The M-16A1 didn’t lend itself well to optics mounting, so the US military abandoned the concept of regular infantry rifles with magnified optics for a while. The idea was to take any current infantry rifle known to shoot well and quickly modify for a sharpshooter.ĭuring Vietnam, the M1D phased out in favor of scoped M-14 and a return to bolt-action rifles for snipers. By the end of the Korean conflict, we switched to a follow-on model known as the M1D.īoth were intended for use by snipers but the interesting thing about the M1D was that the conversion was supposed to be an easy-to-use kit. This model, the M1C, saw service through Korea. Late in the 1940s, the US started attaching 4x optics to the venerable M1 Garand. I think this is where the real magic starts to happen as each country develops is doctrine. It wasn’t terribly accurate, but it did represent what was to come. It was semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and equipped with a 4x magnification optic. Later in the war, the Germans fielded the G43 rifle. This configuration saw limited use with actual snipers, but they preferred the higher magnification available in other optics with shorter eye relief. He remained as light and nimble as others in the unit and could use the same ammunition. This produced a rifle that added some precision capability to a standard infantry soldier. German Infantryman equipped with K98 ZF4. The point of the forward mounted scope was to keep the breach clear for fast loading via stripper clips and a fast rate of fire. The eventual intent was for such a scope to adorn every infantry rifle, but German industrial capacity never caught up. This was a standard K98 infantry rifle equipped with a forward-mounted 1.5x magnification scope. The first true example is the German K98 ZF4. Theorists believed the should be some kind of middle ground between the regular soldier and the sniper, a sharpshooter.Īgain, the Germans were the first to it in World War II.įorgotten Weapons did a great video highlighting some key examples of designated marksmen rifles over the years. Those other elements take a long time to train, and sometimes all you need is a soldier with an accurate rifle. Training included camouflage and intelligence gathering.They provided observation and precision fire.The Great War channel on YouTube has a great video detailing this portion of the war. The British entered the war with no such capability and paid dearly for until they started their own sniper school a few years later. The Germans proved almost immediately proved exceptionally effective with this tactic. The sniper’s job was to stealthily reach a vantage point, watch the enemy trench, and kill high-value targets when the opportunity presented itself. The brutal warfare of WWI often took place between trenches an average of 50 to 300 yards apart. They drew these first snipers from skilled hunters, park rangers, and competition shooters. As the Great War ramped up, Germany was the first to field dedicated soldiers trained in camouflage, observation, and precision rifle fire. By the early 20th century, they were fairly common on hunting rifles, especially in Europe. In the late 1850s, the first optical gunsights entered widespread use. But for our purposes, we’re going to start with World War I. One of my favorite examples is the work of Daniel Morgan’s Riflemen during the revolutionary war. History is full of examples where superior marksmanship produced outsized results. I think looking at a little history might help you out. Put another way, think of the sniper team as if they were a special asset you could ask for if they were available, like air support, while the designated marksman is always in your squad. Snipers fall under an entirely different unit structure and operate somewhat autonomously on the battlefield. In the real world, snipers do a whole lot more observing and communicating than shooting. A sniper is part of a separate team designed to observe, provide intelligence, and engage with precision fire. In contrast, the traditional sniper fills a different role. This is primarily a fighting role that moves and fights along with their squad. Their primary role is engaging targets, or supporting friendly movements, by accurate fire from intermediate ranges. When I talk about a designated marksman, I’m specifically referring to an organic member of the rifle squad. Since the idea embedded itself into the US military, the actual rifle configuration is changed every few years. That’s partly due to the fact that it’s more of a concept than anything else. There really is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the designated marksman rifle.
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