Following the success of the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy MK248 300WM Precision Sniper Rifle Contract, Sig Sauer has announced the U.S. Army award to manufacture the follow-on Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR) 300 Norma Mag (NM) and armor-piercing 338 Norma Mag (NM) ammunition.
“This selection by the U.S. Army to manufacture ASR ammunition reinforces Sig Sauer as the leading manufacturer of modern sniper ammunition for the U.S. Department of Defense, and demonstrates confidence in Sig’s ability to deliver the most precise ammunition in the world,” began Ron Cohen, President and CEO of Sig Sauer, Inc.
The U.S. Army ASR ammunition contract consists of two cartridges: M1163, a 300NM, 215 grain round, and M1162 an armor-piercing 338NM, 300 grain round. The $157MM maximum value contract includes 4.5MM rounds for the first delivery order.
“Sniper ammunition must be manufactured to the most precise standards. This award, combined with our proven success in the MK248 300WM contract, further demonstrates our most important customer’s confidence in our ability to build and deliver the most precise ammunition,” concluded Cohen.
All Sig Sauer ammo, including the Precision Sniper Rifle MK248, the Advanced Sniper Rifle M1162 and M1163, and the new Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) 6.8mm Common Cartridge, is American-made and manufactured at our state-of-the-art ammunition manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, Arkansas.
The ASR ammunition might seem like an odd selection for the military, but given the move to 6.8, both the Army and Marines both use .300 NM and .338 NM in their MK22 Advanced Sniper Rifle program. The program is part of an effort to continue the development of enhanced capabilities to improve the performance of the individual sniper weapons to engage out to 1500 meters, according to SOCOM.
The MK22 sniper rifle package, in which 515 units of the rifle were requested from Army’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget, includes optics, accessories, and program management in addition to engineering and logistics support. In all, the Army hopes to have around 2,600 rifles in the field. The ammunition fits right in line with their plans for keeping the soldier’s systems up to date and relevant.
