Sniper rifle osv 96. Russian large-caliber sniper rifles

Sniper rifle OSV-96 "Cracker" is the most popular Russian large-caliber rifle. Developed in the first half of the 1990s and put into service in the late 90s, even then it perfectly showed its outstanding tactical and specifications.

The history of the OSV-96 sniper rifle

In the early 1990s, the question arose in Russia of the need to develop large-caliber sniper rifles. Similar samples of sniper weapons have long existed in major European countries and the United States. To create a domestic large-caliber rifle, many design bureaus throughout Russia were involved. It should be recalled that a large-caliber rifle is considered a rifle whose caliber exceeds 9 mm.

Over 10 years of painstaking work, design bureaus have been able to develop a number of large-caliber sniper rifles of 12.7 and 14.5 mm caliber. One of the first successful models was the experimental development of a 12.7 mm B-94 sniper rifle, which was developed at the Tula Instrument Design Bureau. The implementation of this project became possible thanks to the participation of A.G. Shipunov, who headed the design bureau during these years.

In 1994, a prototype of the B-94 large-caliber sniper rifle underwent a series of tests, which showed that it needed some improvements. Over the next two years, the V-94 rifle was finalized at the KGP in Tula. In 1996, having successfully passed a number of factory and state tests, the V-94 sniper rifle was adopted by the Russian army.

Despite the fact that the rifle suited the Russian military in all respects (there was still no alternative), the Tula KGP continued to work on further modernization of its large-caliber rifle. As a result of the upgrades, the B-94 sniper rifle received the following design changes by 2000:

The bipod of the rifle began to be mounted on a special bracket, which significantly increased the strength of the mount;
The bipod became adjustable in height, which made it possible to better adjust the position of the rifle;
The sniper rifle received a different muzzle brake design, which helped reduce recoil slightly;
The wooden butt first received a modified shape, and then it began to be made of plastic. This helped reduce the weight of the rifle. In addition, the new plastic butts turned out to be much stronger and more reliable than wooden ones;
The sniper rifle received new sights;
There was a special handle designed to carry a rifle.

The upgrades carried out so much changed the appearance of the B-94 rifle that it was decided to give it a new name. After a series of state tests, the updated model of the 12.7 mm sniper rifle was put into service in the spring of 2000. The new model became known as the "OSV-96 12.7 mm sniper rifle".

Since the new OSV-96 sniper rifle was quite expensive to manufacture, it entered service only for the following law enforcement agencies:

Special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;
Special groups involved in the elimination of terrorists.

Currently widely used in the Syrian military conflict.

Device sniper rifle OSV-96

The high caliber sniper rifle is an automatic weapon. Automation works due to the energy of powder gases. Since the OSV-96 rifle has a very significant size, the manufacturer found an original way out of this situation. Instead of having to disassemble the rifle for transport each time, it can simply be folded. This not only saves you from unnecessary work on assembling / disassembling weapons, but also makes the rifle always ready for battle - after all, you can bring it into combat position in a few seconds.

The new muzzle brake-compensator significantly increased the parameters of accuracy and effectiveness of shooting. The brake works according to the reactive principle, using the energy of powder gases.

The bore of the OSV-96 sniper rifle is locked with a bolt. To increase reliability, it is locked on 4 lugs. This caliber requires just such a reliable method of locking. To place the bipod, a special console is used, which is placed on the receiver. The bipods are height adjustable. As a result, the rifle can be mounted on any uneven surfaces. There is one significant drawback in the bipod attachment system to the receiver - this type of attachment can adversely affect shooting accuracy, although professional snipers have long adapted to this feature of the OSV-96.

Technical characteristics of the OSV-96 rifle

TTX OSV-96 look like this:

The total length of the rifle is 1,746 mm;
With the barrel folded, it decreases to 1,154 mm;
The barrel itself has a length of 1,000 mm;
As ammunition, cartridges of caliber 12.7x108 mm are used;
The sniper rifle is capable of hitting targets that are up to 1,800 meters away from it;
At the same time, shooting at targets in body armor or behind small obstacles can be carried out no more than at a distance of up to 1,000 m;
The weight of the rifle without an optical sight reaches 11.7 kg. You can only shoot from a rifle with such a weight from a bipod.

In addition, it is possible to install any optical sight instead of the regular one.

Modern versions of the OSV-96 sniper rifle have only plastic stocks. They are equipped with rubber butt pads, which significantly reduce the effect of recoil when fired.

The principle of operation of the OSV-96 sniper rifle

The OSV-96 large-caliber sniper rifle is an automatic weapon. This means that all operations related to reloading and preparing for the next shot occur automatically due to the energy of powder gases. This procedure is as follows:

At the time of the shot, powder gases penetrate through the gas outlet in the barrel into the gas tube, from where they act directly on the piston, which discards the bolt carrier;
When the bolt carrier is thrown back, the bore is unlocked and the spent cartridge case is ejected and discarded. At the same moment, the return spring is compressed, the drummer is cocked, and the next cartridge from the magazine is sent to the chambering line;
Thanks to the action of the return spring, the bolt carrier returns to its original position. In this case, the bore is closed due to the movement of the shutter.

Despite the use of automation, the OSV-96 sniper rifle is not inferior in terms of accuracy to many models of classic sniper "bolt guns".

