A designated marksman rifle (DMR) is a modern scoped high- precision

rifle A rifle is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a gun barrel, barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus o ...

used by

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

in the designated marksman (DM) role. It generally fills the engagement

range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...

gap between a service rifle and a dedicated

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 ...

, at around . DMRs are distinguished from sniper rifles in that they are semi-automatic to provide higher rates of fire (with some also having selective fire to switch to

burst Burst may refer to: *Burst mode (disambiguation), a mode of operation where events occur in rapid succession **Burst transmission, a term in telecommunications **Burst switching, a feature of some packet-switched networks **Bursting, a signaling mo ...

automatic Automatic may refer to: Music Bands * Automatic (Australian band), Australian rock band * Automatic (American band), American rock band * The Automatic, a Welsh alternative rock band Albums * ''Automatic'' (Jack Bruce album), a 1983 el ...

) and have larger

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

capacities (10, 20, or 30 rounds depending on the firearm and operational requirements) to allow rapid engagement of multiple targets. DMRs have to be effective, in terms of

hit rate Hit rate is a metric or measure of business performance traditionally associated with sales Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also co ...

s and

terminal ballistics Terminal ballistics is a sub-field of ballistics concerned with the behavior and effects of a projectile when it hits and transfers its energy to a target. This field is usually cited in forensic ballistics. Bullet design (as well as the veloci ...

, at application ranges exceeding those of ordinary

assault rifle An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, intermediate-rifle cartridge and a Magazine (firearms), detachable magazine.C. Taylor, ''The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat'', F.A. Moyer '' ...

s and

battle rifle A battle rifle is a service rifle chambered to fire a fully powered cartridge. The term "battle rifle" is a retronym created largely out of a need to differentiate automatic rifles chambered for fully powered cartridges from automatic rifles cha ...

s, but do not require the extended-range performance of a dedicated sniper rifle. DMRs need to function as part of

squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of Military organization, military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and United States, U.S. doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a fireteam, ...

(and possibly at close quarters) and often share some basic characteristics with sniper rifles when compared to other weapons carried in the DM's

platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

. They typically have

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 for more detailed observation and aiming, often also quick-deployed

bipod A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix and Greek root , meaning "two" and "foot" respectively. Bipods are design ...

for optimized accuracy, reduced

recoil Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, for according to Newton's third law the force requ ...

and better stability, and an adjustable stock for better

ergonomics Ergonomics, also known as human factors or human factors engineering (HFE), is the application of Psychology, psychological and Physiology, physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Primary goa ...

Comparison to sniper rifles, battle rifles, and carbines

Most designated marksman rifles are based on modified designs of an

currently issued by a nation's military, or on a

that was formerly issued. The ammunitions used are often of the same

caliber In guns, particularly firearms, but not #As a measurement of length, artillery, where a different definition may apply, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge ( ...

as that of the machine guns within the same combat unit, typically a

fully powered cartridge A fully powered cartridge, also called full-power cartridge or full-size cartridge, is an umbrella term describing any rifle cartridge that emphasizes ballistics performance and single-shot accuracy, with little or no concern to its weight or ...

such as the 7.62 mm NATO. For example, battle rifles such as the M14,

FN FAL The FAL (, English: Light Automatic Rifle) is a battle rifle designed in Belgium by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal and others since 1953. During the Cold War the FAL was adopted by many countries of the NATO, North Atlantic Trea ...

AR-10 The ArmaLite AR-10 is a 7.62×51mm NATO battle rifle designed by Eugene Stoner in the late 1950s and manufactured by ArmaLite (then a division of the Fairchild (aircraft manufacturer), Fairchild Aircraft Corporation). When first introduced in 1956 ...

and

Heckler & Koch G3 The Heckler & Koch G3 () is a selective fire, select-fire battle rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO developed in the 1950s by the German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch, in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned firearms manufacturer CE ...

were largely replaced during the 1980s and 1990s by modern

s firing the 5.56 mm NATO

intermediate cartridge An intermediate cartridge is a rifle/ carbine cartridge that has significantly greater power than a pistol cartridge but still has a reduced muzzle energy compared to fully powered cartridges (such as the .303 British, 7.62×54mmR, 7.65×53 ...

for standard riflemen, but many were accurized and retained as DMRs. Conversely, some nations have also built rifles that were designed for the designated marksman from the ground up. Examples include the Soviet SVD and Chinese QBU-88.

