Carlton Meyer
21st Century Weapons
e-mail May 1998

"A 12.7mm armor-piercing, fin-stabilized, discarding sabot round will go in one end and out the other of an LAV without the slightest difficulty"

--Col. Andrew R. Finlayson, McGazette, March 1989, pg. 16

During World War I, the only anti-armor infantry weapons were large caliber rifles. During World War II, Allied Airborne forces relied on anti-armor rifles like the "Boys 55", but they were phased out in 1945 in favor of anti-tank rockets. Billions of dollars have been dedicated to the development of anti-armor missiles since that war, but the idea of man-portable high-velocity guns has been forgotten.

Large caliber rifles have begun to reappear as long-range sniper rifles. www.enol.com/~fcsa/pictures/gun_pict.htm They have become practical because of innovative recoil absorption ideas like "fluted" barrels. These weapons have greater armor penetration ability since high velocity "sabot" rounds have appeared, like the tungsten .50 caliber SLAP (Saboted Light Armor Penetrator) Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) round used by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

The most common .50 cal rifle was developed by Barrett in the 1980s. The military establishment ignored this breakthrough until U.S. troops were sent to Saudi Arabia in 1990. With real combat looming, the Pentagon asked the warfighters what they needed, and the U.S. Special Operations Command and Marine Corps asked for the Barrett, which was named the M82A1 Special Applications Scoped Rifle (SASR). This semi-automatic weapon weighs 32.5 lbs and can fire ten .50 cal rounds to an effective range of 1800 meters. (SASR & SLAP specs are at select "Info for Marines", then "Weapons and Equipment")

During the Persian Gulf war, U.S. Army Special Operations forces used SASRs to disable SCUD missiles and kill Iraqi tank commanders in their hatches. Marine snipers used them to terrorize front-line Iraqi troops. Unfortunately, senior Marine officers never grasped the full value of SASRs, and the Corps has only two per infantry battalion for use by snipers. The Conventional-force Marine Corps and the U.S. Army must recognize the value of these weapons in anti-armor and anti-helicopter roles. A SASR weighs less than the M240 7.62mm machine gun, and Barrett also manufacturers a smaller 22 lbs bolt-action version called the Model 95 with a five-round magazine.

A single SLAP round is unlikely to destroy a large target. However, the SASR is semi-automatic, so any bunker, helicopter or vehicle that is penetrated by 10 x .50 cal rounds within 20 seconds would definitely be put out of action. SLAP rounds do not just make holes, the impact produces spall fragments which can inflict casualties, damage equipment, and ignite fuel or ammunition.

The SASRs range and rate of fire is superior to most man-portable wire-guided anti-tank missiles. A missile team can launch at best several rounds before being overrun by advancing armor forces. However, a SASR can deliver over 40 highly accurate rounds in the same time. Ideally, supporting tanks, TOWs and air support would deal with heavy tanks, while SASRs shoot up LAVs/APCs. However, highly accurate anti-armor rounds can kill tank commanders standing upright in their hatches at 1800 meters, puncture and shred tires, break tank tracks, damage gun sights, or put holes in the main gun itself. In addition, many modern tanks have reactive armor to protect against shaped charges. A SASR firing high explosive rounds might explode these plates, causing confusion and possibly panic among the crew, while injuring nearby dismounted supporting infantrymen.

Large rifles are far more accurate than machine guns and use far less ammo. Machine guns require several bursts of fire with tracer rounds before they can hit targets. This alerts helicopters, weapons carriers, and LAVs/APCs as to their location, and affords them a chance to maneuver and return fire. However, the SASR can score a first round hit, and remain concealed as it continues to fire. Raufoss rounds from Norway, in service with USSOCOM and the Marine Corps, are especially effective since they can penetrate the frontal armor of a Soviet BTR-60 LAV at 1000 meters and explode into 20 fragments.

In urban operations, the SASR can be fired from enclosed areas, and punch holes through thick walls and doors. During peacekeeping operations, the SASR has a great PSYOPS value. Not only is it mean-looking, trouble makers in Somalia became afraid to take shots once the SASR was employed. SASRs should be part of every weapons company, especially in mechanized (e.g. riding) infantry. Larger caliber 20mm rifles should also be considered. The Army's experimental assault rifle (OICW) can fire a 20mm round, but it's a low-velocity gun.

Our military should develop the utlimate anti-armor weapon; a 30mm rifle which can fire the GAU-8/A depleted uranium round, used so effectively by USAF A-10 aircraft during the Gulf war. Or the reduced charge DEFA 30mm family of rounds used on the AH-64A/D Apache helicopters and offered in ground mount versions as the ASP-30 auto-cannon. Titanium construction should allow a single-shot weapon of less than 35 lbs. The barrel of a 30mm rifle could be attached to a sliding carriage which allows the barrel to recoil over the shooter’s shoulder. This would allow a spotter to rapidly reload through the open breech. Such a weapon would make all LAVs/APCs and armored scouts obsolete, and may lead to the demise of attack helicopters. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps must procure SASRs today, and develop 30mm rifles as soon as possible.

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