Accuracy International AWM

Accuracy International AWM
British Armed Forces AWM 338, designated L115A3
Type	Sniper rifle
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1996–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Afghanistan War, Iraq War
Production history
Manufacturer	Accuracy International
Specifications
Weight	6.5 kg (14.3 lb) (.300 Winchester Magnum) 6.9 kg (15.1 lb) (.338 Lapua Magnum) with stock, bipod and empty magazine
Length	1200 mm (47.2 in) (.300 Win. Mag.) 1230 mm (48.4 in) (.338 Lapua Magnum)
Barrel length	660 mm (26 in) (.300 Win. Mag.) 686 mm (27 in) (.338 Lapua Magnum)
Cartridge	.300 Winchester Magnum .338 Lapua Magnum
Action	Bolt-action
Effective firing range	1,100 m (1,203 yd) (.300 Winchester Magnum) 1,500–1,700 m (1,640–1,859 yd) (.338 Lapua Magnum)
Maximum firing range	2300m
Feed system	5-round detachable box magazine
Sights	detachable aperture type iron sights day or night optics

The Accuracy International AWM (Arctic Warfare Magnum) is a bolt-action sniper rifle manufactured by Accuracy International designed for magnum rifle cartridge chamberings. 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.

In September 2012 Accuracy International announced that the AWM .338 Lapua Magnum rifle is being phased out and replaced by the Accuracy International AX338 rifle.

The Accuracy International AWM rifle is a variant of the British Accuracy International Arctic Warfare (AW) rifle that was the basis of a family of sniper rifles using the Arctic Warfare name. As such the design details 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 dimensionally 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 brakes are fitted to reduce recoil, jump and flash and act as a base for optional iron sights and suppressors.

Normally, the AWMs are outfitted with a Schmidt & Bender PM II 10×42/MILITARY MK II 10×42 telescopic sight with 10× fixed power of magnification. However, a Schmidt & Bender PM II/MILITARY MK II with variable magnification of either 3–12×50, 4–16×50 or 5–25×56 can be used if the operator wants more flexibility to shoot at varying ranges, or when a wide field of view is required. 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 preferred a telescopic sight made by Zeiss over Accuracy International's preference.