic range over the smaller
7.62×51mm NATO
The 7.62×51mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 7.62 NATO) is a rimless, straight walled, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It is a standard for small arms among NATO countries.
First developed in the 1950s, the cartridge had first be ...
cartridge. The ability of the .300 Winchester Magnum chambering to obtain fairly high muzzle velocities, combined with relatively heavy and long
very-low-drag bullets, significantly enhance the hit probability at longer ranges and hence the effective range compared to the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The AWM chambered for the .300 is fitted with a fluted, stainless steel barrel that is long and features a non-traditional 279.4 mm (1:11 in) right-hand twist rate.
.338 Lapua Magnum

The AWM in the .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm) calibre was designed as a dedicated long range sniper rifle. The rifle is fitted with a stainless steel, fluted, barrel, which research has found to be the best compromise between muzzle velocity, weight, and length. The barrel has an unconventional 279 mm (1:11 in) right-hand twist rate, optimized for firing .338-calibre very-low-drag bullets up to 16.85 g (260 gr). When the AWM .338 Lapua Magnum was developed military issue cartridges were loaded with 16.2 g (250 gr) very-low-drag bullets. Longer, heavier very-low-drag bullets like the Sierra HPBT MatchKing .338-calibre 19.44 g (300 gr) and the 21st century 19.44 gram (300 grain) .338-calibre HPBT Scenar can be used, but require a 254 mm (1:10 in) twist rate to stabilize them under high air density conditions as found on arctic coasts.
A limitation of AWM rifles is that .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges loaded to the
(C.I.P.) maximum allowed overall length of do not fit in the magazine due to a lack of internal magazine length. This is because the AWM bolt action was initially developed for smaller cartridges, and then modified for the .338 Lapua Magnum chambering. Ammunition manufacturers produce .338 Lapua Magnum military issue cartridges loaded with 16.2 g (250 gr) very-low-drag bullets (overall length ≤ ) that fit in the long AWM magazines. As long as .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges that fit in the magazines are used, the AWM rifles can be used as repeating rifles instead of single shot rifles.
To address .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition length limitations of the AWM, Accuracy International has since developed the
AX338 long range rifle as the AWM successor model. The bolt action of the AX338 is longer and wider than the AWM, and the internal magazine is lengthened, allowing the unimpaired use of .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges loaded to the C.I.P. (Permanent International Commission for the Proof of Firearms Portable) maximum allowed overall length of . Furthermore, the AX338 has a 238 mm (1:9.375 in) twist rate to adequately stabilize longer, heavier .338 caliber very-low-drag projectile designs that became more common in the 21st century.
Ammunition types available for the .338 Lapua Magnum are
FMJ,
hollow point,
armour piercing (AP) and armour piercing incendiary (API).
Extreme range confirmed sniper kill
In November 2009, British Army sniper
Corporal of Horse (CoH) Craig Harrison, a member of the
Household Cavalry, set the record for
longest recorded sniper kill, at the time, by killing two Taliban machine gunners consecutively south of
Musa Qala in
Helmand Province
Helmand (Pashto language, Pashto/Dari language, Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering ...
in Afghanistan at a range of taking 10 shots to hit the target, using a L115A3 Long Range Rifle.
Military adoption
British Armed Forces
The
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the unified military, military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its British Overseas Territories, Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests ...
adopted the AWM rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum as the L115A1 Long Range Rifle. The British L115A1 rifles are outfitted with Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 mm PM II/MILITARY MK II 3-12×50 mm 0.1
mil telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a ''reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate p ...
s. The L115A1 is in service with the
Royal Marines
The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...
, British Army and RAF Regiment in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In November 2007 the British
Ministry of Defence
A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
(MOD) announced that their snipers in the Army, Royal Marines and RAF Regiment were to get a new rifle. Accuracy International would supply 580 L115A3 Long Range Rifles with daytime telescopic sights. The L115A3 is being supplied as part of a broader Sniper System Improvement Programme (SSIP) which also includes night sights, spotting scopes, laser rangefinders and tripods. The L115A3 rifle was first deployed to Afghanistan in May 2008.
Some features of the improved L115A3 include:
* Schmidt & Bender 5-25×56 mm PM II LP/MILITARY MK II 5-25×56 0.1 mil parallax, illumination, double turn telescopic sights
*
Suppressor
A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a gun barrel#Muzzle, muzzle device that suppresses the muzzle blast, blast created when a gun (firearm or airgun) is discharged, thereby reducing the sound inten ...
s to reduce the flash and noise signature;
* Folding stocks for better carrying in a backpack;
* Adjustable cheek pieces for more comfort and better eye alignment with the telescopic sight
* Butt spikes (
monopod
A monopod, also called a unipod, is a single staff or pole used to help support cameras, binoculars, rifles or other precision instruments in the field.
