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View Full Version : Introducing the XM-3, the Marine's new Sniper rifle


wild_wild_wes
10-27-07, 10:51
Anyone have any more info about this?

And oh my gawd, look at the prices!

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=28505&stc=1&d=1181795897

ABOARD USS ESSEX – Cpl. Trisan Wimmer, a scout sniper with Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, the ground combat element of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, engages a floating target with an XM-3 sniper rifle, June 2.

http://www.deathfromafar.com/htm/iba_weaponsys_xm3.html

Iron Brigade Armory, under contract to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [DARPA], developed and built the XM-3 to incorporate the best available technology into a sniper weapon system that addresses current operational concerns on size, weight, target detection, sound suppression, accuracy, range, day/night operations and the use of titanium. The XM-3 has established the baseline from which DARPA will identify investment areas where new technologies are needed to provide snipers and riflemen the greatest possible advantage on tomorrow's battlefield.

Complete System List
XM-3 Sniper Rifle w/ Titanium Picatinny Rail and
UNS Barrel Channel Mount
Nightforce NXS 3.5-15x50 Day Optic Sight w/ Zero Stop Feature
Nightforce .885 Ultra Light Scope Rings
ANPVS-22 OSTI Universal Night Sight (UNS) with Soft Case
Surefire FA762SS Suppressor
Harris BRM-S Bipod w/ Pod-Loc
Turner Saddlery AWS Sling (OD) w/ (1) QD Swivel (Bipod Attachment)
Eagle Cheekpiece w/ Reverse Zippered Compartment
TRGT Data/Record Book
Dewey Cleaning Rod
Dewey Bore Guide
Allen 5/32 T-Wrench
SK T30 T-Wrench
Seekonk Torque Wrench
Kobalt 1/2” Adapter
Craftsman T30 Adapter
Kleinendorst Bolt Disassembly Tool
Maintenance Equipment Enclosed in Plastic Compartment
Complete System Fitted Inside Hardigg Storm Case
2007 Price List

Individual Component Pricing :

XM-3 Rifle System – Titanium* $8995.00
Night Vision and Suppressor Capable
Does Not Include Suppressor or Night Vision
XM-3 Rifle System – Steel* $8295.00
Night Vision and Suppressor Capable but not included
Does Not Include Suppressor or Night Vision

XM-3 Rifle System – Titanium* w/ Suppressor Installed $10,495.00
Night Vision Capable
Does Not Include Night Vision Unit

XM-3 Rifle System – Steel* w/ Suppressor Installed $9,795.00
Night Vision Capable
Does Not Include Night Vision Unit

*Refers to Picatinny Rail and Recoil Lug Only

Complete System Pricing (LE/MIL Only):

Rifle, Scope, Suppressor, Universal Night Sight – Titanium * $18,995.00
LE/MIL sales only due to Current Night Vision Restrictions
Rifle, Scope, Suppressor, Universal Night Sight – Steel * $18,295.00
LE/MIL sales only due to Current Night Vision Restrictions



Complete System Pricing (Open To Individuals):

Rifle, Scope, Suppressor, Bore Sighted Night Sight – Titanium* $17,995.00
Open to Individual Sales w/ BNS Night Vision vs. UNS
All NFA Rules Apply
Rifle, Scope, Suppressor, Bore Sighted Night Sight – Steel* $17,295.00
Open to Individual Sales w/ BNS Night Vision vs. UNS
All NFA Rules Apply

*Refers to Picatinny Rail and Recoil Lug Only



XM-3 Specifications

CALIBER : .308 Winchester / 7.62MM
Chambered for Lake City 175 Gr. and/or Black Hills 175 Grain Match
Barrel: 18.5” Hart 416R Stainless Steel (Mil-Gauged)
Rifling : 1:10 RH Twist w/ 6 Grooves
Magazine : Internal / Welded 5 Rd. Capacity Badger DM Trigger Guard Optional
Muzzle velocity : 2530 FPS w/ Suppressor and Lake City 175 Gr.
2450 FPS w/ Suppressor and Black Hills 175 Gr.
Maximum effective range : 1000 yards
Length 40.50” without suppressor
46.25” with suppressor
Day Optic Sight : Nightforce NXS 3.5-15x50 Illuminated Mildot
2lbs. 3oz (with rings)
NIGHT VISION SIGHT: AN/PVS-22 Universal Night Sight (UNS)
Combat Weight :
Complete with sling,
bipod, ammunition
Day operations: 16lbs
Night operations: 18lbs

