McMillan Tac-50
Encyclopedia
The McMillan Tac-50 sniper rifle
is produced in Phoenix, Arizona
in the United States by the McMillan Brothers Rifle Company. This long-range anti-materiel/anti-personnel weapon is based on previous designs from the same company, which first appeared during the late 1980s. McMillan makes several versions of .50 caliber
rifles, based on the same proprietary action, for military, law enforcement and civilian use.
The Tac-50 is a military
and law enforcement weapon, which, designated as the C15, is the standard Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW) of the Canadian Forces
since 2000. Rifles of the Tac-50 family are capable of outstanding accuracy and guaranteed to provide 0.5 MOA
groups with match grade ammunition.
to reduce recoil. The rifle is fed from detachable box magazines, holding 5 rounds each. The stock is made from fiberglass
by McMillan Stocks, and is designed to be used from a bipod
only. The buttstock is adjustable for length of pull with rubber spacers, and can be removed for compact storage. The rifle has no open sights and can be used with a variety of telescopic or night sights.
In Canadian service, the standard telescopic sight
was the McMillan endorsed Leupold
Mark 4-16x40mm LR/T M1 Riflescope optical sight that has now been replaced by the Schmidt & Bender
5-25x56 PMII telescopic sight
. McMillan also endorses the Nightforce NXS 8–32x56 Mil-dot telescopic sight for the Tac-50.
(PPCLI) regiment sniper team made at the time the longest recorded sniper kills
in history with this weapon in Afghanistan, during Operation Anaconda
, in the Shah-i-Kot Valley
. On a March afternoon in 2002, Master Corporal Arron Perry
killed an enemy combatant from 2,310 meters (2,526 yd/1.435 miles) and Corporal Rob Furlong
killed an enemy combatant from 2,430 meters (2,657 yd/1.509 miles) with 750 grain Hornady A-MAX very-low-drag bullet
s. These were the longest recorded kills by snipers in combat, surpassing the mark of 2,286 meters (2,500 yd/1.420 miles) set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock
during the Vietnam War
. The five-man Canadian sniper team — MCpl Graham Ragsdale
(Team Commander), MCpl Tim McMeekin, MCpl Arron Perry
, Cpl Dennis Eason, and Cpl Rob Furlong
— killed over 20 enemy combatants, and each of the five was nominated for the United States Armed Forces
Bronze Star Medal
.
These records were later broken in November 2009 by British Army
Corporal of Horse
Craig Harrison
from the Household Cavalry
. Harrison struck two Taliban machine gunners in a double kill south of Musa Qala
in Helmand Province
in Afghanistan, at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd/1.538 mi), using a .338 Lapua Magnum chambered British-made L115A3 Long Range 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...
is produced in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
in the United States by the McMillan Brothers Rifle Company. This long-range anti-materiel/anti-personnel weapon is based on previous designs from the same company, which first appeared during the late 1980s. McMillan makes several versions of .50 caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
rifles, based on the same proprietary action, for military, law enforcement and civilian use.
The Tac-50 is a military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and law enforcement weapon, which, designated as the C15, is the standard Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW) of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
since 2000. Rifles of the Tac-50 family are capable of outstanding accuracy and guaranteed to provide 0.5 MOA
Minute of Angle
Minute of angle is the measurement of a ballistic round's deviation from its initial heading due to gravity and/or the effect of air resistance on velocity. Informally known as a "Bullet's Trajectory" or "the rainbow effect". Long range weapons must account for this effect because a fired round...
groups with match grade ammunition.
Design details
The McMillan Tac-50 is a manually operated, rotary bolt action rifle. The large bolt has dual front locking lugs, and its body has spiral flutes to reduce weight. The heavy match-grade barrel, made by Lilja barrels, is also fluted to dissipate heat quickly and reduce overall weight and fitted with an effective muzzle brakeMuzzle 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...
to reduce recoil. The rifle is fed from detachable box magazines, holding 5 rounds each. The stock is made from fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
by McMillan Stocks, and is designed to be used from a 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:...
only. The buttstock is adjustable for length of pull with rubber spacers, and can be removed for compact storage. The rifle has no open sights and can be used with a variety of telescopic or night sights.