Sights

Operation Inherent Resolve 160928-A-JA380-157

Some designated marksman rifles will have some type of optical sight with a higher magnification level than the standard-issue rifle. For example, the Squad Designated Marksman Rifle issued to U.S. Army marksmen is frequently fitted with a Trijicon 4× ACOG, while the standard-issue M4 carbine is often equipped with an unmagnified Aimpoint CompM2 or CompM4. Commonly, the sighting system will be the only difference between the standard rifle and the designated marksman rifle, as is the case with the F88S DMR issued to the Australian Army.

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 ...

s tend to have even greater magnification than designated marksman rifles, fitting their increased effective range in comparison, as is the case with the M110 SASS used by the U.S. Army, equipped with a Leupold 3.5-10× variable-power scope. However, some designated marksman rifles, such as the Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle or the Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle are fitted with scopes with similar magnification.

Barrels

In some cases, the designated marksman rifle will have a longer barrel than the standard issued rifle. For example, until October 2015, when the

M4 carbine The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by the US mi ...

was approved as the new standard-issue rifle, the M16A4 rifle was still standard issue throughout the United States Marine Corps. The barrel on the Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle, the current rifle used by the squad designated marksman in the USMC, is only 500 mm (18 in) long - 50 mm (2 in) shorter than the barrel on the standard rifle. This is no longer the case, however, as the M4 carbine has a barrel length of only 370 mm (14.5 in). Also, some rifles, such as the F88S Austeyr, have a barrel that is the same length as the standard service rifle. The FD-200 has an accurized barrel, also found on designated marksman rifles. Most sniper rifles, such as 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 ...

, have a barrel with a length of 610 mm (24 in) or greater. Only the Dragunov sniper rifle (SVD) and similar designated marksman rifles have a barrel of this length. The designated marksman rifles based on the M14 have barrels 460–560 mm (18–22 in) long.

Ammunition

In most cases, a designated marksman rifle will share the caliber and possibly even the ammunition type used by standard-issue rifles. DM rifles may be issued with standard ball ammunition, or special

match grade Match grade frequently refers to quality firearm parts and ammunition that are suitable for a competitive match. Sometimes it also refers to other devices and parts that are made with high precision in mind. Description In firearms, the term is ...

loads, such as 7.62 mm NATO 'M118LR' sniper round. Sniper rifles are (almost exclusively) deployed with match grade ammunition in order to take advantage of their full effective range and accuracy potential; in addition, some sniper rifles are chambered for specialized ammunition, such as .338 Lapua Magnum or .338 Norma Magnum, that they do not share with common weapons. In the U.S. military, designated marksman rifles chambered for 5.56 mm NATO have available the 5 g (77 grain) match grade Mk 262 Mod 0/1In the U.S. military, 7.62×51 mm (.308 rounds) are most commonly used for marksmen, as they are cheaper. cartridge that enhances the effective range to roughly . The effective range of semi-automatic rifles chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum or .338 Norma Magnum can exceed .

Action

All designated marksman rifles in use today are semi-automatic, some with select fire. Sniper rifles are generally

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 ...

rifles, but can also be semi-automatic.

Designated marksman rifles in service by nation

* : FAMTD is a variant of the

with an accurised barrel, sniper stock and bipod. * ** F88S Austeyr; 5.56 NATO standard-issue rifle, fitted with an enhanced optic is issued to one rifleman in each fire team in the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

. ** SR-25; 7.62mm NATO sniper rifle is often used to provide fire support. ** HK417; 7.62mm NATO battle rifle, interim F88S replacement for Afghanistan deployments. **

Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle The Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR) is an American military selective fire battle rifle, and a designated marksman rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It is a variant of the M14 battle rifle and was originally built for use ...