XM-3 Component List

Weapon Component Manufacturer

Receiver- M700, Clip-Slotted by IBA, Stainless Steel Remington Arms
Stock- McMillan A-6, 12.25”- 13.75” Adjustable LOP McMillan Stocks
Barrel- 18.5” OAL, 416R Stainless Steel, Twist Rate 1:10” Hart Rifle Barrels
UNS Mount- BCM22H 6061 Aluminum, Anodized IBA Inc.
Trigger Guard- M4 Carbon Steel Badger Ordnance
Sling Swivels- One Piece, Permanently Installed Wichita Arms
Recoil Lug- Titanium @ 1.070” .313” Badger Ordnance
Scope mount- Titanium Picatinny Rail, 20 MOA, Lugged IBA Inc.
Scope Rings- .885 Ultra-lite, Aluminum / Titanium Nightforce Inc.
Fire Control- M700 Trigger Re-Built by IBA Remington Arms
Magazine- Internal W/ Modified Milled Follower Remington Arms

http://www.deathfromafar.com/images/DSC_0761.jpg
Derek_Connor
10-27-07, 14:05
VERY interesting....


no DBM, surefire can, approx 18 inch barrel......
Snake
10-27-07, 15:20
meh, I can have George Gardner at GA Precision do this for almost 1/3 of that price.
blackheart3a
10-27-07, 15:39
Again...very interesting...and Mike at Tac Ops can do the same thing as well. The UNS is pretty spendy at about 9 grand a piece for LE/Mil purchase. Our agency just bought 2. That looks alot like range 116 or 117 on Camp Pen. They must be in the testing phase???? Anybody have more intel?
nationwide
10-27-07, 15:43
Yeah, I just got wood. :o
wild_wild_wes
10-27-07, 15:47
I understand the short 18.5" barrel because of the can, but aren't they going to be loosing a lot of velocity? When will a .308 fired out of an 18" barrel go subsonic?

And the stock: a McMillan A-6, which means no aluminum chassis. Isn't that a great leap backward?
Derek_Connor
10-27-07, 16:14
lack of aluminum chassic indicates the need for glass bedding doesn't it?

18.5 barrel, and they are claiming effective range of 1k yards with suppressor...

It will be interesting to see over time how often these have to go back to the armorer...but we'll never know
sgtlmj
10-28-07, 00:34
And the stock: a McMillan A-6, which means no aluminum chassis. Isn't that a great leap backward?

Not at all. Most modern sniper rifles are bedded with Devcon titanium and/or Marinetex.
Even rifles with the Al chassis stocks benefit from a skim bedding with either of the above substances.
Straight "glass" bedding isn't used for these types of weapons.
McMillan stocks are unbelievably tough!
f.2
10-28-07, 18:09
I understand the short 18.5" barrel because of the can, but aren't they going to be loosing a lot of velocity? When will a .308 fired out of an 18" barrel go subsonic?

BARREL LENGTH AND THE PRECISION RIFLE (http://www.tacticaloperations.com/SWATbarrel/), Why shorter barrels may often be better, by Eugene Nielsen


During the development of the Tango 51, Tac Ops took a standard 26-inch barrel and cut it down to 18 inches in one-inch increments. Between 10 to 20 rounds were fired at each invrement. They found that a 20-inch barrel provides for a complete propellant burn and no velocity loss when using Federal Match 168-grain BTHP, a cartridge that has become something of a law enforcement standard. Going to an 18-inch barrel only resulted in a loss of 32 feet per second (fps).
wild_wild_wes
10-28-07, 21:20
VERY interesting article, f.2! Thanks!
Snake
10-31-07, 11:57
on a side note, can I buy just the Mcmillan A-6 from mcmillan?

Cyrus
wild_wild_wes
10-31-07, 20:02
Sure, lots of dealers will sell you the stock, but I think all McMillan stocks are special-order.
Trim2L
11-04-07, 22:32
on a side note, can I buy just the Mcmillan A-6 from mcmillan?

Cyrus

Chandler made up the A-6 moniker, McMillan calls it the A1-3.

