PGM Hecate II
Encyclopedia
The Hecate II is the standard heavy sniper rifle
of the French Army
, sometimes known as the FR-12,7 (French
: Fusil à Répétition de calibre 12,7 mm or "12.7 mm caliber bolt-action rifle").
It is manufactured by PGM Précision
of France
. This is the largest weapon manufactured by PGM, chambered for the .50 BMG
(12.7x99mm NATO) cartridge.
Its design is the same metallic-skeleton as used in other similar rifles in the PGM family, only scaled up. It is equipped with both an adjustable front bipod and a rear monopod for maximum accuracy. The barrel is deeply fluted
in order to disperse heat and reduce weight, and is fitted with a high-efficiency muzzle brake
which reduces the felt recoil
to about the level expected of a 7.62x51mm NATO-chambered rifle. The stock is also adjustable.
It is used as an anti-materiel rifle
for demolition
shooting at long ranges, harassing fire, counter-sniping and the destruction of unexploded ordnance
from a safe distance, with High Explosive Incendiary/Armour Piercing Ammunition
(HEIAP).
Standard issue sight is a SCROME LTE J10 F1 10x telescope.
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...
of the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
, sometimes known as the FR-12,7 (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Fusil à Répétition de calibre 12,7 mm or "12.7 mm caliber bolt-action rifle").
It is manufactured by 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...
of France
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...
. This is the largest weapon manufactured by PGM, chambered for the .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...
(12.7x99mm NATO) cartridge.
Its design is the same metallic-skeleton as used in other similar rifles in the PGM family, only scaled up. It is equipped with both an adjustable front bipod and a rear monopod for maximum accuracy. The barrel is deeply 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....
in order to disperse heat and reduce weight, and is fitted with a high-efficiency 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...
which reduces the felt recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
to about the level expected of a 7.62x51mm NATO-chambered rifle. The stock is also adjustable.
It is used as an anti-materiel rifle
Anti-materiel rifle
An anti-materiel rifle is a rifle that is designed for use against military equipment rather than against other combatants ....
for demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
shooting at long ranges, harassing fire, counter-sniping and the destruction of unexploded ordnance
Unexploded ordnance
Unexploded ordnance are explosive weapons that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation, potentially many decades after they were used or discarded.While "UXO" is widely and informally used, munitions and explosives of...
from a safe distance, with High Explosive Incendiary/Armour Piercing Ammunition
High Explosive Incendiary/Armor Piercing Ammunition
High Explosive Incendiary/Armor Piercing Ammunition is a form of shell which combines both an armor-piercing capability and a high-explosive effect. In this respect it is a modern version of armor piercing shell...
(HEIAP).
Standard issue sight is a SCROME LTE J10 F1 10x telescope.
See also
- FR F2 standard French sniper rifle
- PGM 338
- PGM Ultima RatioPGM Ultima RatioThe PGM Ultima Ratio is a French-designed and manufactured sniper rifle. It uses the 7.62x51 mm NATO cartridge and can, depending on the variant, be chambered for several other cartridges. The PGM Ultima Ratio is intended to fulfill an anti-personnel role and is produced by PGM Précision of France...