Firearms / Sniper rifles / Accuracy International AW50
Accuracy International AW50
General Facts
- TYPE
Anti-materiel rifle - ORIGIN
United Kingdom - NICKNAMES
G24 (German service) - DESIGNED
1998 - 1999 - DESIGNER
Accuracy International - PRODUCTION
1999 - present - PRODUCERS United Kingdom - Accuracy International
- QUANTITY
Unknown - UNIT COST
About $11.000 without optics in 1999
About GBP 8.900 in 2010 - CHARACTERISTICS
High production quality
Good range
High accuracy
Large and cumbersome
Very heavy
Very expensive
Introduction
The AW50 is an anti-materiel rifle of UK origin. It was developed in the late 1990's as a private venture given the increased demand for rifles chambered in .50 BMG / 12.7mm NATO. It is one of the heaviest and most expensive rifles in its class, but also one of the most accurate.
Design
The design of the AW50 is based on the successful Arctic Warfare series. The AW50 is much larger than the AW series and differs in many aspects. It features a much larger and thicker receiver, a very different adjustable folding stock and a fluted barrel. The cylindrical muzzle brake is reported to be highly efficient. A Picatinny rail allows a variety of optics to be installed and no iron sights are fitted.
Firepower
The AW50 fires the very powerful 12.7x99mm NATO round from a 5 round box magazine. The effective range is quoted as 1.500 m. Under favorable conditions longer ranges may be achieved.
Users
The first major user of the AW50 was the Australian military. Additionally it has been acquired by Germany, the UK and various special units that are mainly of European origin.
AW50
The AW50 is an anti-material rifle based on the Arctic Warfare series, but is heavily modified. The AW50 features a much larger and thicker receiver, a very different adjustable folding stock and a fluted barrel with a cylindrical muzzle brake. The original development model was fitted with a multislotted muzzle brake, fixed stock, much heavier barrel and rear monopod that did not allow for much depression. The Australian version differs from the production model as it is fitted with a Madco barrel.
- Specifications:
- AW50
| Type | Anti-materiel rifle |
|---|---|
| Caliber | 12.7x99mm NATO |
| Magazine | 5 rounds |
| Operation | Bolt-action, 6 lugs, 60° angle |
| Fire selector | 0-1 |
| Rate of fire | Bolt-action |
| Barrel length | 692 mm |
|---|---|
| Rifling | 381 mm right hand twist |
| Muzzle velocity | 825 m/s |
| Stock | Adjustable, foldable |
| Length | 1.353 mm / 1.105 mm |
| Width | ? |
| Height | ? |
|---|---|
| Weight | 13.64 kg complete without scope |
| Sights | Various optics available, emergency iron sights, 200 to 1.000 m gradations |
| Remarks | Bipod, monopod |
Arctic Warfare
The AW50 is a scaled up version of the Arctic Warfare sniper rifle that is also produced by Accuracy International.