Camera and imaging use
The monopod allows a still camera to be held steadier, allowing ...
s) to aid stability during firing
* Adjustable bipods, which differ from the original Accuracy International bipod
* 5-round
box magazine
A magazine, often simply called a mag, is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). The magazine functions by holdi ...
s.
The MOD claims a muzzle velocity of 936 m/s (3,071 ft/s) for the L115A3 (another folding stock variant next to the AWM-F).
When the L115A3 Long Range Rifle was only six years into its life cycle the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognized the improved capabilities of the AX series rifles in regard to special forces use. The AX series new chassis system provided more flexibility to utilize (future) low light and day light aiming optics, laser designators, and other accessories without the need for custom made mounting interface kits. The right folding AX series chassis system was also more compact in the folded configuration making it more portable and concealable, and featured a pistol grip. On request of the MOD Accuracy International explored the possibility of updating the L115A3 Long Range Rifle to the AX series chassis system, to produce a rifle that is a hybrid of AWM and AX features. The AX enhancements were well received by the MOD and British snipers, and an update programme was launched thus producing the L115A4. The L115A4 can easily be mistaken for a new AX series rifle. The Schmidt & Bender 5-25×56 mm PM II LP/MILITARY MKII 5-25×56 as well as the suppressor, bipod and several other accessories from the L115A3 were reused in the L115A4 resulting in significant cost savings. Along with the rifle updates, the L115A4 includes a new deployment case, maintenance kit, and other accessories.
Dutch Armed Forces
The AWM-F commonly referred to as ''Geweer Lange Afstand (GLA)'' (Long Range Rifle) chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum has been introduced from 1996 by the
Dutch Army's
Korps Commandotroepen snipers and the AWM is used by all ''Schutter Lange Afstand (SLA)'' (Long Range Marksmen) of the
11 Luchtmobiele Brigade
The 11th Airmobile Brigade () is the rapid light infantry brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army, focused on conducting air assault operations. Troops of the brigade are qualified to wear the maroon beret upon completion of the demanding training ...
(airborne infantry),
13th Light Brigade (motorised infantry),
43rd Mechanized Brigade (mechanized infantry). In 2007 the snipers of the
Netherlands Marine Corps
The Royal Netherlands Marine Corps () is the elite naval infantry corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy, one of the four Netherlands Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The marines trace their origins to the establishme ...
also received this sniper rifle. The Dutch AWM-F rifles are outfitted with Schmidt & Bender 10×42 PM II and 3-12×50 PM II telescopic sights. The rifles are designated as ''Accuracy, .338'' (Accuracy anti personnel sniper rifle .338) and the
Military of the Netherlands
The Netherlands Armed Forces () are the military forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (mainland Netherlands in Europe and islands of the Dutch Caribbean). The armed forces consist of four service branches: the Royal Netherlands Navy (), the ...
claim a maximum effective range of for their AWM-F rifles and have used these rifles in Afghanistan with great success.
German Armed Forces
Since 1998 the
Bundeswehr
The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...
fields an AWM-F chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62 × 67 mm in Bundeswehr nomenclature), with a 3–12×56 SSG telescopic sight made by the German company Zeiss, under the designation of G22 (for ''Gewehr 22'') or ''Scharfschützengewehr 22'' (''sniper rifle 22''). The German G22 rifles have folding stocks and emergency iron sights. For their G22 rifles, the Bundeswehr claims an effective range of and muzzle velocity of .
The German ammunition manufacturer Metallwerk Elisenhütte Nassau (MEN) has specially developed 7.62 × 67 mm ammunition for the G22.
The Carl Zeiss Optronics (previously branded as Hensoldt) telescopic sight has a
mil-dot reticle and a scale that enables the operator to see the dialled in elevation setting through the rifle scope's ocular. The Bundeswehr 3–12×56 SSG telescopic sight differs somewhat from the further developed 3–12×56 SSG-P telescopic sight. The Bundeswehr telescopic sight has no parallax setting option and the range scale has a setting range from 0 to 10 instead of 0 to 11 symbolizing the 11.2 milliradian elevation adjustment range shown in the current Carl Zeiss Optronics 3–12×56 SSG-P telescopic sight brochure.
The G22A1 has a Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 telescopic sight and Harris Engineering bipod and is in use with German special forces.
