Brügger & Thomet APR308
Encyclopedia
The APR is family of Swiss
sniper rifle
s designed in 2003 as a further evolution of the French
PGM Précision
rifles by the Thun
-based Brügger & Thomet
(B&T or B+T) company.
-made but Swiss modified rifle to the Singapore Army
, which at the time was planning to acquire a new 7.62mm precision rifle. After some confusing communication with PGM Précision
over who had the rights to sell the PGM 7.62mm sniper rifle to the Singaporean Army, Brügger & Thomet decided in 2003 to improve the PGM rifle and produce the new design at their own manufacturing facility in Switzerland. The Brügger & Thomet APR308 sniper rifle was first presented to the public at the 2005 Milipol exhibition and since then has been adopted as a standard sniper rifle by the Singapore Army.
The APR's main commercial competitors/equivalents on the high-end factory sniper rifle market are beside the PGM Précision product line, the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
and Sako TRG
product lines. All these rifles are comparable performance-wise.
The heart of the APR is a metal lower receiver
that functions as a main frame or chassis to which all other rifle components are assembled or attached. The manual ambidextrous safety is integrated into the lower receiver. This chassis houses the upper receiver which consists of a bolt group and barrel
, as well as the fire control group, folding butt stock and other furniture. The contact surface between upper and lower receiver functions as an unconventional bedding surface.
The upper receiver consists of a housing, in which a locking ring is permanently fixed, and a Picatinny rail
as an interface to the rifle scope. Integrated in this scope mount rail is the rear part of the emergency iron sight
, designed as factory zeroed flip-up sight. Into the above mentioned locking ring, the bolt locks by rotation; thus, the receiver with locking ring, bolt and barrel form the breech of the rifle. The APR rifle has a traditional manually operated rotary bolt
with three radial locking lugs at the front. The bolt requires only a 60° bolt rotation; both features should be appreciated by the shooter during multiple firings that require rapid projectile placement on the target.
The trigger group, manual safety and pistol grip
consist of one detachable module attached under the receiver. This group consists of a fully adjustable two-stage trigger featuring an adjustable trigger pull weight of 1.5 to 2.5 kg (3 to 5 lb) and a trigger path that can be externally adjusted without disassembly of the unit. An ambidextrous manual safety is conveniently located above the pistol grip. The APR308 has a side-folding stock
which is attached to the lower receiver with a rugged steel hinge. It offers an adjustable butt plate and length of pull spacer system. The cheek-rest is also fully adjustable. These adjustment options allow shooters of various sizes and shapes to tailor the APR folding stock to their personal preferences, which is an uncommon feature for folding stocks. An additional folding height-adjustable monopod is attached to the rear of the buttstock and allows the shooter to rest the rifle during extended periods of observation.
A weapon's stock is made of a polymer
material and is attached to the lower receiver. It has provisions for mounting a folding height-adjustable bipod
. The APR feed system consists of a detachable 10-round stainless steel box magazine. When the magazine is empty, it stops the forward motion of the bolt. The magazine feeds through the lower receiver into the upper receiver and is held by a magazine catch, which is integrated into the trigger group.
forged fluted
barrels have appropriate attachments for a factory-provided steel
muzzle brake
that carries the front part of the emergency sight, which therefore never has to be removed. The muzzle brake's effectiveness is rated at a recoil reduction of 40%. It also serves as a mounting point for a quick-detachable sound suppressor
and includes a thread protector to protect the thread if no suppressor is attached. The APR308 barrel accuracy life is estimated at approximately 7,000 rounds.
