M110A1

M110A1

The U.S. Army finalized the M110 SASS in 2007 , originally planning to use it to replace the M24 SWS . However, in actual use, it was found that semi-automatic sniper rifles could not completely replace sniper rifles with rotating bolts. Therefore, on the one hand, the M24 SWS was upgraded to the M2010 ESR , and on the other hand, the ordnance workshop tried to convert a small number of M110 20-inch (508mm) barrels into 16-inch (406mm) barrels for testing. After demonstration and research, a new "Compact Semi Auto Sniper System" tender was issued in July 2012, seeking a shorter 7.62mm caliber semi-automatic sniper rifle.

H&K M110A1 - American Soldiers Trains New Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle

By USA Military Channel

The basic requirements of CSASS are as follows: It uses semi-automatic mode to fire 7.62×51 mm NATO bullets; when using competition-level bullets, the dispersion circle diameter at 100m is less than 15mm; a shorter barrel and telescopic stock are used to reduce the length of the entire gun. When the stock is in the shortest position and no silencer is installed, the total length of the gun does not exceed 36 inches (914mm); the empty gun weight is less than 4.1kg when no accessories are installed; a modular pistol grip and a non-adjustable competition-level trigger are used; a four-sided rail handguard is used, with a full-length rail at the 12 o'clock position, and rails of different lengths are installed at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions; a detachable silencer is installed at the muzzle; a bipod and quick-release sling ring that can be removed without tools are used; an Army-specified variable-magnification white light sight and a 45° inclined backup mechanical sight are installed; and the receiver has a longer life at a faster rate of fire.

In addition to HK's G28E, other companies participating in the CSASS competition include FN's CSR-20 , LMT's LM308MWS , KAC's M110K1 , SIG's MCX , Remington's CSASS , Beretta's ARX200 and Colt's CSASS 901, etc.

On March 31, 2016, the HK G28E defeated all its competitors and won the CSASS project. It was named M110E1 by the US Army and entered the trial equipment stage. After trial equipment, user feedback and improvements, the M110E1 was officially finalized as M110A1 in 2018.

After the formal design, the M110A1 has two types: CSASS semi-automatic sniper rifle and SDM-R precision marksman rifle. The two types of weapons are exactly the same, but the accessories and ammunition are different, and the units they are issued to are also different. The sniper type fires M118LR sniper bullets and is equipped with S&B 3-20×50 PMII Ultra Short scopes. It will be equipped with sniper teams at all levels of the US Army; the SDM-R type fires M80A1 and XM1158 armor-piercing bullets and is equipped with SIG Tango6 1-6×24 scopes. It is assigned to the Army infantry squad, reconnaissance and engineering units. This model actually replaces the stillborn "Transitional Combat Rifle" ICSR (Interim Combat Service Rifle) project. The XM1158 armor-piercing bullet was originally planned to be used with the ICS rifle. This new generation of tungsten alloy armor-piercing bullets, which are improved on the basis of the M80A1 EPR bullet, will be used to replace the M993 armor-piercing bullet and can deal with high-level bulletproof vests and bunkers.

When HK launched the prototype of the M110E1 in 2015, the handguard was equipped with an accessory interface similar to the KeyMod developed by HK, but the direction was opposite to that of the KeyMod, and the front and back were reversed. It is estimated that HK wanted to promote an accessory interface with its own characteristics, but HK engineers made a mistake. The small hole of the KeyMod is forward because when firing, the recoil makes the gun move backward, and the accessories on the gun will move forward relative to the handguard under the action of inertia, so that it will not loosen due to the vibration of shooting, and may even become tighter and tighter. This design error of HK may have been discovered during the US Army test, or it may be that after comparative tests, they thought that M-LOK would be more reliable. In short, in September 2016, the Army required the M110E1 handguard to use the M-LOK interface, so the final M110A1 handguard was changed to the SMR M-LOK handguard produced by Geissele. In addition, the original upper receiver of the G28E rifle was made of steel, but in order to meet the weight requirements in the index, HK changed the upper receiver of the M110A1 to aluminum. The M110A is equipped with a telescopic buttstock, with a cheek pad that can be adjusted in height and front and back position, and the rubber buffer pad at the rear of the buttstock can also be adjusted in length.

The standard quick-release silencer for the M110A1 is the OSS company's EL-QD762 silencer, which weighs 555g, is 182mm long and 40mm in diameter. But what's interesting is that at various gun shows, HK uses the octagonal HX 762 silencer for the M110A1 exhibits.

In June 2018, 30 M110A1 CSASS models were delivered to the Army for pre-production testing. In 2019, the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division and the Operational Test Command jointly conducted a 10-day M110A1 CSASS sniper rifle test at Fort Carson, Colorado, to listen to soldiers' feedback, test equipment performance, and prepare for the next step of procurement. The 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team personnel came from the headquarters company of the 3rd Cavalry Battalion of the 61st Cavalry Regiment and the B Company of the 1st Battalion of the 12th Infantry Regiment. A total of 8,000 rounds of ammunition were fired in the test, simulating various actual combat situations, and actual combat exercises in the field and urban environments were conducted. It is expected that the CSASS model will be put into use by front-line troops in fiscal year 2020.

The M110A1 SDM-R was deployed to some units in the fall of 2018. The 82nd Airborne Division received 117 M110A1 SDM-Rs, and the 1st Armored Division stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, also received an unknown number of SDM-Rs for testing. The U.S. military's preliminary training began in November 2018.