The G22A2 is an upgraded variant featuring an AX series chassis stock, a new monopod and bipod, a new double chamber muzzle brake and a Steiner-Optik GmbH M5Xi 5-25×56 MTC LT LPF – TreMoR3s telescopic sight. The accessory pack besides spare and maintenance parts includes a Kestrel 5700 Elite Weather Meter with an integrated ballistic calculator. In 2019 Accuracy International was awarded a contract to refurbish and upgrade all G22 and G22A1 rifles to the G22A2 standard.
Royal Malaysia Police
The ''
Unit Tindakhas'' (UTK) of the ''
Pasukan Gerakan Khas
''Pasukan Gerakan Khas'' (Abbreviation: PGK; 'Special Operations Command — Police SOCOM', Jawi script, Jawi: ڤاسوكن ڬرقن خاص) is a special operations Command (military formation), command of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The ...
'' (PGK)
sniper
A sniper is a military or paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic si ...
s from the
Royal Malaysia Police
The Royal Malaysia Police (often abbreviated RMP) (; Jawi script, Jawi: ), is a (primarily) uniformed national and federal police force in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organisation, and its headquarters are located at Bukit Aman, Kuala ...
use the AWM chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum alongside the
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International. It has proved popular as a civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in the ...
chambered in 7.62mm.
Norwegian Special Forces
The snipers of
Marinejegerkommandoen and
Forsvarets Spesialkommando
Forsvarets Spesialkommando (FSK) (English: Special Operations Commando) is a special operations force unit in the Norwegian Armed Forces.
The unit was established in 1982Monica RikollForsvarets spesialkommando feiret 50-års-jubileum NRK, 1 Sep ...
are known to have used the AWM, chambered in either
.300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua Magnum,
Russian Alpha Group
The snipers of the Russian
Alpha Group counter-terrorism unit are using the AWM-F chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum with Zeiss 3–12×56 SSG series telescopic sights.
South Korean Special Forces
The
707th Special Mission BN from the
Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the largest of the military branches of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces with 365,0 ...
and the
Republic of Korea Naval Special Warfare Flotilla from the
ROK Navy use AWM series sniper rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum outfitted with Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 PM II telescopic sights. It has had some telescopic sight attachment problems.
Users

* : AWM – .338 Lapua Magnum version is used by the Special Forces of the National Guard.
* : AWM-F (Bundeswehr designation G22) – .300 Winchester Magnum.
*: AWM is used by the ''
Komando Pasukan Katak'' (Kopaska) tactical diver group and ''
Komando Pasukan Khusus'' (Kopassus) special forces group.
*: AWM - .338 Lapua Magnum version is used by the
Army Ranger Wing
The Army Ranger Wing (ARW) (, "''SFA''") is the special forces, special operations force of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces, the military of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is a branch of the Irish Army, it also selects pers ...
.
*: AWM – .338 Lapua Magnum version is used by the
9th Parachute Assault Regiment "Col Moschin".
* : AWSM - .338 Lapua Magnum version is used by the Malaysian police with the PGK special operations police force.
* : AWSM -
.338 Lapua Magnum or
.300 Winchester Magnum variants in use by Special Forces Snipers of th
Force Elements at Readiness (FEAR) QRF Unit
* : AWM, AWM-F and AXMC – .338 Lapua Magnum
* : AWM – .300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua Magnum versions.
* : AWM-F – .338 Lapua Magnum version;
GROM;
1 Pułk Specjalny Komandosów
* : AWM - .338 Lapua Magnum version is used by the
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army () is the land component of the Portuguese Armed Forces, Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...
.
* : AWM-F – .338 Lapua Magnum is used by the
Alpha Group counter-terrorism unit.
* : AWM – .300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua Magnum versions.
* : Is used by the
707th Special Mission Group.
* : AWM - .338 Lapua Magnum version, used by special forces.
* : AWM – .338 Lapua Magnum version (
Turkish Armed Forces
The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF; , TSK) are the armed forces, military forces of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. The TAF consist of the Turkish Army, Land Forces, the Turkish Navy, Naval Forces and the Turkish Air Force, Air Forces. The Chief of ...
Semdinli Sniper Team)
* : AWM – .338 Lapua Magnum version, donated by the Netherlands in response to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
.
* : AWM – .338 Lapua Magnum version.
* : AWM - .338 Lapua Magnum version
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Accuracy International Awm
.338 firearms
.338 Lapua Magnum rifles
Bolt-action rifles of the United Kingdom
Post–Cold War weapons of the United Kingdom
Sniper rifles of the United Kingdom
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1996