Army snipers put new, more accurate rifle to the test

US Army sharpshooters recently field tested a new, more accurate sniper rifle out west, where these top marksman fired thousands of rounds and even when waged simulated warfare in force-on-force training.

Eight Army Ivy Division snipers assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team tested out the new M110A1 Compact, Semi-Automatic Sniper System (CSASS), an upgraded version of the current M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS), at Fort Carson in Colorado, the Army revealed in a statement.

Comparatively, the new CSASS offers advantageous features like increased accuracy and reduced weight, among other improvements.

"The CSASS is smaller, lighter, and more ergonomic, as the majority of the changes were requested by the soldiers themselves," Victor Yarosh, an individual involved in the weapon's development, explained in summer 2018. "The rifle is easier to shoot and has less recoil, all while shooting the same round as the M110," which fires a 7.62 mm round.

A test sniper engages targets identified by his spotter while wearing a Ghillie suit during the Compact, Semi-Automatic Sniper Rifle (CSASS) operational test at Fort Carson, Colo.

(Maj. Michael P. Brabner, Test Officer, Maneuver Test Directorate, U.S. Operational Test Command)

"The CSASS has increased accuracy, which equates to higher hit percentages at longer ranges."

The recent testing involved having the "snipers employ the system in the manner and the environment they would in combat," according to Maj. Mindy Brown, a US Army Operational Test Command CSASS test officer.

These types of drills are an "extremely fantastic way for us as snipers to hone our field craft," Sgt. 1st Class Cecil Sherwood, one of the snipers involved in the testing said.

The CSASS has not been fielded yet, but in 2018,Congress approved the Army's planned .2 million purchase of several thousand CSASS rifles.

The Army began fielding the Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R), distributing the weapon — a derivative of the CSASS — to a few select units for limited user testing last fall. The rifle "provides infantry, scout, and engineer squads the capability to engage with accurate rifle fire at longer ranges," the Army said.

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