My opinion is that the rifle is way way way over priced just so a few Marines can have a performance loss over their M40A3's. The Marines got it raw on this deal.
Impact
11-04-07, 22:36
interesting...on a side note the MARPAT camo works great.
coffinman
11-05-07, 10:11
nice......
Derek_Connor
11-05-07, 10:16
Im still curious...18.5 barrel with suppressor....

Pictures show a maritime operation, being on the ocean I'd imagine there is some wind to calculate, wouldn't a marksment want some more Velocity to help buck the wind?
Dave L.
11-05-07, 11:21
Im still curious...18.5 barrel with suppressor....

Pictures show a maritime operation, being on the ocean I'd imagine there is some wind to calculate, wouldn't a marksment want some more Velocity to help buck the wind?

It's not a maritime op- they are shooting floating targets.
SHIVAN
11-05-07, 11:26
...with the suppressor in place, you will be getting that extra couple inches worth of velocity back.

Nearly every suppressed weapon I have seen tested over a chrono has had a higher velocity than the same weapon unsuppressed using the same ammo.

FWIW...
Trim2L
11-05-07, 11:35
Chandler claims that gun has a MV of 2500 FPS with M118LR (2450 w/ BH175) and the published MV for the M40 is 2670 - 2700 FPS. I don't think a suppressor will make up that deficit.
SHIVAN
11-05-07, 11:43
Chandler also states that it has a maximum effective range of 1000yds. Which is right around where the M40A3 placed it's max range.

The 2530fps is w/ suppressor on & M118LR. :eek:

That doesn't seem right.
Trim2L
11-05-07, 11:51
That would make it subsonic at 1K yards...so in other words, not a 1K capable rifle (regardless of Chandler's claims). It would also give it 60+ inches more drop at 1K yards than a M40.

The Marines make their own M40's for the most part, if they wanted an 18" rifle why wouldn't they just make it in house? The $10K price tag leaves me feeling like this was a good 'ol boy transaction.
SHIVAN
11-05-07, 12:03
The Marines make their own M40's for the most part, if they wanted an 18" rifle why wouldn't they just make it in house?

This was made for DARPA. Who seems to be doing research on what the armed forces might need in the future. This request was obviously geared towards research for a lighter and shorter package for the Marine snipers.


The $10K price tag leaves me feeling like this was a good 'ol boy transaction.

The $10k pricetag most likely represents a price that includes allowable, and allocable things, like G&A, overhead, profit, etc. Same as with all gov't contracts.
Derek_Connor
11-05-07, 14:05
That would make it subsonic at 1K yards...so in other words, not a 1K capable rifle (regardless of Chandler's claims). It would also give it 60+ inches more drop at 1K yards than a M40.



This is what I thought was interesting....why limit yourself to being subsonic @ 1k?


It's not a maritime op- they are shooting floating targets.


Semantics I think, shooting on/around ocean winds...is what I was inferring
wild_wild_wes
11-05-07, 21:19
interesting...on a side note the MARPAT camo works great.

It almost works as well as the ACU.
Littlelebowski
11-29-07, 12:17
SnipersHide has a really good discussion (http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=358214&Board=18&fpart=all&gonew=1#UNREAD) about how much of a rip off this is.
Voodoochild
12-01-07, 14:57
Plenty of info about it on the hide.
Robb Jensen
12-01-07, 17:09
Chandler also states that it has a maximum effective range of 1000yds. Which is right around where the M40A3 placed it's max range.

The 2530fps is w/ suppressor on & M118LR. :eek:

That doesn't seem right.

Interesting last January (I think it was Jan) I was chrono'ing my 700P (cut to 20") w/AAC Cyclone and was getting 2550fps with 175gr Black Hills red box.

I've thought of shortening it even further like 16.5" for a 500yd and shorter gun since I never shoot it past that anyway.
wild_wild_wes
12-01-07, 22:21
SnipersHide has a really good discussion (http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=358214&Board=18&fpart=all&gonew=1#UNREAD) about how much of a rip off this is.


Thanks for that link! Lotsa good info.
Trim2L
12-01-07, 23:31
Interesting last January (I think it was Jan) I was chrono'ing my 700P (cut to 20") w/AAC Cyclone and was getting 2550fps with 175gr Black Hills red box.

I've thought of shortening it even further like 16.5" for a 500yd and shorter gun since I never shoot it past that anyway.

Sounds right to me.