The sound of gunshots echoed at the small arms range at Forward Operating Salerno April 19, and to the normal observer it would have seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. But a closer look at the weapons being fired, the slightly elongated barrels, nondescript camouflage tan paint and oversized scope, would serve as an immediate testament that this was not your ordinary weapons qualification range. Soldiers from Task Force Fury fielded a new sniper rifle, the XM110 semi-automatic sniper system, the first unit to receive the new weapon system in a combat zone.
The new rifle has several new features, but the most prominent is the improved rate of fire it offers. “It’s semi-automatic, so it allows for rapid re-engagement of targets,” said Army Staff Sgt. Jason R. Terry, a sniper instructor with the U.S. Army Sniper School. Older style rifles, such as the commonly used M24 Sniper Weapon System, are bolt-action weapons that require the sniper to manually feed another round into the chamber after each shot. The automatic firing capabilities of the SASS will cut down on the lag time in between shots, Terry said.
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