; 7.62mm NATO rifle is in limited service. * : The Steyr AUG HBAR-T, is a longer heavier-barreled version of the Steyr AUG designed for use as a designated marksman rifle that can be fitted with a variety of optical sights. * ** The Type 85 is the most seen weapon used as designated marksman rifle by the

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army () is the land warfare branch, and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to defend the land of Bangladesh from any external attack. Control of personnel and operations is ad ...

. ** Different variants of the

7.62mm NATO rifles modified with scopes and other tactical upgrades are used as designated marksman rifle as well. * : The

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

are phasing out the C7CT and C8CT designated marksman rifles, as well as the

T. with the Colt Canada C20 DMR * : The FD-200 is a variant of the SIG 542 with an accurised barrel, sniper stock and bipod. * : ** The QBU-88 is a designated marksman rifle deployed by the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

and

People's Armed Police ) , abbreviation = PAP ("People's Armed Police") CAPF ("Chinese Armed Police Force"), formerly abbreviated''Wujing'' ( zh , s = 武警 , p = Wǔjǐng , l = Armed Police , labels = no ), or WJ as on vehicle license plates , patch ...

, intended for aimed semi-automatic fire at ranges beyond the capabilities of standard infantry assault rifles. ** The QBU-191 is designated marksman rifle with an

effective range Effective range is a term with several definitions depending upon context. Distance Effective range may describe a distance between two points where one point is subject to an energy release at the other point. The source, receiver, and conditio ...

, fitted with an accurized long, heavy free-floating barrel, extended

handguard A barrel shroud is an external covering that envelops (either partially or full-length) the barrel of a firearm to prevent unwanted direct contact with the barrel (e.g. accidental collision with surrounding objects or the user accidentally touch ...

, 30-round box magazine and a QMK-191 variable-magnification (4-15×) telescopic sight. Selective fire with the full-auto mode is retained on the marksman rifle, improving its fire suppression capability. ** The Type 79 is the designated marksman rifle in Cold War era and still remains in use with reserve forces. * : CZ BREN 2 PPS * : The Heckler & Koch HK417 was the main DMR in use, by the

Royal Danish Army The Royal Danish Army (; ; ) is the land-based branch of the Danish Armed Forces, together with the Danish Home Guard. For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures, equipment and training methods ...

, but is pr 2021 transitioning to Colt Canada C20. * : The

FN SCAR The FN SCAR (SOF (Special Operations Forces) Combat Assault Rifle) is a family of gas-operated short-stroke gas piston automatic rifles developed by Belgian manufacturer FN Herstal (FN) in 2004. It is constructed with modularity for the United ...

is a designated marksman rifle fielded by the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

, alongside the HK 417, retiring the FR F2 sniper rifle. * ** The

German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

uses the G3A3ZF-DMR, a modified version of the Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle, as a designated marksman rifle and recently introduced the G28. ** The Heckler & Koch HK417 is chambered for 7.62mm NATO and has been adopted by several nations for use as a designated marksman rifle. * ** Galatz is standard-issue marksman rifle of Georgian Armed Forces, thought some reserve and second line units still use SVD. ** Some Georgian Special Army and Police units use VSS Vintorez, TAR-21,

and

M4A1 The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 rifle, M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by ...

configured as marksman rifles * ** The SVD is the main designated marksman rifle for the Hungarian Armed Forces. **

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

manufactures the bull-pup designed Szép sniper rifle chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO. ** Hungarian Special Forces uses also the

M24 Sniper Weapon System The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) or M24 is the military and police version of the Remington Model 700 rifle, ''M24'' being the model name assigned by the United States Army after adoption as their standard sniper rifle in 1988. The M24 is ref ...

. ** Hungarian Armed Forces designed the anti-material sniper weapons family called Gepárd. * ** The SVD is the DMR for the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

. Different variants of the INSAS family of weapons modified with scopes and other tactical upgrades are used as DMRs as well. **The IMI Tavor TAR-21 and the IMI Galil chambered for the 7.62 NATO round are issued to units of the Special Forces of India as a DMR. **The

SIG Sauer SIG Sauer is since the 1970s a combined brand name of several Firearms manufacturing companies, with SIG referring to ''Swiss Industry Group'' originally founded 1853, while the latter part comes from Sauer & Sohn, founded in 1751 in Germany a ...

