When the United States Department of Defense (DoD) seeks a new weapons system, it doesn’t simply reach out to a particular firearms maker. Instead, it has an entire process that involves contract opportunities in the form of procurement notices from federal contracting offices. These can include pre-solicitation notices, solicitation notices, award notices, and sole source notices.
Last month, the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) issued a “Sources Sought” notice for a new ELR-SR (Extreme Long Range – Sniper Rifle), which will replace its older anti-material and anti-personnel rifles, including the M107 and MK15. USSOCOM has called for a rifle that will have a precision fire capability of 2,500 meters.
The M107 was the U.S. military’s designation of the 12.7x99mm (.50 BMG) Barrett M82 semi-automatic rifle. It is often referred to as the Barrett “Light Fifty.” The U.S. Army and Marine Corps have previously announced plans to field another Barrett rifle, the Mk22 MRAD, in 2021 to replace the M107.
The MK15 is the United States Navy SEALs designation of the McMillan TAC-50 long-range anti-materiel rifle, which from May 2017 to November 2023 held the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill. It is also chambered for .50 BMG.
The USSOCOM notice was published on December 19, 2023, and requires a response by January 23, 2024.
The Sources Sought Notice is to conduct market research for the ELR-SR and to determine if any companies can meet the requirements. In addition to the 2,500-meter precision fire capability, the notice listed several major components.
- The ELR-SR shall be a modular, magazine-fed, multi-caliber capable system that will include barrel configurations with required bolts and barrels of each caliber, required magazines of each caliber, stock, receiver, sound suppressor, ballistic computer, operator manual, cleaning kit, tool kit, bipod, and Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) approved locking hard carrying case.
- The primary caliber of the system shall be sub-sonic and supersonic capable. If the primary system caliber is not a current DOD-approved munitions system it shall be capable of transitioning to a current .300 Norma Magnum DoD-approved munition with a quick-change kit (T). The quick-change kit shall be able to switch calibers within 5 minutes.
- The ELR-SR shall have an overall length of no more than 56 inches, no more than 50 inches, less suppressor, and the length of pull set to 14.5 inches.
- The ELR-SR shall weigh no more than 22 lbs. with barrel, empty magazine, no more than 18 lbs.
- Shall have continuous timed and biased MIL-STD-1913 rails, with numbered slots, at the 12 o’clock position with a minimum length of 24 inches and a 10 (+/- 1) MIL forward-sloping cant from back to front. Shall provide M-LOK attachment points at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions with ARCA lock rail with attachment at the 6 o’clock position.
- The ELR-SR shall be manual (bolt action gun) in operation.
- The ELR-SR, with muzzle device attached, will have a peak-free recoil impulse of no more than 25 ft-lbs. The objective is to minimize the effects of recoil on a shooter as much as possible.
- The ELR-SR barrel shall be capable of removal and replacement at the operator level Modular changes, including barrel changes, shall be accomplished within 5 minutes and with common tools, in such a way as to meet headspace requirements for each caliber
- The ELR-SR system shall have a single, precision fire, high decibel reduction sound suppressor that will reduce audible signatures for all calibers to no more than 140dB. The sound suppressor should add no more than 8.5 inches in length to the system and should have recoil-reducing capabilities. Sound suppressor shall be removable without specialty tools.
- The ELR-SR in either configuration shall have a barrel life of 1200 rounds, 1500 rounds. Barrel will be considered shot out when incapable of maintaining within 1% over system baseline of Ballistic Coefficient Standard Deviation. The ELR-SR shall not require cleaning at an interval less than 100 rounds to maintain precision and Ballistic Coefficient Standard Deviation of the weapon system as described in Table I, less than 200 rounds
- The system shall produce a Probability of hit (Phit) of >50% at 1500M* with a primary supersonic round.
- The system shall produce a Probability of hit (Phit) of >30% at 600M* with a subsonic round. The system shall have <225fps velocity migration over the life of the barrel.
It will be fun (and interesting) to see what new rifle systems are submitted to the DoD. Stay tuned!