At its chamber end, the barrel becomes screwed into the receiver and presses into the upper receiver's locking ring. For the .308 Winchester
chambering, the 280 mm (1:11 in) right-hand rifling twist rate with four grooves was selected over the 305 mm (1:12 in) twist traditionally used with .308 Winchester ammunition, as a compromise when switching between supersonic
and subsonic
cartridges and facilitating the use of 7.62mm projectiles up to 19.96 g (200 gr).
for the APR. The TRS is a Schmidt & Bender
PMII 3-12x50 LP scope with a proprietary stadiametric rangefinding reticle layout made exclusively for Brügger & Thomet. The TRS scope is meant to be mounted with a Brügger & Thomet mounting set consisting of two scope rings, where the front ring provides an adaptor for Simrad KN night sights
. Those rings are attached to a Picatinny interface on the rifle's upper receiver. The scope and mount are clamped on the rifle's Picatinny rail by the tension of two levers, allowing the operator to quickly remove the scope in case of failure or while cleaning or during transit. Detaching and attaching the scope repeatedly will not affect the zero. APR rifles can be equipped with an anti-mirage band to suppress mirage caused by air heated by a warm barrel during extended training sessions.
With recommended ammunition the APR308's accuracy should be ≤ 1 MOA
at any practical range. Brügger & Thomet specifies the rifle provides a 99% or better first hit probability against a head-sized target at 400 m and torso-sized target at 800 m. The specified maximum effective range with appropriate ammunition (RUAG Swiss P 10.87 g (168 gr) recommended for mid-range applications up to 600 m, Norma Diamond Line 12.31 g (190 gr)—recommended for long range applications up to 1,000 m), Lapua D46 12 g (185 gr) (suitable for military applications)) is 1,000 meters.
Other accessories supplied with the rifle include a lightweight soft case for transporting the APR to the shooting range, a triple rail interface which fits to the weapon's chassis without any modification and provides three additional Picatinny rails that can be used to mount night vision equipment other than Simrad, laser aiming/designation devices or illumination tools.
A sound-suppressed version of the APR308 is the APR308S with a 400 mm (15.7 in) barrel and integral sound suppressor. This model too is not fitted with back-up iron sights or a drop safety device and can only be used with subsonic ammunition (200–240 gr projectiles).
The APR308 rifle was also used to develop a larger variant intended for use at extended ranges. The APR338 chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum round was first introduced at the 2007 Milipol exhibition in Paris
and became available in 2008. The APR338 system is designed to handle cartridges up to 94 mm (3.7 in) overall length.
The APR338 is intended as a military long range anti-personnel rifle. Brügger & Thomet specifies the rifle provides a 99% or higher first hit probability against a head-sized target up to 600 m or a torso-sized target at 1,300 m with appropriate ammunition (Lapua Scenar 250 grain recommended). The rifle's barrel has an unconventional 279 mm (1:11 in) right-hand twist rate, optimized for firing .338-calibre very-low-drag bullet
s up to 16.85 g (260 gr). Longer, heavier very-low-drag bullets like the Sierra HPBT MatchKing .338-calibre 19.44 g (300 gr) can be used, but require a 254 mm (1:10 in) twist rate to stabilize them under high air density conditions as found on arctic coasts. The APR338 barrel accuracy life is estimated at 2,500 rounds. The rifle can be employed with a APR338 GRS suppressor, which reduces the acoustical signature by up to 25 dB(A).
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
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 designed in 2003 as a further evolution of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
PGM Précision
PGM Precision
PGM Precision is a French company manufacturing high-precision rifles for military and law enforcement usages. It is the official supplier to the French Armed Forces.Models include:* PGM Hecate II...
rifles by the Thun
Thun
Thun is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland with about 42,136 inhabitants , as of 1 January 2006....
-based Brügger & Thomet
Brügger & Thomet
Brügger & Thomet AG is a licensed Swiss defense supplier specializing in the design and manufacturing of firearms and tactical components such as sound suppressors and rail systems. The company is located in Thun, Switzerland. B&T consists of a trading and manufacturing division...
(B&T or B+T) company.
History
B+T was at that time a long-time distributor of PGM rifles, and in 2003 competed in a tender to sell the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-made but Swiss modified rifle to the Singapore Army
Singapore Army
The Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and heavily reliant on a conscript army, comprising the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen .-Capabilities:The mission of the...
