What does "Sniper or Sniper Rifle"mean

[Will Durant]

For the last few years I have noted a "fondness"for the term "sniper".What does it mean??? A few years back the big thrill for the "Gunshop Commandos,Rexall Rangers etc"was a black plastic short rifle with high capacity magazines.Now we have a new breed of cat meoowing at the door-"sniper".The term applies to the individual,not some one who spends a lot of money upon an accuate but expenseve toy(and I do mean toy)trying to impress his girlfriend and others.I request that if you have a"serious"interest in the subject that you keep it up.For the others..... well there must be some other form of gratification to pursue.Hopefully this site will keep it on a straight path.Will

[1mark]

The word "sniper" was derived from the word "snipe". The snipe is a small bird. The term sniper came from hunting these birds and the difficulty in involved in doing so. But the term sniper seems to be a buzz word now. Just as fighting knife is. It seems that every old knife I see at a gun show or on Ebay is some how a military knife and every rifle with a scope is a sniper version of one kind or another.

There is no changing this so we have to live with it.:icon_salut:

[Ken The Kanuck]

I wonder if it's like when you want to buy a bolt for your boat you have to pay 3X for the "marine grade" where if you just want to buy a old stainless steel bolt it's not near as sexy nor expensive?

Lets face it when you can increase the price of the item you wish to sell with a few fancy words, that's good business.

KTK

[John Sukey]

And of course we have the gun dealers "GIFT" to the libs.
I am sure we all remember the ads in Shotgun News advertising "A-Salt" rifles when the only rifle that actualy deserved that title was the Sturmgewher.

[chuckindenver]

seems in the land of ebay, gunbroker and auction arms.
the term. SNIPER.
is a way to pry more money from a common part, that may look like, or resemble a part that might have been used on a Sniper rifle.

but heres my take on the whole thing.
no T-shirt, bumpersticker, coin in your pocket, tattoo on the arm, poster on the wall,
scope on the rifle, stamps on the stock, or any bullSh77t story, ea. built by a old Marine Gunny, or yea, i went through sniper training story isnt going to make you or an rifle a Sniper Rifle..

only one that has truly been through it, done it, and usually doesnt brag about it,
and a rifle issued as such, and is the real thing,
make it or you a Sniper..or it a sniper rifle.

i for one am sick to death of the endless weaver 330,s Redfield 3x9,s scope bases, crappy bent bolts, ammo, and the list goes on,
being pawned off as {sniper} rifle parts.
anyone who has done even a small bit of reading, or net surfing will know what is real and isnt.

it would be nice to see an ad.
nice old original Weaver 330C, nice vintage scope, that would look great on that old Savage 99 or pre 64 M70.

and not listed as a Weaver M73B1, US SNIPER scope, WW2, marked on the side by a old Marine..lol..

[1mark]

There was the one, A very rare bayonet. (Remington 1917 bayonet dated 1918) that was carried by my grandfather and my father in both WWI and WWII for $500.00. When I ask what division and or unit his grandfather and father was in the seller had no idea but they were both in the Marines.

[Jim K.]

An overused and misused word, the same that way as "tactical." A seller of anything he can't unload on the suckers needs only call it "tactical" or "sniper" and watch the junk fly out the door. A sniper is a rifleman who picks out individual targets and shoots from cover and/or from a distance, without warning, and not in response to any action by that enemy. To a sniper, an enemy soldier eating lunch is as valid a target as one firing back.

We officially honor snipers who are on our side, but many troops on both sides in WWII felt there was something nasty about that kind of killing, even by their own side. The sniper seems to be more respectable in the current fighting, possibly because the enemy uses a lot of "dirty tricks", so killing from cover seems less "sneaky".

Jim

[Griff Murphey]

If it is a rifle with provenance, such as a CMP M-1D, that was issued to military snipers by the United States or other Government, or a replica thereof, it is a "Sniper Rifle" or "Replica Sniper Rifle," respectively. The new-made Remington 700 M-40's done for the USMC Scout Sniper Association are replica sniper rifles. A G-43 is a sniper rifle because it was purpose designed for that, as is an M-98 with a scope that can be verified as genuine. Like a real M-1D without a scope, ANY G-43 is a "Sniper Rifle" because it has the purpose-built scope mount. If the M-1D or G-43 has a replica scope on it and the "D" is genuine both are real sniper rifles but have a replica scope. If the rifle in question is an AR-15 with a "Super Sniper" scope on it in the hands of Bubba it is NOT a sniper rifle unless Bubba is in a SWAT unit or in Afganistan... then it MIGHT be a sniper rifle, and the owner is in fact a sniper! Any "operator" working as a sniper, with sniper law enforcement or military training, can make this claim. Others; no. Does this help?

