The PGM 338, also known as the PGM .338 LM (LM - Lapua Magnum) or PGM Mini-Hecate .338, is French

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 ...

from the early 1990s (being produced since 1993). It uses the .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm) cartridge, which remains supersonic up to a range of 1200–1500 m depending on the exact ammunition type and environmental conditions. The PGM 338 is intended to fulfill a long-range anti-personnel role, and fills the capability void between the lighter

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 ...

(.308) anti-personnel sniper rifles, which do not have the sufficient maximum effective range to be effectively used at ultra long ranges, and the larger .50 BMG (12.7×99mm) anti-materiel rifles, which lack the portability of lighter systems. The PGM 338 was designed by Chris L. Movigliatti (when he worked for PGM Précision) of the Swiss AMSD company and is produced by PGM Précision of France. The rifle is distributed directly through PGM in France, Drake Associates, Inc. of the United States and Liemke Defence in Germany and other European countries. The PGM 338 main commercial competitors/equivalents on the high-end factory sniper rifle market are 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 ...

and

Sako TRG The Sako TRG (short for Finnish: "", " Precision Rifle G-series") is a bolt-action sniper rifle line designed and manufactured by Finnish firearms manufacturer SAKO of Riihimäki. It is the successor to the SAKO TR-6 target rifle, and thus the l ...

product lines. All these rifles are comparable performance-wise.

Design details

Like its larger brother - the

PGM Hécate II The Hécate II is the standard heavy sniper rifle and anti-materiel rifle of the French Army, sometimes known as the FR-12.7 ( or "12.7 mm calibre repeating rifle"). It is manufactured by PGM Précision of France. This is the largest weapon manufa ...

(chambered in .50 BMG), the PGM 338 is structured around a central rigid metal girder chassis, giving it a skeletal "barebones" appearance to minimize weight and simplify maintenance. The receiver is made from a high quality 7075 aircraft-grade

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which in most cases at least one is a metal, metallic element, although it is also sometimes used for mixtures of elements; herein only metallic alloys are described. Metallic alloys often have prop ...

, while the

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

bolt has three lugs that lock into a

barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden stave (wood), staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers ...

extension. It also has overpressure vent holes allowing high-pressure gases a channel of escape in the rare event of a cartridge case head failure. The barrel was designed by the German firm Lothar Walther and is cold hammer forged. The match grade fluted barrel is mounted fully floated and sports an integrated

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 ...

with a 50% recoil reduction effectiveness. The

features a non-conventional 305 mm (1:12 in) right-hand twist rate optimized for firing 16.2 gram (250 grain) .338-calibre very-low-drag bullets (VLD). Longer, heavier VLD bullets, like the Sierra HPBT MatchKing 19.44 gram (300 grain) projectile require a 254 mm (1:10 in) rifling twist rate. The furniture (pistol grip and forearm) is made from a

polymer A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their br ...

material and is mounted to the frame. The

buttstock A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock, or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attac ...

is made from metal and has an adjustable shoulder pad for comfortable aiming and minimizing the effects of

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 ...

on the operator. It is also adjustable for the length of pull and height, and can be folded to the left side of the receiver to reduce the overall dimensions of the rifle and make it more portable. An adjustable rear folding ground spike under the stock helps to keep the rifle in a stable position for extended periods of time and is most effective when coupled with the folding

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 ...

support under the rifle barrel. A

pistol grip On a firearm or other tools, a pistol grip is a distinctly protruded handle underneath the main mechanism, to be held by the user's hand at a more vertical (and thus more ergonomic) angle, similar to how one would hold a conventional pistol. ...

is used for comfortable wielding of the weapon, especially during prolonged periods of time during which the operator must be immediately ready to open fire. The rifle has a fully adjustable two-stage

trigger Trigger may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Trigger (''Only Fools and Horses''), in the TV sitcom * Trigger Argee, in science fiction short stories by James H. Schmitz * Devil Trigger, a transformation ability of ...

featuring an adjustable trigger pull weight of to that can be adjusted by an armourer and a fast lock time. The PGM 338 is fitted with 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 ...

so that it may be equipped with a wide range of commercial and

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

-standard optical sights, lights, night vision equipment and other tactical accessories. It also has an optional set of emergency

iron sight 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 telescope ...

s to be used in case of the failure of the primary sight. Normally muzzle brakes are fitted to reduce

, jump and flash. The PGM factory muzzle brakes are however detachable if a user does not wish to use it. In order to preserve an optimal shooting comfort, the factory advises to avoid firing without the muzzle brake or silencer attached. The PGM 338 is primarily intended for anti-personnel sniper work at distances between 500 and 1400 m, and can consistently achieve an accuracy of about 0.5 MOA with match-grade ammunition when employed by a qualified marksman. At distances below 500 m, the .338 Lapua Magnum would be too powerful for anti-personnel use and cause

overpenetration Stopping power is the supposed ability of a weapon – typically a ranged weapon such as a firearm – to cause a target (human or animal) to be incapacitated or immobilized. Stopping power contrasts with lethality in that it pertains only to a ...

in most circumstances, unless deep material penetration is required. At distances beyond 1200 m, the standard .338 Lapua Magnum bullets enter the transonic velocity region, thus significantly degrading its accuracy, but remaining somewhat reliable up to 1500 m. The rifle is most often used with a 10-round box magazine, although larger capacity magazines are also available. Factory accessories are: PGM sound-suppressor, ergonomic wooden grip, kit consisting of a long

and side Picatinny rails, PGM telescopic sight mounts, PGM back-up iron sights, transport case with formed foam and a carrying sling.

Users

*: Used by Army Special Forces *:

Chilean Army The Chilean Army () is the land arm of the Chilean Armed Forces. This 80,000-person army (9,200 of which are conscripts) is organized into six divisions, an army aviation brigade and a special operations brigade. In recent years, and after sever ...

with BOE *: Israel Special Forces *: Used by the 40th Ranger Regiment. *: GROM. *:

Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation Commandos is the special forces formation of the Singapore Army responsible for conducting special operations. Commandos are tasked with Infiltration tactics, infiltrating Airborne forces, behind enemy lines by Raid (military), raiding and recon ...

. *:

Slovenian Armed Forces The Slovenian Armed Forces or Slovenian Army (SAF; ; 'SV'' are the armed forces of Slovenia. Since 2003, it is organized as a fully professional standing army. The Commander-in-Chief of the SAF is the President of the Republic of Slovenia, ...

. 8.6 mm Mini Hecate Sniper Rifle
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References

External links

PGM PrécisionDrake AssociatesPGM 338 data sheetUser Manual PGM .338 LMSOCOM PSR Contenders by Tom BeckstrandPGM PRECISION .338 LAPUA MAG Drake Associates' PGM 338 by Charlie CutshawPGM Germany
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pgm 338 .338 Lapua Magnum rifles Bolt-action rifles of France Sniper rifles of France Military equipment introduced in the 1990s

Design details

Users

See also

References

External links