M24 Sniper Weapon System
| Rifle, 7.62 mm, Sniper Weapon System, M24 | |
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The M24 rifle
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| Type | Sniper rifle |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1988–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars |
Persian Gulf War War in Afghanistan Iraq War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1988 |
| Manufacturer | Remington Arms |
| Produced | 1988 – c. 2010 |
| No. built | 15,000 |
| Variants | M24A2, M24A3, M24E1 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 5.4 kg (11.88 lbs) empty, w/. sling, without scope (M24) 7.3 kg (16 lbs) max weight with day optical sight, sling swivels, carrying strap, fully loaded magazine 5.6 kg (12.32 lbs) empty, w/sling, without scope (M24A3). |
| Length | 1,092 mm (43 in) (M24A1, M24A2); (46.5 in) (M24A3) |
| Barrel length | 610 mm (24 in)(M24A1, M24A2); 685.8 mm (27 in) (M24A3) |
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| Cartridge |
7.62×51mm NATO (M24, M24A2) .338 Lapua Magnum (M24A3) |
| Action | Bolt-action |
| Rate of fire | 20 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 2,580 ft/s (790 m/s) w/M118LR Sniper load (175 gr.) |
| Effective firing range |
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| Feed system | 5-round internal magazine (M24), 5-round detachable box magazine (M24A2, M24A3) |
| Sights | Telescopic; detachable backup iron sights |
7.62×51mm NATO (M24, M24A2)
The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) 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 referred to as a "weapon system" because it consists of not only a rifle, but also a detachable telescopic sight and other accessories.
The M24 SWS has the "long action" bolt version of the Remington 700 receiver but is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO "short action" cartridge that has an overall length of 2.750 inches (69.85 mm). The "long action" allows the rifle to be re-configured for dimensionally larger cartridges up to 3.340 inches (84.84 mm) in overall length.
The M24 originally came tapped for the Leupold Ultra M3A 10×42mm fixed-power scope, which came with a circle-shaped mil-dot glass-etched reticle. This was later replaced in 1998 by the cheaper Leupold Mk 4 LR/T M1 10×40mm fixed-power scope with an elongated-shaped mil-dot wire reticle.
The first number is the scope's magnification (10) and the second number in millimeters (40mm) is the diameter of the objective lens. A fixed power scope has only one magnification (e.g., 10×) and a variable power scope can be adjusted to focus between a range of magnifications (e.g., 3–9× is adjustable from a minimum power of 3× to a maximum power of 9×). The rifle itself comes with a detachable Harris 9–13" 1A2-LM or Harris 9–13" 1A2-L bipod unit.
The M24 SWS was to be replaced with the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, a contract awarded to Knight's Armament Company. However, the Army still continued to acquire M24s from Remington until February 2010 and upgraded to the A2 and M24E1 standard in many cases, continuing to serve. The Army chose to upgrade its entire M24 rifle fleet to the M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle, with the final M24 being converted in April 2014.
Sights: Leupold Ultra M3A 10×42mm fixed power, or Leupold Mk 4 LR/T M3 10×40mm fixed power scope. Detachable emergency Redfield-Palma International back-up iron sights, they are attached to iron sight bases that are screwed into drilled and tapped holes machined into the front of the barrel and back on the left side of the receiver. In 2001 when Remington had the second contract to the U.S. military, minor changes were done to the M24. These changes included two piece Leupold Mark 4 scope ring bases instead of the one piece on the first series rifles, and a switch from Redfield-Palma International iron sights to another manufacturer OK Weber. Redfield was out of business by then, necessitating a change.
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