Antimaterial Rifle

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.