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Mick F
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 Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 10:41 pm Post subject: New Brit (World) Sniper Record |
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New Brit (World) Sniper Record | Quote: | A BRITISH Army sniper has set a new sharpshooting distance record by killing two Taliban machinegunners in Afghanistan from more than 1 miles away.
Craig Harrison, a member of the Household Cavalry, killed the insurgents with consecutive shots — even though they were 3,000ft beyond the most effective range of his rifle.
“The first round hit a machinegunner in the stomach and killed him outright,” said Harrison, a Corporal of Horse. “He went straight down and didn’t move.
“The second insurgent grabbed the weapon and turned as my second shot hit him in the side. He went down, too. They were both dead.”
The shooting — which took place while Harrison’s colleagues came under attack — was at such extreme range that the 8.59mm bullets took almost three seconds to reach their target after leaving the barrel of the rifle at almost three times the speed of sound.
The distance to Harrison’s two targets was measured by a GPS system at 8,120ft, or 1.54 miles. The previous record for a sniper kill is 7,972ft, set by a Canadian soldier who shot dead an Al-Qaeda gunman in March 2002.
In a remarkable tour of duty, Harrison cheated death a few weeks later when a Taliban bullet pierced his helmet but was deflected away from his skull. He later broke both arms when his army vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.
Harrison was sent back to the UK for treatment, but insisted on returning to the front line after making a full recovery.
“I was lucky that my physical fitness levels were very high before my arms were fractured and after six weeks in plaster I was still in pretty good shape,” he said. “It hasn’t affected my ability as a sniper.”
Harrison, from Gloucestershire, was reunited in Britain with his wife Tanya and daughter Dani, 16, last month. Recalling his shooting prowess in Helmand province, he said: “It was just unlucky for the Taliban that conditions were so good and we could see them so clearly.”
Harrison and his colleagues were in open-topped Jackal 4x4 vehicles providing cover for an Afghan national army patrol south of Musa Qala in November last year. When the Afghan soldiers and Harrison’s troop commander came under enemy fire, the sniper, whose vehicle was further back on a ridge, trained his sights on a Taliban compound in the distance. His L115A3 long-range rifle, the army’s most powerful sniper weapon, is designed to be effective at up to 4,921ft and supposedly capable of only “harassing fire” beyond that range.
“We saw two insurgents running through its courtyard, one in a black dishdasha, one in green,” he said. “They came forward carrying a PKM machinegun, set it up and opened fire on the commander’s wagon.
“Conditions were perfect, no wind, mild weather, clear visibility. I rested the bipod of my weapon on a compound wall and aimed for the gunner firing the machinegun.
“The driver of my Jackal, Trooper Cliff O’Farrell, spotted for me, providing all the information needed for the shot, which was at the extreme range of the weapon.”
Harrison killed one machinegunner with his first attempt and felled the other with his next shot. He then let off a final round to knock the enemy weapon out of action.
Harrison discovered that he had set a new record only on his return to UK barracks nine days ago. The previous record was held by Corporal Rob Furlong, of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, who was using a 12.7mm McMillan TAC-50 rifle.
Tom Irwin, a director of Accuracy International, the British manufacturer of the L115A3 rifle, said: “It is still fairly accurate beyond 4,921ft, but at that distance luck plays as much of a part as anything.”
News of Harrison’s success comes amid concern over a rival insurgent sharpshooter who in a five-month spree has killed up to seven British soldiers, including a sniper, in and around the Taliban stronghold of Sangin.
In a later incident during the tour, Harrison’s patrol vehicle was hit 36 times during a Taliban ambush. “One round hit my helmet behind the right ear and came out of the top,” he said. “Two more rounds went through the strap across my chest. We were all very, very lucky not to get hurt.” |
I'm sure Rob will whinge about it not being called .338 
Cheers
Mick F
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Rob
Joined: 29 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I will, but whatever, it was still a nice bit of shooting. |
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Libertarian_UK
Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 67
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Rob wrote: | | I will, but whatever, it was still a nice bit of shooting. |
Damn straight! 
That's superb snipering and will raise morale a bit I think
3 hits out of 3 shots fired is exceptional.
The snipers humble manner in which he described the events speaks volumes... |
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Carrot Cruncher
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 03, 2010 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Rob wrote: | | I will, but whatever, it was still a nice bit of shooting. |
You'll be doing back flips over those ranges measured in feet, then ?
Since when did Armoured Corps have snipers on establishment ? |
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Rob
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| Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 11:34 am Post subject: |
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| The Yanks tend to use feet, personally I'd use yards for such a long distance. |
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cybershooters
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| Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | a member of the Household Cavalry |
So being an expert at sitting on your arse does have its advantages... 