[USSR]

There are several different meanings for "Sniper" and "Sniper Rifle". For Sniper, it can be someone employed/deployed as a sniper, or more basically, anyone using the tactic known as "sniping". For Sniper Rifle, it is a purpose-built rifle designed from the bottom up to be used for the tactic known as "sniping", or more basically, any rifle used by an individual involved in the tactic known as sniping. Just like a "race car" can be owned by an individual who is not a race car driver, so too can a sniper rifle be owned by an individual who is not a sniper. It is a purpose-built tool, regardless of whether it is used for the purpose it was designed for or not.

Don

[Griff Murphey]

So, then, by your reasoning certainly ALL SCOPED hunting rifles could be considered "Sniper" rifles? Most of them are head and shoulders better guns for sniping than anyone carried in WW-2 on either side.

Remember now, we are talking semantics, which may come back and bite us. At some point someone in the MEDIA and/or ADMINISTRATION may decide "sniper" assault-type-deadly-weapons (with carrying strap) are too dangerous for civilians to own.

I respectfully disagree, and still say the term sniper should be applied only to actual guns once used in that role by duly sworn agents or military forces of some government or replicas thereof (so designated). Throwing the term around is inaccurate and could result in a reenactment of the "assault rifle" libel and lynching of semiautomatic lookalike military replica guns, which is still snarling us in the face, ongoing, the next time directed at "sniper" rifles.

[chuckindenver]

remember the media throwing the term {sniper} around a few years ago,?
when a punk kid and another coward driving around shooting unarmed people out the trunk of a beat up Chevy Nova?
called them Snipers, when in fact they wer both cowards, and didnt earn the lable.
just a term the media used to grab attention, rifle they used was a AR variant, and the media used that as well.
i own many rifles that have heavy barrels, high power optics, that were never made to be {sniper} rifles, but are very capable of doing so.

i also own genuine US sniper rifles, that saw use and service, and that was the intended use of them.
they can and have taken deer and elk, that doesnt make them hunting rifles.
they are and always will be, genuine sniper rifles.
o also remember the media down playing the term sniper, when our US Navy seals snipers took out terrorist pirates.
they avoided the term, but later in the story, the term sharpshooter was used.

they are US trained SNIPERS, the equipment used is and always will be Sniper rifles.
i would love the media to start telling it like it is.
if some nut ball starts shooting unarmed people, he,s just that, a nut case, mommy and daddy issues. not a Sniper.
when a special forces trained US sniper takes out a terrorist with one shot saving lives, he is not a sharpshooter,, he or she is a SNIPER.. plain and simple.
they have earned and diserve our respect and our thanks.

[Griff Murphey]

I miss just having a "Thanks" icon to ping. So Thanks, Chuck, a slightly different take but all true.

[1mark]

How correct you are Chuck. There was a story in the news around here a while back and they reported the shooter using an "Assault Rifle". Turns out it was a 22 caliber semi auto with a 15 round mag in it. The news never corrected their story or any follow up stories. Got to love those buzz words.

[bordercav]

Speaking of Chuck, John Muhammad has a date with the executioner next month. Let's hope he doesn't get any last second reprieves and goes to his just reward!

[K Thies]

What is realy funny is that a "Sniper Rifle" does not have to have a (Go Fast ) scope on it.
Look at the Civil War. Half mile with iron sights just because some GI decided to become a snpiper on the spur of the moment.

[bd1]

What's your "go-to" centerfire rifle-scope rig you know is going to deliver unwavering first-shot accuracy at the longest range you can safely hunt N American game animals firing from the shoulder or a field rest? That's a "sniper" rifle. Caliber can range anywhere from the 6 mm's to a .375.

