Sniper Rifles

A sniper rifle is an accurate, often heavy-barrel variant of a rifle. They do not fall into a single category of rifle and can vary between manually-operated rifles and semi-automatic rifles. The main distinguishing features of a sniper rifle are its accuracy over long ranges and how the weapon is used.

Sniper rifles are accurate and chambered in a powerful round for one-shot stops. Sniper rifles may begin as traditional hunting rifles, but are often accurized and upgraded to bring out the full potential of the rifle. Other sniper rifles are AR-15s with a heavy free-floating barrel, a powerful optic, and an upgraded trigger. Modern sniper rifles typically have an optic or the option of adding an optic for accurately viewing targets.

The earliest sniper rifles were used during the American civil war. They were known as the Whitworth rifle. This rifle was much more accurate than traditional rifles at the time and some were even outfitted with a rudimentary scope. Sniper rifles are now a part of every major military force for accurate long-distance shooting.

Quick Facts

• The term sniper comes from the 1770s, when soldiers who could shoot the snipe bird were considered competent marksmen
• The longest sniper shot recorded was 2,707 yards, shot by a British sniper in Afghanistan. The sniper was using a L115A3 long-range rifle
• Modern sniper rifles rely heavily on powerful optics, but in the Revolutionary War, Timothy Murphy killed a British general with an iron-sighted rifle