, which at the time was planning to acquire a new 7.62mm precision rifle. After some confusing communication with PGM Précision
PGM Precision
PGM Precision is a French company manufacturing high-precision rifles for military and law enforcement usages. It is the official supplier to the French Armed Forces.Models include:* PGM Hecate II...
over who had the rights to sell the PGM 7.62mm sniper rifle to the Singaporean Army, Brügger & Thomet decided in 2003 to improve the PGM rifle and produce the new design at their own manufacturing facility in Switzerland. The Brügger & Thomet APR308 sniper rifle was first presented to the public at the 2005 Milipol exhibition and since then has been adopted as a standard sniper rifle by the Singapore Army.
The APR's main commercial competitors/equivalents on the high-end factory sniper rifle market are beside the PGM Précision product line, 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...
and Sako TRG
Sako TRG
Sako TRG-22/42 sniper rifles were developed by the Finnish firearm manufacturer SAKO of Riihimäki. The TRG-22 is designed to fire standard .308 Winchester ammunition, while the TRG-42 is designed to fire more powerful .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition and therefore has a...
product lines. All these rifles are comparable performance-wise.
Features
The APR system is a purpose-designed modular sniper rifle system, rather than an accurized version of an existing, general-purpose rifle. According to the manufacturer, although being a precision-instrument, the APR system will resist harsh military use and remain functional in typical operational environments.The heart of the APR is a metal lower receiver
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...
that functions as a main frame or chassis to which all other rifle components are assembled or attached. The manual ambidextrous safety is integrated into the lower receiver. This chassis houses the upper receiver which consists of a bolt group and 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....
, as well as the fire control group, folding butt stock and other furniture. The contact surface between upper and lower receiver functions as an unconventional bedding surface.
The upper receiver consists of a housing, in which a locking ring is permanently fixed, and a Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
as an interface to the rifle scope. Integrated in this scope mount rail is the rear part of the emergency iron sight
Iron sight
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
, designed as factory zeroed flip-up sight. Into the above mentioned locking ring, the bolt locks by rotation; thus, the receiver with locking ring, bolt and barrel form the breech of the rifle. The APR rifle has a traditional manually operated rotary bolt
Rotating bolt
Rotating bolt is a method of locking originally developed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and found in his Steyr-Mannlicher M1895 straight-pull bolt-action rifle designed for and issued to the Austro-Hungarian Army...
with three radial locking lugs at the front. The bolt requires only a 60° bolt rotation; both features should be appreciated by the shooter during multiple firings that require rapid projectile placement on the target.
The trigger group, manual safety and pistol grip
Pistol grip
On a firearm or other tool, the pistol grip is that portion of the mechanism that is held by the hand and orients the hand in a forward, vertical orientation, similar to the position one would take with a conventional pistol such as the M1911....
consist of one detachable module attached under the receiver. This group consists of a fully adjustable two-stage trigger featuring an adjustable trigger pull weight of 1.5 to 2.5 kg (3 to 5 lb) and a trigger path that can be externally adjusted without disassembly of the unit. An ambidextrous manual safety is conveniently located above the pistol grip. The APR308 has a side-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...
which is attached to the lower receiver with a rugged steel hinge. It offers an adjustable butt plate and length of pull spacer system. The cheek-rest is also fully adjustable. These adjustment options allow shooters of various sizes and shapes to tailor the APR folding stock to their personal preferences, which is an uncommon feature for folding stocks. An additional folding height-adjustable monopod is attached to the rear of the buttstock and allows the shooter to rest the rifle during extended periods of observation.
A weapon's stock is made of a polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
material and is attached to the lower receiver. It has provisions for mounting a folding height-adjustable bipod
Bipod
A bipod is a support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with two legs. It provides significant stability along two axes of motion .-Firearms:...
. The APR feed system consists of a detachable 10-round stainless steel box magazine. When the magazine is empty, it stops the forward motion of the bolt. The magazine feeds through the lower receiver into the upper receiver and is held by a magazine catch, which is integrated into the trigger group.
