A chiropractor could have made a small fortune with all the rubbernecking that took place at the Remington booth. Most whiplash was attributable to the team's sniper rifle display that stacked the Modular Sniper Rifle and the XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle.
Remington pretty much owns the military sniper market. But there is likely to be a showdown between the MSR and FNH's Ballista, also on display at the 2011 SHOT Show. We'll be taking a closer look at that competition in the upcoming editions of Army Times and Marine Corps Times – but it may be a moot point.
GearScout has learned that Army snipers shooting the XM2010 have upped their rounds from 190-grain to 220-grain on a few occasions, and achieved distances and accuracy desired from the long-range Precision Sniper Rifle. Which makes one wonder whether the beleaguered and embattled solicitation will stand at all. Stay tuned …
In other news, the first three XM2010s were delivered to the Army Sniper School on Tuesday, and the first ones to be in theater will arrive in late February, according to Trevor Shaw, director of military and government programs. No doubt snipers in the 'Stan are salivating.
The XM2010 is an M24 sniper rifle on steroids. Its transition from the 7.62mm NATO caliber (.308 Winchester) to a .300 Winchester Magnum expands a sniper's effective range from 800 to 1,200 meters. Remington will upgrade 3,600 rifles over the next five years.
The XM 2010 also comes with the Titan-QD Fast-Attach suppressor made by Advanced Armament Corp, which recently was acquired by Remington. The 10-inch suppressor is made from Grade 5 titanium and is moly-resin-coated. It eliminates 98 percent of muzzle flash, 60 percent of recoil and reduces sound by 32 decibels.
The XM2010 also boasts an improved 6.5-20x50 variable power Leupold riflescope with an enhanced reticle within the first focal plane and a .300 Winchester Magnum bullet-drop compensator.
