Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International. It has proved popular as a civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in the 1980s. The rifles have features that improve performance in extremely cold conditions without impairing operation in less extreme conditions.
Arctic Warfare rifles are generally fitted with a Schmidt & Bender Police & Military II telescopic sight with fixed or variable magnification. Variable telescopic sights 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 product line as sighting components on their rifles, which is rare for a rifle manufacturer. The German and Russian forces preferred a telescopic sight made by Zeiss over Accuracy International's recommendation.
History
Original design
The origin of the then innovative design ideas goes back to Olympic shooting gold medalist Malcolm Cooper, and the technical and production specialists and gun smiths Dave Walls and David Caig, operating from a modestly equipped shed and predates the foundation of Accuracy International.The Accuracy International PM '' rifle was entered into a British competition after the Falklands War in the early 1980s as a replacement for the Lee–Enfield derived sniper rifles then in use by the British Army. The selection process was the impetus for outsourcing and professionalizing arms production, enabling a recently founded small company to participate. The Accuracy International PM was selected over the Parker Hale M85, Heckler & Koch PSG1, SIG Sauer SSG 2000, and Remington 700. The British Army adopted the Accuracy International PM in 1984 into service as the L96A1 and outfitted the rifle with Schmidt & Bender 6×42 telescopic sights designated the L13A1. In this configuration the rifle is capable of first shot hits with a cold, warm or fouled barrel. Tests with 10.89 g ammunition provided sub 0.5 MOA ten-shot groups at 91 m. The rifle was supplied with a telescopic sight, bipod, five magazines, sling, cleaning kit and tool roll, encased in a fitted transport case.
Design evolution
Some years later, the Swedish military wanted to replace the 6.5×55mm chambered m/1941B rifle with a new sniper rifle, and in the early 1990s Accuracy International introduced an upgraded version of the PM: the AW '. This was the start of the Arctic Warfare name, which became the primary name of the rifle family despite its earlier names.Special de-icing features allow it to be used effectively at temperatures as low as. The AW rifle featured a modified bolt with milled slots at the rear of the bolt to prevent bolt binding problems caused by penetrating water/ice, dirt, or similar debris. Further, the thumb-hole, bolt handle, magazine release, and trigger guard on the AW were enlarged, and the magazine floor plate was fitted with protruding grasping tabs to allow use with heavy Arctic mittens. The resin stock side-panels were replaced with sturdier polymer panels that were less brittle in subzero temperatures. The safety was revised to a 3-position safety allowing the bolt to be cycled with a locked trigger. Fitted with a Kikarsikte 90 10×42 Hensoldt ZF 500 telescopic sight, this version was accepted into use by the Swedish Army in 1991 as the Prickskyttegevär 90.
The British Army decided to adopt the modifications, which they designated L115A1 and L115A2. The rifles were fitted with Schmidt & Bender PM II 3-12×50 telescopic sights offering the operator more flexibility to shoot at varying ranges, or in situations when a wide field of view is required. The stocks were fitted with a butt spike. This rifle has seen service in conflicts such as Operation Granby and Operation Telic.
In 2011 some Swedish Psg 90 rifles were modernized to the Prickskyttegevär 90B' standard, whereby the rifles were fitted with folding stocks, Swedish-made Spuhr SA-4601 mounts and accessories, and Kikarsikte 11 Schmidt & Bender PM II 3-12×50 telescopic sights.
Rifle system family
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare model has since spawned an entire family of sniper rifles using the Arctic Warfare name, and has been adopted by a number of other countries, including Australia, Belgium, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Latvia, Malaysia, Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Other AI rifles descended from the L96A1 include the AI AE, and the AI AS50.Most Arctic Warfare rifles are chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge, but Accuracy International also made variants of the sniper rifle - the AWM chambered in either.300 Winchester Magnum or.338 Lapua Magnum, and the AW50 chambered for the.50 BMG. The sniper rifles are mounted with a muzzle brake in order to help reduce the recoil, muzzle raise and muzzle flash of the weapon.
Each country's rifles differ slightly. The Swedish Psg 90 for example, uses a Hensoldt scope and can also use sabot rounds. In 1998, the German Bundeswehr adopted the first folding-stock Arctic Warfare Magnum chambered in.300 Winchester Magnum and with optics made by the German company Zeiss, and designated as the Scharfschützengewehr 22.
The AW's complete parts interchangeability and reliability in adverse weather conditions have made it a popular, if expensive, weapon. The rifle offers good accuracy, and its maximum effective range with a Schmidt & Bender 6×42 PM II scope is around.
Design details
The AW system is almost unique in being a purpose-designed military sniper rifle, rather than an accurised version of an existing general-purpose rifle.The modular design of the AW system allows for flexibility, serviceability and repairability under field and combat conditions. Major components, such as the barrel and the bolt, can be switched between rifles, or replaced in the field by their operator with the help of some tools. The chambering can also be switched by the operator as long as the barrels, bolts and feeding mechanism can handle the shape and size of the cartridges.
Features
Rather than a traditional wooden or polymer rifle stock, the AW is based on an aluminium chassis which extends the entire length of the stock. This chassis system is marketed as the Accuracy International Chassis System and can be used for all Accuracy International rifles. All other components, including the receiver, are bolted directly to this chassis. Two hollow polymer "half thumb-hole stock panels", usually coloured green, dark earth or black, are in turn bolted to each other through the chassis, creating a rugged yet, for its sturdiness, comparatively light weapon.The Accuracy International receiver is bolted with four screws and permanently bonded with epoxy material to the aluminium chassis, and was designed for ruggedness, simplicity and ease of operation. To this end, the heavy-walled, flat-bottomed, flat-sided receiver is a stressed part, machined in-house by AI from a solid piece of forged carbon steel. AW rifles are supplied in two action lengths—standard AW and long SM. The six bolt lugs, arranged in two rows of three, engage a heat-treated steel locking ring insert pinned inside the front bridge of the action. The ring can be removed and replaced to refresh headspace control on older actions. The AW system cast steel bolt has a diameter combined with gas relief holes in a diameter bolt body and front action bridge allowing high-pressure gases a channel of escape in the event of a cartridge-case head failure. Against penetrating water or dirt the bolt has milled slots, which also prevent freezing or similar disturbances. Unlike conventional bolt-action rifles, the bolt handle is bent to the rear, which eases the repeating procedure for the operator and reduces the contour of the weapon. The action cocks on opening with a short, 60 degree bolt throw and has a non-rotating external extractor and an internal ejector. Firing pin travel is to keep lock times to a minimum. Finally, an integral dovetail rail located above the receiver is designed to accommodate different types of optical or electro-optical sights. As an option, a MIL-STD-1913 rail can be permanently pinned, bonded and bolted to the action, providing a standard interface for many optical systems.