Barrel
The free-floatingFree-floating barrel
A free-floating barrel is a specific design technology used in highly accurate rifles, particularly match grade rifles, to increase the accuracy of the weapon.With normal rifles, the barrel rests in contact with the stock...
forged fluted
Fluting (firearms)
In firearms terminology, fluting refers to the removal of material from a cylindrical surface, usually creating grooves. This is most often the barrel of a rifle, though it may also refer to the cylinder of a revolver or the bolt of a bolt action rifle....
barrels have appropriate attachments for a factory-provided steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
muzzle brake
Muzzle brake
Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators are devices that are fitted to the muzzle of a firearm or cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire...
that carries the front part of the emergency sight, which therefore never has to be removed. The muzzle brake's effectiveness is rated at a recoil reduction of 40%. It also serves as a mounting point for a quick-detachable sound suppressor
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
and includes a thread protector to protect the thread if no suppressor is attached. The APR308 barrel accuracy life is estimated at approximately 7,000 rounds.
At its chamber end, the barrel becomes screwed into the receiver and presses into the upper receiver's locking ring. For the .308 Winchester
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...
chambering, the 280 mm (1:11 in) right-hand rifling twist rate with four grooves was selected over the 305 mm (1:12 in) twist traditionally used with .308 Winchester ammunition, as a compromise when switching between supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
and subsonic
Speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled during a unit of time by a sound wave propagating through an elastic medium. In dry air at , the speed of sound is . This is , or about one kilometer in three seconds or approximately one mile in five seconds....
cartridges and facilitating the use of 7.62mm projectiles up to 19.96 g (200 gr).
Sights
Every APR rifle is equipped with a MIL-STD-1913 rail on top of the upper receiver for mounting components to accommodate different types of optical or electro-optical sights, with the option to mount three extra rails on the stock for attaching tactical accessories. The rifle can be equipped with an optional folding front sight and an aperture-type rear sight. Iron sights cannot be mounted on integrally silenced APR models. Brügger & Thomet offers a proprietary TRS (Tactical Rifle Scope) telescopic sightTelescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope, is a sighting device that is based on an optical refracting telescope. They are equipped with some form of graphic image pattern mounted in an optically appropriate position in their optical system to give an accurate aiming point...
for the APR. The TRS is a Schmidt & Bender
Schmidt & Bender
Schmidt & Bender is a German company specialized in producing high end telescopic sights for hunting, sports, law enforcement and military arms....
PMII 3-12x50 LP scope with a proprietary stadiametric rangefinding reticle layout made exclusively for Brügger & Thomet. The TRS scope is meant to be mounted with a Brügger & Thomet mounting set consisting of two scope rings, where the front ring provides an adaptor for Simrad KN night sights
Simrad Optronics
, is the holding company of Simrad Optronics Group located at Nøtterøy, Norway. Simrad Optronics Group is a global niche supplier to the defence industry, with production facilities in Norway and Maine, USA. Daughter companies include Vinghøg AS at Nøtterøy, Norway and Vingtech Corporation in...
. Those rings are attached to a Picatinny interface on the rifle's upper receiver. The scope and mount are clamped on the rifle's Picatinny rail by the tension of two levers, allowing the operator to quickly remove the scope in case of failure or while cleaning or during transit. Detaching and attaching the scope repeatedly will not affect the zero. APR rifles can be equipped with an anti-mirage band to suppress mirage caused by air heated by a warm barrel during extended training sessions.
