South African DENEL 20X110HS NTW-20 Rifle procured for evaluation in the United States
The antimaterial (antimateriél or equipment) rifle is the successor to the antitank rifle of World War I and early World War II. Essentially a large-caliber, high-velocity rifle firing special armor-piercing ammunition, it is designed to operate against enemy equipment, such as thin-skinned and lightly armored vehicles. The weapon can also be used for long-range sniping. Antimaterial rifles are often favored by special operations military units.
The offensive use of anti-materiel rifles or special application scoped rifles (SASR) is termed hard target interdiction (HTI) by the United States military.
Anti-materiel rifles can also be used in non-offensive roles – for example, for safely destroying unexploded ordnance
The U. S. Army Browning M2 .50-caliber machine gun, which can be fired single shot as a sniper rifle, fits in this category. The Austrian Steyr 25mm antimaterial rifle, with a claimed effective range of 1.2 miles, features both a muzzle brake and a hydropneumatic sleeve to lessen recoil. The weapon has a bipod and can be broken down for ease of transport by its crew. Among other such weapons is the South African Denel NTW-20. This 20mm bolt-action rifle features a 3-round side-mounted box magazine. There is also a 14.5mm model. To reduce recoil, the NTW-20 utilizes a hydraulic double-action damper along with a double baffle muzzle brake.
The British will tell you to beware wily, Dutch-African farmers with rifles.
Among other such weapons are the U. S. Armalite AR50 and Barrett M82A1, both of which fire the 12.7mm NATO (.50-caliber) round; the British Accuracy International AW50F, firing the 12.7mm NATO (.50-caliber) round; the Hungarian Gerpard M1(B) and M2(B) 12.7mm rifles, which with changed barrel can also fire the .50-caliber round; and the Russian KSVK 12.7mm rifle.
Name | Country of origin | Year | Caliber |
---|---|---|---|
Steyr IWS 2000 | Austria | 1980 | 15.2×169mm proprietary Steyr APFSDS |
Steyr HS .50 | Austria | 2004 | .50 BMG .460 Steyr |
Istiglal | Azerbaijan | 2008 | 14.5×114mm |
AMR-2 | China | 2000 | 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) |
JQ | China | 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) | |
JS 12.7 | China | 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) | |
LR2A | China | 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) | |
Zijiang M99 | China | 2005 | 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
W03 | China | 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) | |
RT-20 | Croatia | 1993 | 20x110mm Hispano |
Mambi AMR | Cuba | 1981 | 14.5×114mm |
CZW-127 | Czech Republic | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) |
|
Falcon | Czech Republic | 1998 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) |
PGM Hecate II | France | 1993 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
PDSHP | Georgia | 2014 | 14.5×114mm |
Satevari MSWP | Georgia | 2015 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
DSR-Precision GmbH DSR-50 | Germany | 2003 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr | German Empire | 1918 | 13.2mm TuF |
Gepárd anti-materiel rifles | Hungary | 1987 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO), 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian), 14.5×114mm Russian |
Vidhwansak | India | 2005 | 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) 14.5×114mm 20×82mm |
Pindad SPR-2 and SPR-3 | Indonesia | 2007 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) on SPR-2, 7.62 NATO on SPR-3 |
Shaher | Iran | 2012 | 14.5×114mm (.57 Russian) |
MAS-2 | Myanmar | 2017 | .50 BMG |
Tor | Poland | 2005 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
KSVK | Russia | 1997 | 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) |
OSV-96 | Russia | 1990 | 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) |
Zastava M93 Black Arrow | Serbia | 1998 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) or 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) |
Denel NTW-20 | South Africa | 1998 | 14.5×114mm Russian (NTW 14.5) 20×82mm (NTW 20) 20×110mm Hispano (NTW 20) |
Truvelo SR-20[9] | South Africa | 14.5×114mm 20×82mm 20×110mm Hispano |
|
SAN 511 (formerly OM 50 Nemesis) | Switzerland | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) | |
Solothurn S-18/1000 | Switzerland | 1939 | 20x138mmB |
MKEK MAM-15 | Turkey | .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) | |
Accuracy International AS50 | United Kingdom | 2007 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Accuracy International AW50 | United Kingdom | 2000 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Accuracy International AX50 | United Kingdom | 2010 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Barrett M82A1/M107 | United States | 1989 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Barrett M90 | United States | 1990 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Barrett M95 | United States | 1995 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Barrett M99 | United States | 1999 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) .416 Barrett |
Barrett XM500 | United States | 2006 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Barrett XM109 | United States | 2004 | 25×59mm |
Anzio 20mm rifle | United States | 20x102mm Vulcan | |
Serbu Firearms BFG-50a | United States | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) .510 DTC Europ |
|
Windrunner M96 | United States | 2001 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) .510 DTC Europ |
Leader 50 A1 | United States | 2012 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Iver Johnson AMAC-1500 | United States | 1981 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
McMillan Tac-50 | United States | 2000 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Desert Tech HTI | United States | 2012 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
AK-50 | United States | 2015 | .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) |
Further Reading Gander, Terry J. Anti-Tank Weapons. Marlborough, UK: Crowood, 2000. Hogg, I. V., and J. Weeks. Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun. London: PRC Publishing, 1999. Hogg, I. V., and J. Weeks. Military Small Arms of the Twentieth Century. New York: Hippocrene, 1994.