SIG716i chambered for the 7.62 NATO Round are issued for the frontline units of the

as a battle rifle/DMR. * : ** The Pindad SS2-V4 is a designated marksman rifle said to be used by

Kopassus The Kopassus (, Special Forces Command) is an Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) special forces group that conducts special operations missions for the Indonesian government, such as Direct action (military), direct action, unconventional warfare, sabot ...

. It is based on the Pindad SS2, with a lengthened barrel and a telescopic scope

mounted Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, Co ...

on a

Picatinny rail The 1913 rail (MIL-STD-1913 rail) is an American rail integration system designed by Richard Swan that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It forms part of the NATO standard STANAG 2324 rail. It was originally used for mount ...

. ** Pindad SPM-1 * : The locally produced G3A6 fitted with Hadaf 3 telescopic sight is used as a designated marksman rifle by Iran Army special forces and Iranian Police Special Unit. * : The Tabuk is an adaptation of the Zastava M70 assault rifle used as a designated marksman rifle by the

Iraqi Army The Iraqi Ground Forces (Arabic: القوات البرية العراقية), also referred to as the Iraqi Army (Arabic: الجيش العراقي), is the ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It was formerly known as the Royal Iraq ...

. It is chambered for 7.62×39mm * ** The

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

formerly used the Galatz as a designated marksman rifle. The Galatz is a variant of the Galil assault rifle chambered for 7.62mm NATO. **The

is used as a marksman rifle, equipped with Harris bipod and

Trijicon Trijicon, Inc. ( ) is an American manufacturing company based in Wixom, Michigan, that designs and distributes sighting devices for firearms including pistols, rifles and shotguns. Trijicon specializes in self-luminous optics and night si ...

ACOG telescopic sights. The M4A1 replaced the M16A2, which is still used by some infantry reserve units. **The STAR-21 Tavor is a variant of the Tavor assault rifle used as a designated marksman rifle by the Israeli Defense Forces. It is fitted with a picatinny rail that allows for the attachment of various optical sights (typically an ACOG scope) and a bipod. ** The IWI Tavor X95-L, a variant of the Tavor with a longer 38 cm barrel, is used as a DMR. ** The Barrett REC10 is used as a DMR by special forces. * : The Beretta ARX200 is used as a designated marksman rifle. * : The Howa Type 64 is used as a marksman rifle. * : BA100, MAS-1 MK-I and MAS-1 MK-II are locally made designated marksman rifle that are used extensively in the country's

counter-insurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the ac ...

campaign * : LMT LM308MWS; 7.62mm NATO rifle used by the

New Zealand Army The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...

under the designation DMW. * : HK417; 7.62mm NATO gas-piston battle rifle. * : ** The Philippine Marine Scout Snipers developed and use the Marine Scout Sniper Rifle, a derivative of the M16 rifle. ** The

Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) () is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), responsible for ground warfare. , it had an estimated strength of 143,100 soldiers The service branch was established on December ...

uses the M14 as a marksman rifle, while some units also use the SR-25 in limited numbers. Newer M16-derived marksman rifles such the Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDMR) and the Special Purpose Rifle (SPR) in 5.56mm NATO have been introduced to replace the M14 and have been in service with the Army's 1st Scout Ranger Regiment since 2015. More recently the SIG 716 DMR has been adopted by the Philippine Army as its new standard designated marksman rifle in 7.62 NATO, with 829 units having been delivered as of early 2020. * : 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 ...

uses the Heckler & Koch G28E and FN SCAR H PR as a marksman rifle. * : The PSL (rifle) is a purpose-built designated marksman rifle chambered for 7.62×54mmR based on a modified Kalashnikov action. It is similar in appearance to the SVD, though the two rifles share little in common. * ** The SVD was the first rifle designed from the outset as what is now known as a designated marksman rifle. ** The

Dragunov SVU The OTs-03 SVU (, , Sniper Rifle Shortened) is a bullpup designated marksman rifle. The SVU was developed to meet the needs of the security forces of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, such as OMON. The SVU was first seen in use in the Fir ...

is a

bullpup A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the Chamber (firearms), breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, ...

variant of the SVD rifle ** The Chukavin SVCh is starting (2024) to replace the SVD in the Army of Russian Federation. * ** Accurised former standard service

South African Defence Force The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence Fo ...

