M21 Sniper Weapon System

Rifle, 7.62 mm, Sniper, M21
Rifle, 7.62 mm, Sniper, M21
	M21 sniper rifle
Type	Sniper rifle/Designated marksman rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1968–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Vietnam War; Laotian Civil War; Cambodian Civil War; Sino-Vietnamese War; Cambodian–Vietnamese War; Sino-Vietnamese conflicts; Soviet–Afghan War; 1982 Lebanon War; Iraq War (limited use);
Production history
Designer	Marines Weapons Command; Combat Development Command; Limited Warfare Agency;
Designed	1968
Manufacturer	Rock Island Arsenal; Springfield Armory; Smith Enterprise, Inc.;
Variants	M25
Specifications
Mass	5.27 kg (11.6 lb)
Length	1118 mm (44 in)
Barrel length	560 mm (22 in)
Cartridge	7.62×51mm NATO
Caliber	7.62mm
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Muzzle velocity	853 m/s (2,800 ft/s)
Effective firing range	460 m (500 yd) ; 900 m (980 yd) (with 3–9× scope)
Maximum firing range	3,725 m (4,074 yd)
Feed system	5-, 10-, or 20-round detachable box magazine
Sights	Front: National Match front blade. ; Rear: Match-grade hooded aperture with one-half minute adjustments for both windage and elevation; 26+3⁄4 in sight radius.

The M21 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) in the US Army is a national match grade M14 rifle, selected for accuracy, and renamed the M21 rifle. The M21 uses a commercially procured 3–9× variable power telescopic sight, modified for use with the sniper rifle. It is chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge.

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