Sniper Rifle

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Lore & Background

The Whitworth rifle was arguably the first long-range sniper rifle in the world. Designed in 1854 by Sir Joseph Whitworth, a prominent British engineer, it used barrels with hexagonal polygonal rifling, which meant that the projectile did not have to "bite" into the rifling grooves as with conventional rifling. His rifle was far more accurate than the Pattern 1853 Enfield, which had shown weaknesses during the Crimean War. At trials in 1857, which tested the accuracy and range of both weapons, Whitworth's design outperformed the Enfield at a rate of about three to one. The Whitworth rifle was able to hit the target at a range of 2,000 yards (around 1,830 meters), whereas the Enfield could only manage it at a distance of 1,400 yards (around 1,280 meters). During the American Civil War, Confederate sharpshooters equipped with Whitworth rifles were tasked to kill Union field artillery crews, and were responsible for killing Major General John Sedgwick—one of the highest-ranking officers killed during the Civil War—at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. The first telescopic sights for rifles were developed earlier, in the 1830s–1840s, by American gunsmiths, allowing a marksman to more accurately observe and target objects at a greater distance than ever before. The telescopic sight, or scope, was originally fixed and could not be adjusted, which therefore limited its range. By the 1870s, the perfection of breech loading magazine rifles led to sniper rifles having "effective accurate" ranges of up to a mile away from their target.

In Their Own Story

During the Second Boer War, the latest breech-loading rifles with magazines and smokeless powder were used by both sides. The British were equipped with the Lee–Metford rifle, while the Boers had received the latest Mauser Model 1895 rifles from Germany. In the open terrain of South Africa, the marksman was a crucial component in battle. The Lovat Scouts was a British Army unit formed in 1899 that was renowned for the expert marksmanship and stalking skills of its personnel. The men wore ghillie suits for camouflage and were expertly skilled in observation. Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard said of them that "keener men never lived". After the Boer War, the Scouts became the first official sniper unit in the British Army. It was not until World War I that sniper rifles began to be used more regularly in battle and certain soldiers given specialized training to use such a rifle. In Germany, these trained snipers were given rifles with telescopic sights, which illuminated at night in order to improve their accuracy. German gunsmiths fitted the scope above the barrel for optimal accuracy. During World War I, the accuracy of the sniper rifle was greatly improved. By the end of World War II, snipers were reported to provide "reasonable accuracy" over 600 m (656 yd) with anything over this range being unpredictable. It was during World War I and II that the word ‘sniper’ began to be used commonly, whereas previously those who were armed with sniper rifles were referred to as sharpshooters or marksmen. These marksmen, wielding sniper rifles such as the Karabiner 98k and Mosin–Nagant Model 1891/30 sniper rifle, had a drastic and demoralizing effect on the battlefield. Soldiers would often remain hidden in foxholes so as not to expose themselves to the deadly accuracy of a sniper. Some soldiers even began to disregard orders from commanding officers to protect against potential harm, which thus broke down the chain of command on the battlefield. The sniper rifle soon acquired the reputation of being one of the most effective and ruthless weapons of war.

Reader's Guide

Though sniper rifles had proved to be extremely effective in combat, there was still a great reluctance in many militaries to adopt a trained sniper regiment. To effectively use a sniper rifle, a soldier had to go through particularly rigorous training, and most trainees did not make it past the first week. Sniper training was also so expensive to conduct that, even until as recently as 1970, the reasoning for having trained snipers as a part of an army was deemed questionable. In Britain, sniper rifles were not seen as being an integral part of an army until after the Germans boasted of their success with sniper teams during the early months of World War I. British army advisors supposed that the telescopic sights attached to sniper rifles were too easily damaged and thus not well suited for military use. However, they soon realized that these telescopic sights could be improved and made sturdy enough to consistently withstand the recoil of a sniper rifle shot. Sniper rifles have continued to be used consistently throughout the later part of the 20th century in Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East as an integral part of the modern style of guerrilla warfare. The durability, accuracy and power of sniper rifles circa 2010 are beyond anything in use even ten years prior, and dwarf those of World War II sniper rifles. Modern sniper rifles are very reliable and are able to fire repeatedly without losing accuracy, whereas earlier sniper rifles were more liable to lose accuracy due to wear and tear. Sniper rifles continue to be adapted and improved upon, with the effective range of sniper rifles (c. 2001) exceeding 1,000 m (1,094 yd), making them one of the most accurate and efficient weapons in use. Modern sniper rifles can be divided into two basic classes: military and law enforcement. Military sniper rifles are designed for very high durability, range, reliability, sturdiness, serviceability, and repairability under adverse environmental and combat conditions, at the sacrifice of a small degree of accuracy. Law enforcement sniper rifles are built for the greatest possible accuracy but do not need to have as long of a range. The choice between bolt-action and semi-automatic is usually determined by specific requirements of the sniper's role. For a given cartridge, a bolt-action rifle is cheaper to build and maintain, more reliable, and lighter, due to fewer moving parts in the mechanism. Semi-automatic weapons can serve both as a battle rifle and sniper rifle and allow for a greater rate of fire.

Did You Know?

• The Whitworth rifle was able to hit a target at 2,000 yards (around 1,830 meters) in 1857, outperforming the Enfield by about three to one.
• The first telescopic sights for rifles were developed in the 1830s–1840s by American gunsmiths, not during the Crimean War.
• The Lovat Scouts were formed in 1900, but the first official sniper unit in the British Army was the Sniper Section of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Rifles, established in 1915.
• By the end of World War II, snipers were reported to provide 'reasonable accuracy' over 600 m (656 yd), with anything beyond being unpredictable.
• The effective range of sniper rifles circa 2001 exceeded 1,000 m (1,094 yd).