US Army selects Leupold Mk 5HD for precision sniper rifle optic

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LEUPOLD MARK 5HD GETS ARMY APPROVAL AS PRECISION SNIPER RIFLE GLASS
Oregon-based Leupold announced they have been selected to provide the day optic for the U.S. Army’s Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) program.

The PSR, dubbed the MK22 Mod 0 in Army service, is based on the Barrett MRAD bolt-action multi-caliber system chambered in 7.62 NATO, .300 Norma Magnum, and .338 Norma Magnum. The glass of choice on the new platform, used by SOCOM, will be Leupold’s Mark 5HD 5-25×56, complete with a flat dark earth coating and the Army’s patented Mil-Grid reticle.

“The Mark 5HD has been built from the ground up to deliver the unparalleled performance that the men and women serving our country overseas require,” said Sam Horstman, Director of Military Sales for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “And, like all of our optics, the Mark 5HD has been strenuously tested for durability and fully meets the extremely high standards that the military demands. Our Soldiers need their optics to perform, and we’re glad to be able to offer a solution that’s built to deliver on those expectations.”

Re: US Army selects Leupold Mk 5HD for precision sniper rifle optic

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The US Army is buying thousands of a new rifle that Marine and special-operations snipers also want - the Mk 22 Multi-Role Adaptive Design (MRAD) rifle.

The service awarded Barrett Firearms Manufacturing in Tennessee a five-year, $49.9 million contract for 2,800 MRAD sniper rifles under the Precision Sniper Rifle program, which also includes the Leupold & Stevens Mark 5 HD scope and sniper accessory kit, the Army said Wednesday.

The main difference between the MRAD and other sniper rifles is that it can be chambered in 7.62 x 51 mm NATO, .300 Norma Magnum, and .338 Norma Magnum ammunition, giving the shooter greater flexibility without changing weapons.

"Army snipers will be able to conduct a barrel change and select calibers based on their mission operating environment," the Army said in a statement Wednesday.

The new rifle is, according to the Army, "an extreme range weapon system that is lighter than current sniper rifles and includes features that will mask the sniper signature for improved survivability."

The Mk 22 will replace the Army's bolt-action M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle from Remington Arms and the M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle from Barrett.

"It's an awesome gun," an experienced Army sniper told Insider last year. "I can tell you I never saw anything on that gun that I didn't like. It shoots phenomenally well. What it does, as far as barrel changes and things like that go, is pretty exceptional."

The Mk 22 is a "good gun coming at a good time that is going to increase efficiency and capabilities," he said. "We're excited about it."

Special Operations Command was the first to express interest in the new modular, multi-caliber sniper rifle. In March 2019, SOCOM awarded Barrett a $49.9 million contract for the MRAD rifle through its Advanced Sniper Rifle program.

The command sent an initial production order for the new rifles to Barrett in November 2020 after the company completed production qualification and operational testing, meeting the requirements of the Department of Defense.

"We are pleased to have reached this milestone with the project and look forward to providing our warfighters with this highly capable platform," Joel Miller, Barrett's director of global military sales, said in a statement at the time.

The Marines has also shown interest in the weapon.

The Marines expect the new rifle to "replace all current bolt-action sniper rifles in the Marine Corps," according to last year's budget request.

In the budget documents, the Marines wrote that the new rifles offer "extended range, greater lethality, and a wider variety of special purpose ammunition."

The Army said in its budget request that the weapon "increases stand-off distances ensuring overmatch against enemy counter sniper engagements and increases sniper capability."
https://news.yahoo.com/army-buying-thou ... 27529.html
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"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Re: US Army selects Leupold Mk 5HD for precision sniper rifle optic

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Good video, thanks. I thought I heard a brogue at the beginning of the video, Kevin Owens is a wealth of info since his team wrote the specs.
Kevin Owens grew up in Ireland where he served in the Tier One Counter-Terrorist Force. After immigrating to the United States, he served 24-years in the United States Army - 6 in the infantry and 18 in Special Forces. He served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times, ran the Special Forces Sniper Course, and was in charge of all Force Modernization for Army Special Forces.
https://fieldcraftsurvival.com/about-us/
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

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