R1 rifles are used by the

South African Army The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...

as designated marksman rifles. Being phased out in favour of the new R4 DMR modified rifle being introduced at section level. ** Scoped and accurised Vektor R4 rifles are used as designated marksman rifles by soldiers of the

. * ** The

Swiss Armed Forces The Swiss Armed Forces (; ; ; ; ) are the military and security force of Switzerland, consisting of land and air service branches. Under the country's militia system, regular soldiers constitute a small part of the military and the rest are ...

use the standard issue SIG SG 550 with a Kern 4×24

as a marksman rifle. ** SIG716 DMR Gen2 replacing SG 550. * ** L129A1 ; a 7.62 NATO, barrel variant of the SR-25 developed by Lewis Machine and Tool Company has been procured for use in Afghanistan. A 6× power ACOG is the standard-issue sight. * **The M14 rifle has formed the basis of several designated marksman rifles used by the

United States Military The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

: ***

: Used by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

and

Navy SEALs The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...

*** M14SE Crazy Horse: Used by the

101st Airborne Division The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division (military), division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault military operation, operations. The 101st is designed to plan, coordinat ...

and the 2nd Infantry Division of the US Army. *** M39 Enhanced Marksman Rifle: Used by the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

, replacing the United States Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle ** The

M16 rifle The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States Armed Forces, United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56×45mm automatic ...

has formed the basis of several designated marksman rifles used by the

: *** Colt Model 655 and 656: Never standardized. Predecessor to other M16-based designated marksman rifles. *** SDM-R: Used by the United States Army in limited numbers *** SAM-R: Used by the United States Marine Corps. Replaced by the Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle *** Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle: Used by the United States Navy SEALs, Rangers. Replacing the SAM-R in

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

Designated Marksman Rifle, replacing Mk 12 SPR ** The AR-10 rifle has formed the basis of several designated marksman rifles used by the

: *** SR-25 Mk 11: Used by the United States Marine Corps, United States Navy SEALs, and the United States Army. Replaced by the SSR Mk 20. ***

M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System The M110 Semi Automatic Sniper System (M110 SASS) is an American Semi-automatic firearm, semi-automatic sniper rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO round. It is manufactured by Knight's Armament Company, developed from the Knight's A ...

used by the

and

replacing some M39 and all SR-25 Mk 11. ** The Heckler & Koch HK417 in variant Sniper has been adopted by

Delta Force The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta (1st SFOD-D), also known as Delta Force, Combat Applications Group (CAG), or within Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) as Task Force Green, is a Special operation forces, special operat ...

of the

and

SEAL Team Six The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and unofficially known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often r ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

for use as a designated marksman rifle. *** M110A1: A version of G28E-110 which is a derivative of a civilian variant of HK417 has been adopted by the Army to replace the M14 EBR, SDM-R, and other older DMRs. ** The

in variant Sniper Support Rifle (SSR) Mk 20 Mod 0 has been adopted by all branches of

USSOCOM The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the United States Army Special Operations Command, Army, United Stat ...

(e.g. SEALs, Rangers, Army Special Forces, MARSOC, AFSOC) replacing the SR-25 Mk 11. * **The Zastava M76 is a designated marksman rifle based on a modified Kalashnikov action. It is chambered for 7.92×57mm Mauser. It has also been chambered in

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 ...

and 7.62×54mmR. ** The Zastava M91 is a purpose-built designated marksman rifle based on a modified Kalashnikov action and chambered for 7.62×54mmR.

Notes

References

{{Firearms Rifles