Accuracy International
Encyclopedia
Accuracy International is a specialist British firearm
s manufacturer based in Portsmouth
, Hampshire
, England
and best known for producing the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
series of precision sniper
rifle
s. The company was established in 1978 by British Olympic
shooting gold medallist Malcolm Cooper
, MBE
(1947–2001), Sarah Cooper, Martin Kay, and the designers of the weapons, Dave Walls and Dave Caig. All were highly skilled international or national target shooters. Accuracy International's high-accuracy sniper rifle
s are in use with many military units and police departments around the world.
Accuracy International went into liquidation in 2005, and was bought by a British consortium which has resulted in the original design team now being back in control of the company.
The company is currently (2009) equally owned by two directors, Dave Walls and Tom Irwin along with Paul Bagshaw. Dave Caig remains in the business as a consultant.
The Accuracy International rifle system has gained success, due in part to the design considerations put into the overall rifle. The rifles are hand-built. The AWSM
(Arctic Warfare Super Magnum) set the record for the longest confirmed combat kill
.
The rifle stock design is designed for good ergonomics
. The comfort in holding the rifle and the reduced recoil aids accuracy.
The barrel
is interchangeable with other calibres; this can be done in the field in about 15 minutes. With the barrel clamped in a barrel vice, the barrel is removed from the action
, and another one screwed into the action and tightened in place with a torque wrench.
The inherent accuracy of the rifle is due to the action being bolted with four screws and permanently bonded with epoxy material to an aluminium frame
to which all major rifle components are attached. As it keeps the action from moving away from zero, the accuracy of the rifle is very high. Adding a folding stock
handle, this sniper rifle can be used for both HALO insertions and walking deployments of sniper forces.
Accuracy International introduced their new AS50
.50 BMG
calibre semi-automatic rifle at the 2005 SHOT Show
in Las Vegas.
The UK government announced in March 2008 the award of an £11 million contract to produce rifles for the British Army
.
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s manufacturer based in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and best known for producing the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a family of bolt-action sniper rifles designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International...
series of precision sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s. The company was established in 1978 by British Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
shooting gold medallist Malcolm Cooper
Malcolm Cooper
Malcolm Douglas Cooper, MBE, was a British sport shooter and founder of Accuracy International. , he is the only shooter to win defend the gold medal in the Olympic 50 metre rifle three positions event....
, MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(1947–2001), Sarah Cooper, Martin Kay, and the designers of the weapons, Dave Walls and Dave Caig. All were highly skilled international or national target shooters. Accuracy International's high-accuracy sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
s are in use with many military units and police departments around the world.
Accuracy International went into liquidation in 2005, and was bought by a British consortium which has resulted in the original design team now being back in control of the company.
The company is currently (2009) equally owned by two directors, Dave Walls and Tom Irwin along with Paul Bagshaw. Dave Caig remains in the business as a consultant.
The Accuracy International rifle system has gained success, due in part to the design considerations put into the overall rifle. The rifles are hand-built. The AWSM
Accuracy International AWM
The AWM is a sniper rifle manufactured by Accuracy International. It is also known as the AWSM , which typically denotes the .338 Lapua Magnum version.-The Arctic Warfare Magnum system:...
(Arctic Warfare Super Magnum) set the record for the longest confirmed combat kill
Longest recorded sniper kills
Reports regarding the longest recorded sniper kill that contain information regarding the shooting distance and the identity of the sniper have been presented to the general public since 1967. Snipers in modern warfare have had a long history since the development of long distance weaponry...
.
The rifle stock design is designed for good ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities.The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics as follows:...
. The comfort in holding the rifle and the reduced recoil aids accuracy.
The barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
is interchangeable with other calibres; this can be done in the field in about 15 minutes. With the barrel clamped in a barrel vice, the barrel is removed from the action
Firearm action
In firearms terminology, an action is the physical mechanism that manipulates cartridges and/or seals the breech. The term is also used to describe the method in which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism. Actions are generally categorized by the type of mechanism used...
, and another one screwed into the action and tightened in place with a torque wrench.
The inherent accuracy of the rifle is due to the action being bolted with four screws and permanently bonded with epoxy material to an aluminium frame
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
to which all major rifle components are attached. As it keeps the action from moving away from zero, the accuracy of the rifle is very high. Adding a folding stock
Stock (firearm)
A stock, also known as a buttstock or shoulder stock, is a part of a rifle or other firearm, to which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached, that is held against one's shoulder when firing the gun. Stocks are also found on crossbows though a crossbow stock is more properly referred to as a...
handle, this sniper rifle can be used for both HALO insertions and walking deployments of sniper forces.
Accuracy International introduced their new AS50
Accuracy International AS50
The AS50 is a .50 BMG sniper/anti-materiel rifle manufactured by British firearms producer Accuracy International. The AS50 enables operators to engage targets at very long range with high accuracy using explosive or incendiary ammunition...
.50 BMG
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
calibre semi-automatic rifle at the 2005 SHOT Show
SHOT Show
The ' is an annual tradeshow for the shooting, hunting, and firearms industry. It is the biggest event of this type in the world together with IWA & OutdoorClassics , also taking place annually. "SHOT", besides being a general reference to shooting, is an acronym for "Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor...
in Las Vegas.
The UK government announced in March 2008 the award of an £11 million contract to produce rifles for the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.