Ammunition
The APR308 is chambered to fire the .308 Winchester cartridge as well as its military equivalent—the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge (that has slightly different chamber specifications and a lower maximum chamber pressure compared to the .308 Winchester). The APR308 system is designed to handle cartridges up to 71.3 mm (2.81 in) in overall length.With recommended ammunition the APR308's accuracy should be ≤ 1 MOA
Minute of arc
A minute of arc, arcminute, or minute of angle , is a unit of angular measurement equal to one sixtieth of one degree. In turn, a second of arc or arcsecond is one sixtieth of one minute of arc....
at any practical range. Brügger & Thomet specifies the rifle provides a 99% or better first hit probability against a head-sized target at 400 m and torso-sized target at 800 m. The specified maximum effective range with appropriate ammunition (RUAG Swiss P 10.87 g (168 gr) recommended for mid-range applications up to 600 m, Norma Diamond Line 12.31 g (190 gr)—recommended for long range applications up to 1,000 m), Lapua D46 12 g (185 gr) (suitable for military applications)) is 1,000 meters.
Accessories
As a manufacturer of firearm sound suppressors, Brügger & Thomet also offers quick-detachable suppressors for the APR series. The APR308 GRS suppressor reduces the acoustical report of the weapon by 36 dB(A) and also reduces the optical muzzle signature.Other accessories supplied with the rifle include a lightweight soft case for transporting the APR to the shooting range, a triple rail interface which fits to the weapon's chassis without any modification and provides three additional Picatinny rails that can be used to mount night vision equipment other than Simrad, laser aiming/designation devices or illumination tools.
Variants
The APR308 is available in several specialized variants. The APR308P was designed for tactical police applications and has a shorter, 500 mm (19.7 in) barrel with a different muzzle device. The rifle is to be used exclusively with optical sights, as the iron sights were removed. The rifle also lacks a drop safety, present in the standard, military version and because of the reduced barrel – the effective range has dropped to 600 m.A sound-suppressed version of the APR308 is the APR308S with a 400 mm (15.7 in) barrel and integral sound suppressor. This model too is not fitted with back-up iron sights or a drop safety device and can only be used with subsonic ammunition (200–240 gr projectiles).
The APR308 rifle was also used to develop a larger variant intended for use at extended ranges. The APR338 chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum round was first introduced at the 2007 Milipol exhibition in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and became available in 2008. The APR338 system is designed to handle cartridges up to 94 mm (3.7 in) overall length.
The APR338 is intended as a military long range anti-personnel rifle. Brügger & Thomet specifies the rifle provides a 99% or higher first hit probability against a head-sized target up to 600 m or a torso-sized target at 1,300 m with appropriate ammunition (Lapua Scenar 250 grain recommended). The rifle's barrel has an unconventional 279 mm (1:11 in) right-hand twist rate, optimized for firing .338-calibre very-low-drag bullet
Very-low-drag bullet
Very-low-drag bullets are primarily a small arms ballistics development of the 1980s–1990s, driven by shooters' desire for bullets that will give a higher degree of accuracy and kinetic efficiency, especially at extended ranges. To achieve this the projectile must minimize air resistance in flight...
s up to 16.85 g (260 gr). Longer, heavier very-low-drag bullets like the Sierra HPBT MatchKing .338-calibre 19.44 g (300 gr) can be used, but require a 254 mm (1:10 in) twist rate to stabilize them under high air density conditions as found on arctic coasts. The APR338 barrel accuracy life is estimated at 2,500 rounds. The rifle can be employed with a APR338 GRS suppressor, which reduces the acoustical signature by up to 25 dB(A).
Users
- Used by Unité Spéciale de la PoliceUnité Spéciale de la PoliceThe Unité Spéciale de la Police is a special unit of the Grand Ducal Police that was created in Luxembourg in 1999. It is tasked with responding to especially dangerous situations such as hostage rescue operations, arrests of dangerous individuals, bomb threats, and dignitary protection duties...
of the Grand Ducal PoliceGrand Ducal PoliceThe Grand Ducal Police is the primary law enforcement agency in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The police is under the control of the Minister for the Interior of Luxembourg, although they operate in the name, and under the ultimate control, of the Grand Duke. Day-to-day executive control is...
(APR308P).: Singapore ArmySingapore ArmyThe Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and heavily reliant on a conscript army, comprising the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen .-Capabilities:The mission of the...
(APR308).