The Pentagon Considers This Russian Sniper Rifle A Big Threat To U.S. Soldiers: The NRA Helped Promote It
BY Herschel Smith
8 years, 6 months ago
David Corn writing at Mother Jones:
In late 2016, the US Army released a report noting that the Russian military, through experience gained during fighting in Ukraine, was undergoing a transformation and becoming a more potent battlefield threat to American forces. One troublesome development identified by the report’s authors was the increased proficiency of Russian snipers. “The capabilities of a sniper in a Russian contingent is far more advanced than the precision shooters U.S. formations have encountered over the last 15 years,” the study noted. One reason for this was the Russian military’s recent adoption of the ORSIS T-5000, a relatively new Russian-made firearm that the report called “one of the most capable bolt action sniper rifles in the world.” As one military technology expert noted, after reviewing this report, the US Army faced “being outgunned” by foes armed with the T-5000—which can be accurate at a distance of 2,000 yards—and these Russian rifles were showing up in Iraq and Ukraine. That is, this weapon posed a threat to US troops and those of its allies. Yet the National Rifle Association—which boasts it is identified with American patriotism—has helped promote Moscow-based ORSIS and its sniper rifle.
Corn goes on and on in breathtaking and dramatic fashion over this highly lethal rifle, which happens to be a .338 bolt action gun.
I guess the U.S. doesn’t have .338 bolt action guns. Oops, never mind. Guess we don’t have .50 BMG rifles. Oops, never mind, the Marine Corps Scout Snipers use them all the time. Guess the .338 is an innovative round never before seen on the battlefields of the world. Oops, never mind.
Guess David Corn bought the Pentagon picture-book hook, line and sinker. David, this report is a request for money. Do you get that, son?
By the way, nice job, Army-folks. Lots of nice, pretty, action-pictures to keep the brass and politicians interested as they turn the pages.
Re: “ORSIS T-5000”
This is all a big nothing burger, as you have noted. Secrets are tough to keep under the best of circumstances, and no secret is more-fleeting than a military secret. And the existence of modular multi-caliber rifle systems in such common calibers as .308, 300 Win-Mag and 338 Lapua Magnum is far from being a secret. All a moderately-interested Russian or other foreign analyst would have to do to learn about such systems is hop on the internet or subscribe to any one of half a dozen U.S. gun magazines.
Only Big Green is actually dumb-enough to believe any of this is, in any way, still a secret. Systems like this have been out there for years, and not only for first-tier powers, either.
Once you understand that the real purpose of the Pentagon/DOD isn’t the fighting/winning of wars, but the perpetuation of funding for the MIC, it all falls into place.
The actual number one sniper rifle in the US is or will become .22 long rifle chambering.
In my opinion, naturally.
https://libertyandlead2.blogspot.com/2018/04/four-zero-zero-part-dux.html
There are time (many times) where I wish I had less of your cynicism and more of your snark.
Keep it coming, please.
Sniping is a Skill that while it requires a “Good” Rifle, it depends Much More on the Abilities of the Rifleman. There’s probably a Hundred Rifle/Ammo Combinations out there that are Effective at 800+ Meters, but ONLY if the Shooter can Use it properly. Nothingburger is correct.
The concern should be “Why are American military anywhere in the world except on our southern, Mexican border” ?
Today’s fUSA military is nothing but a mercenary force for the New World Order. American blood and treasure has been expended in the Middle East for more than 25 years. For what ?
Time to come home. And not shed a tear for those supporting the wars of the New World Order.
@ Dan III Re: “Today’s fUSA military is nothing but a mercenary force for the New World Order. American blood and treasure has been expended in the Middle East for more than 25 years. For what ? Time to come home. And not shed a tear for those supporting the wars of the New World Order.” Major General Smedley L. Butler, U.S.M.C. (1881-1940), was a two-time recipient of the Medal of Honor, and one of the most-senior Marines in the Corps at the time of his retirement. Passed over for the position of Commandant of the Marine Corps in favor of colleague Major General Benjamin Fuller, Butler chose to retire and left the Corps on October 1, 1931. His last command (1927-1929) had been as the commanding officer of the Marine Expeditionary Force-China. In due course upon retiring from the Corps, Butler joined the burgeoning anti-war movement in the United States at the time, and penned a short but powerful book called “War is a Racket,” (1935) whose sales he supported by going on a nationwide speaking tour. Two of his most-famous quotes from the book are the following: “War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.” “A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small ‘inside’ group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the masses.” He continued, “I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we’ll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag. I wouldn’t go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers.” But perhaps his most-profound observation was, “There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights.” Butler has been attacked over the years after his death as being everything from a communist to a pacifist to a half-crazy old man who couldn’t handle being rejected by the Corps as Commandant and went crazy in consequence. None of the charges have ever been proven – and such ad hominem attacks only tell us how closely he is to the truth. Whenever the nation is called upon to fight wars, especially “cabinet wars” (optional wars, hence the name) – our involvement is justified in patriotic speech-making, flag-waving and the gearing up of all of the other machinery of propaganda which support the eternal warfare state.… Read more »
After seeing how the Russians/Soviets have done in terms of sniping/precision shooting in WW2 and after, I sincerely doubt they needed the NRA’s help to develop sniping doctrine and kit.