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Steve.
Only three things are certain: death, taxes and stupid gun laws. |
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Mick F
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| Posted: Tue May 04, 2010 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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| cybershooters wrote: | | Quote: | | a member of the Household Cavalry |
So being an expert at sitting on your arse does have its advantages... |
| Carrot wrote: | | Since when did Armoured Corps have snipers on establishment? |
And I thought the pair of you knew something about the Army 
HCR (Household Cavalry Regt) in addition to ceremonial duties have a Brigade recce role. All Brigade recce units have snipers on establishment. It is not solely an infantry role. Think observation rather than driving around in Scimitars or Sabres or sitting on a horse wearing a cuirasse.
Cheers
Mick F
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Carrot Cruncher
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Mick F wrote: | [HCR (Household Cavalry Regt) in addition to ceremonial duties have a Brigade recce role. All Brigade recce units have snipers on establishment. It is not solely an infantry role. Think observation rather than driving around in Scimitars or Sabres or sitting on a horse wearing a cuirasse.
Cheers
Mick F |
And I thought you knew something about the army.
Household Cavalry Regiment is the composite mounted regiment, a LG Squadron and a RHG/D squadron which does Public Duties. The armoured regiments are just "Life Guards" or "RHG/D," not HCR.
Didn't know they had snipers though, something new - or new to me.
Why do horses wear cuirasses ? |
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Mick F
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| Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Carrot Cruncher wrote: | | Mick F wrote: | [HCR (Household Cavalry Regt) in addition to ceremonial duties have a Brigade recce role. All Brigade recce units have snipers on establishment. It is not solely an infantry role. Think observation rather than driving around in Scimitars or Sabres or sitting on a horse wearing a cuirasse.
Cheers
Mick F |
And I thought you knew something about the army.
Household Cavalry Regiment is the composite mounted regiment, a LG Squadron and a RHG/D squadron which does Public Duties. The armoured regiments are just "Life Guards" or "RHG/D," not HCR. |
Household Cavalry Regt
| Carrot Cruncher wrote: | | Didn't know they had snipers though, something new - or new to me. |
21st century soldiering
| Carrot Cruncher wrote: | | Why do horses wear cuirasses ? |
I knew you'd pick up on that, hence I didn't edit it, just to please you. Horses wore cuirasses in 'days of yore' (refrains from obvious jibe) same as the knights who rode them wore cuirasses as well as other armour
Cheers
Mick F
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Carrot Cruncher
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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This bit -
"The second unit is the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR), which is horsed and carries out mounted (and some dismounted) ceremonial duties on State and Royal occasions."
OK, point conceded - they call it Houshold Cavalry Mounted Regiment now.
From your link it seems that the RHG/D and the LG armoured regiments have now been amalgamated, so they would have to give them a name like HCR.
21st century soldiering ? Mmm.
I'm completely out of touch with 21st century touchy-feely sentiments.
That's my problem - I'm not going to get into any discussion on this.
Regards
Grand Seigneur of Snark |
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Mick F
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| Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 9:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Carrot Cruncher wrote: | This bit -
"The second unit is the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR), which is horsed and carries out mounted (and some dismounted) ceremonial duties on State and Royal occasions."
OK, point conceded - they call it Houshold Cavalry Mounted Regiment now.
From your link it seems that the RHG/D and the LG armoured regiments have now been amalgamated, so they would have to give them a name like HCR.
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They amalgamted per se under 'options for change' ages ago.
| Carrot Cruncher wrote: | 21st century soldiering ? Mmm.
I'm completely out of touch with 21st century touchy-feely sentiments.
That's my problem - I'm not going to get into any discussion on this.
Regards
Grand Seigneur of Snark |
Fair one, I'll bow to you on 'soldiers of the sixties and seventies
Cheers
Mick F
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"He's more nervous than a very small nun on a penguin shoot."DCI Gene Hunt |
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Carrot Cruncher
Joined: 17 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Mick F wrote: | | They amalgamted per se under 'options for change' ages ago. |
? Is that something you do with horses ?
| Mick F wrote: | Fair one, I'll bow to you on 'soldiers of the sixties and seventies
Cheers
Mick F |
Thanks Mick. |
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Mick F
Certified Gun Nut
Joined: 29 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Carrot Cruncher wrote: | | Mick F wrote: | | They amalgamted per se under 'options for change' ages ago. |
? Is that something you do with horses ? |
Glue factories maybe?
Cheers
Mick F
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