Green Light to New Sniper Rifle 

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For decades, U.S. snipers have standardized on the .308 Winchester round. Recent advances in ballistics technology, however, allow snipers to reach out and touch targets at greater ranges than ever before.

U.S. Special Operations Forces are poised to deploy a new sniper rifle that’s capable of quickly changing calibers to adapt to different missions. The Barrett Multi-Role Adaptive Design (MRAD) Mark 22 can switch between eight different rifle calibers in a matter of minutes. 

The rifle will enable Green Berets, SEALs, and other special operations troops to engage man-sized targets at a distance of a mile or farther.

The new Mark 22 rifle has completed “all aspects of the Production Qualification Testing and Operational Testing phases” set out by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), according to the company.

The requirement for a new Advanced Sniper Rifle in was published by USSOCOM in 2016, and Barrett’s Mark 22 rifle won a $49.1 million contract to produce new rifles in 2019. 

Barrett’s announcement means America’s elite troops are satisfied with the new rifles and have given the green light to further deliveries, which will take place starting in January 2021.

The Mark 22 rifle is a unique weapon system. Unlike many rifles, it’s designed to utilize a number of rifle calibers. 

The Mark 22 is a bolt action rifle fed from a 10-round box magazine. The rifle features an adjustable folding stock, making it easier to carry during airborne operations; a monolithic Picatinny rail for installing a rifle optic, laser, and other aiming accessories; and a 2.5-pound trigger, as reported by popularmechanics.com.