[chuckindenver]

my personal rifle. an early 1980,s Remington PSS in .308 , Redfield 4-12 scope,
when i found this rifle, it was in a pawnshop, new in the box, in 1985.
at that time, you had to have a military or police ID to get one,
i picked it up for 350.00 and spent 450.00 for the scope, added a Canjar set trigger.
iv taken many many deer and Antelope with this rifle, Coyotes, and won several matches at my gun club.
if i had to keep a couple rifles, this would be one of them.

my next personal rifle, id keep.
my Remington 700 Safari grade in .375H&H. redfield 5 star 3x9 scope will kill anything on this planet,
iv taken a couple record class mule deer with it, as well as some 20 Bull Elk.
never had to shoot them twice.
both rifles shoot better then i do.
are they {sniper} rifles? not in my book, though the PSS was made for a police or combat sharp shooter, it has not and likely will never be used as such.
it does and has, taken medium sized game at very long range, if i do my job right, it take them down, usually with one shot.

[Clark Howard]

While it is true that a sniper rifle meets the same requirements of accuracy and reliability as a sporting rifle that is designed for same, the huge difference between the civilian marksman and the military sniper is the absolute certainty that the sniper will be opposed very quickly by enemy fire. The popular picture of the sniper smiling smuggly after a kill is in contrast to the reality of the shooter quickly vacating his hide and attempting to avoid the inevitable relatiation from the enemy. The term "sniper" is applied to persons and hardware in order to enhance the positive reaction to them by people who wish to benefit from the reputation of the term. Regards, Clark

[snakehunter]

Whether one should vacate one's position (shoot and scoot) or stay in that position (shoot and xxxx [or shoot and sit, if you prefer]) depends on the mission and tactical situation.

[Critch]

Well, the libs already started years ago griping about scoped rifles, I think it was Feinstein who made a big deal about a scoped rifle being able to hit something at 100 yards. (Moron)

I never refer to my 10FP as a sniper rifle, its a Savage 10, I've never been through sniper training and I'm really only learning how to shoot at really long ranges...but it is an awfully accurate rifle when I do my part.

I have an issue also with so much being tactical this and tactical that...it's irritating. I also don't like average cops going around all tactical, I don't think it sends the right message for people who are supposed to be peace officers, but I'm older and my training and experiences were different.

It bothers me when I see that someone has taken a heavy barrelled rifle, painted it camo and calls it a sniper rifle,,it isn't...

But, we can't stop them...only tell them they are mistaken..

To the uninformed, any scoped rifle is a sniper rifle, whether it's a 22 squirrel rifle or a Old Remington 700 in 30.06 with the heavy barrel...theres not much we can do to educate them anyway...

[bd1]

Most of our old NRA Match Rifles would qualify, most of the F Class rifles, even a lot of Benchrest rifles. I agree it's not a wise idea in the current socio-political USA to even use the term "sniper" among strangers. Better to let your scores do the talking; you know the folks on the firing line appreciate accuracy.

[Fogtripper]

Perhaps this subforum should be changed to "precision rifles"?

I agree that many who are merely couch commandos may build up a LR rifle and call it a "sniper", but (as with my recent new rifle post shows) there are precision rifles that don't really fit into any of the other subforums.

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

In my mind, a sniper rifle is a military weapon designed to be used in combat (police sharpshooters use tactical weapons in my opinion). My monicker is out of respect for what I believe to be one of the best combat sniper rifles ever used in combat. I am prejudiced, as I am partial to combat arms used as sniper rifles under combat conditions against individuals who shoot back.

I am influenced by such actions as that performed by Marine Pvt. Roland Fisher of the 51st Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Regiment who killed 6 Germans at 1400 yards on 11 Jun 1918 while under attack by both infantry and artillery (three witness statements in his file) in one of the most vicious battles in US history. Pvt. Fisher was shooting from a haystack and was subsequently wounded by responding artillery fire. His rifle was a 1903 Springfield, star gauged, with a Winchester A5 scope using regular ball ammo. Pvt. Fisher was picked as a Marine Scout Sniper because of his ability to shoot, and his records indicate no special "sniper" training.

In comparison, no way could I ever consider Charles Whitman a sniper, although he shot 33 people and made some incredible shots and he too was a Marine. Whitman was a murderer, pure and simply.

The term "sniper" is like the term "spy", it can be used in many circumstances, but we all know what a real spy is. Real spies get shot or imprisoned, and are not tried in state courts. Real snipers are under federal/military jurisdiction and get medals for their exploits.

Jim