In Canadian service, the standard telescopic sight
Telescopic 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...
was the McMillan endorsed Leupold
Leupold & Stevens
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is a manufacturer of telescopic sights, red dot sights, spotting scopes, and binoculars located in Beaverton, Oregon, United States...
Mark 4-16x40mm LR/T M1 Riflescope optical sight that has now been replaced by the 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....
5-25x56 PMII telescopic sight
Telescopic 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...
. McMillan also endorses the Nightforce NXS 8–32x56 Mil-dot telescopic sight for the Tac-50.
Deployment
Two Canadian snipers of the same Princess Patricia's Canadian Light InfantryPrincess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
(PPCLI) regiment sniper team made at the time the longest recorded sniper kills
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...
in history with this weapon in Afghanistan, during Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in which the United States military and CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with allied Afghan military forces, and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization and non NATO forces attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot...
, in the Shah-i-Kot Valley
Shah-i-Kot Valley
The Shah-i-Kot Valley is a valley located in Afghanistan's Paktia province, southeast of the town of Zormat. The terrain in and around the valley is notoriously rugged, located at a mean altitude of...
. On a March afternoon in 2002, Master Corporal Arron Perry
Arron Perry
Arron Perry is a former Master Corporal in the Canadian Forces who supposedly in March 2002 briefly held the record for the longest recorded sniper kill in combat at a range of...
killed an enemy combatant from 2,310 meters (2,526 yd/1.435 miles) and Corporal Rob Furlong
Rob Furlong
Rob Furlong , is a former corporal of the Canadian Forces, who held the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, at 2,430 metres...
killed an enemy combatant from 2,430 meters (2,657 yd/1.509 miles) with 750 grain Hornady A-MAX 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. These were the longest recorded kills by snipers in combat, surpassing the mark of 2,286 meters (2,500 yd/1.420 miles) set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock
Carlos Hathcock
Carlos Hathcock was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The five-man Canadian sniper team — MCpl Graham Ragsdale
Graham Ragsdale
Master Corporal Graham Ragsdale of the Canadian Forces was the commander of the Third Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry sniper team attached to the 101st Airborne of the U.S. Army during Operation Anaconda in the Shah-i-kot Valley, Paktia Province, Afghanistan in March, 2002...
(Team Commander), MCpl Tim McMeekin, MCpl Arron Perry
Arron Perry
Arron Perry is a former Master Corporal in the Canadian Forces who supposedly in March 2002 briefly held the record for the longest recorded sniper kill in combat at a range of...
, Cpl Dennis Eason, and Cpl Rob Furlong
Rob Furlong
Rob Furlong , is a former corporal of the Canadian Forces, who held the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, at 2,430 metres...
— killed over 20 enemy combatants, and each of the five was nominated for the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
.
These records were later broken in November 2009 by 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...
Corporal of Horse
Corporal of Horse
Corporal of horse is a rank in the British Army's Household Cavalry corresponding to sergeant in other regiments. Formerly, no cavalry regiments had sergeants, but the Household Cavalry are the only ones to keep this tradition alive. It is said to stem from the origin of the word sergeant, which...
Craig Harrison
Craig Harrison (sniper)
Craig Harrison is a Corporal of Horse of the Household Cavalry of the British armed forces, and holds the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in combat, at a range of...
from the Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
. Harrison struck two Taliban machine gunners in a double kill south of Musa Qala
Musa Qala
Musa Qala is a town and the district center of Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, at and at 1043 m altitude in the valley of Musa Qala River in the central western part of the district. Its population has been reported in the British press to be both 2,000 and 20,000...
in Helmand Province
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
in Afghanistan, at a range of 2,475 m (2,707 yd/1.538 mi), using a .338 Lapua Magnum chambered British-made L115A3 Long Range Rifle.
Users
- Canadian ForcesCanadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
designated as the C15 Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW).: French NavyFrench NavyThe French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
commandos.: Turkish ArmyTurkish ArmyThe Turkish Army or Turkish Land Forces is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The modern history of the army began with its formation after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire...
Mountain Commandos : Used by special forces units.: United States Navy SEALsUnited States Navy SEALsThe United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
designated as the Mk 15.