Putting the sniper rifle on alert

In order to bring a sniper rifle into combat readiness, you need to carry out a number of the following actions:

First, the rifle must be decomposed. To do this, remove the latch, which is engaged with the trigger housing;
Make the barrel and receiver in one line;
Having achieved a straight line of the barrel and receiver, you need to connect them. To do this, you need to manipulate the locking handle. Ultimately, the handle must be fixed on a special hook on the stop;
Next, you will need to, while holding the cocking handle, put the fuse on the “Fire” mode. After that, you should release the moving parts of the rifle and pull the trigger. Before pulling the trigger, it is imperative to make sure that the barrel of the rifle is pointed in a safe direction;
Next, you need to prepare a bipod to install weapons in a combat position. To do this, the bipod racks must be released from the latch that fixes them;
Prepare sights for shooting. If you plan to use optical sight, then it must be attached to the rifle. If you plan to get by with a mechanical sight, then you should raise the body of the rear sight and the rack with the front sight;
Next, you should equip the magazine with cartridges, after which the equipped magazine is attached to the rifle. Before loading cartridges into the magazine, you need to make sure that they are in a condition suitable for firing. Cartridges that can be loaded into the magazine must not have any dents, cracks, green deposits or other imperfections. Dirty ammo must not be used. They must be cleaned before use;
Next, you should cock the moving parts of the rifle;
After cocking the rifle must be put on the safety;
Before the start of shooting, the fuse should be switched to the “Fire” position.

The rifle is now fully operational.

Checking the accuracy and effectiveness of firing from the OSV-96 rifle

In order for the shooting from the OSV-96 rifle to be really effective, it needs to be shot. You need to know that ammunition from different manufacturers can give different accuracy. To zero in, you need to take several boxes of cartridges from different manufacturers. First you need to shoot cartridges from one manufacturer, then (at another target) cartridges from another manufacturer.

You need to shoot from the bipod from a prone position. Shooting is carried out at various distances, starting from 100 meters. When shooting, you need to remember that the recoil of a large-caliber rifle, despite the presence of a rubber butt plate, will be very significant. The weapon is sighted both with the help of an open aiming device, and with the help of an optical or night sight.

Before using a mechanical sight, it must be adjusted. The procedure for setting up the sight is described in detail in the instructions for the weapon, which is included in the kit.

Variants and modifications of the OSV-96 sniper rifle

Since the OSV-96 sniper rifle is a relatively young weapon, it has only two modifications;

B-94 "Volga";
OSV-96 "Cracker".

The first model, although it was put into service, was never mass-produced. It was represented by several prototypes, which were constantly being refined. It makes no sense to list all intermediate options, so the V-94 rifle, which was in service with the Russian army from 1996 to 2000, is considered to be the first and only modification that preceded the OSV-96.

More advanced is the OSV-96 modification, which is now actively used by special forces of law enforcement agencies. She received many improvements that made her not just an upgraded version of the B-94, but a new model.

Countries that are actively operating SALT-96

Since the OSV-96 rifle is the very first domestic sniper rifle of this class, representatives of law enforcement agencies in many countries were very interested in buying it. Basically, it was bought by the states that are part of the CIS, but it is also in service with several non-CIS countries.

The technical features of the OSV-96, which allow hitting targets in body armor at a distance of 1,000 meters, have led to a high demand for these rifles from the following countries:

Belarus - these rifles are in service with special units of the Almaz type;
Kazakhstan purchased OSV-96 for airmobile troops and special forces;
In Kyrgyzstan, these rifles are also used by special forces;
The Azerbaijani Army adopted the OSV-96 into service with its army;
India has purchased a batch of rifles for its naval special forces "MARCOS";
The Syrian army also has a significant amount of OSV-96 in service with the army, which they demonstrated during the recent conflict.

As can be seen from the list, the OSV-96 large-caliber rifle is too expensive a weapon to be armed with regular army units. But buying it for special forces proves that the combat qualities of this weapon are very high.

The OSV-96 rifle is a prime example that Russia is still capable of developing the best small arms in the world.

Caliber: 12.7×108mm
Mechanism: semi-automatic gas outlet, locking by turning the shutter
Trunk: 1000 mm
Weight: 12.9 kg without cartridges and optical sight
Length: 1746mm (1154mm folded)
Shop: 5 rounds detachable box

The OSV-96 large-caliber sniper rifle was developed in the mid-1990s in Tula, at the Instrument Design Bureau (KBP). Originally known as the B-94, the rifle was first shown to the public around 1995. Later, after a number of modifications, the rifle received the designation OSV-96. Currently, the rifle is offered to all interested domestic and foreign buyers - of course, various state power structures are meant. The rifle is in service with the Russian army of the special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Rifle OSV-96 - self-loading. The mechanism is gas operated, locking is carried out by turning the bolt with 4 lugs directly behind the barrel, which allows you to unload the receiver and make it fold around the front end, immediately behind the barrel attachment point. Folding is necessary, because in combat-ready form the rifle is very long and inconvenient to store and transport. The barrel of the rifle is equipped with a long muzzle brake - a flash suppressor. The bipod is mounted on a special console, fixed in the front (folding together with the barrel) part of the receiver. The buttstock is made of plastic and has a rubber shock-absorbing pad. The rifle is not designed to be fired handheld and has no handguard. OSV-96 can be equipped with various optical and night sights.

The main purpose of OSV-96 is to combat light machinery(cars, etc.), defeating enemy personnel behind shelters, anti-sniper combat.

Large-caliber sniper rifle OSV-96

The rifle is self-loading, the automation works by removing powder gases from the bore, locking is carried out by turning the bolt with 4 lugs directly behind the barrel, which allows you to unload the receiver and make it fold around the front end, immediately behind the barrel attachment point.

Folding is necessary, because in combat-ready form the rifle is very long and inconvenient to store and transport (in this case, the breech cut of the barrel and the receiver overlap to prevent clogging). The barrel of the rifle is equipped with a long muzzle brake - a flash hider.

The rifle is equipped with a bipod mounted on a special console, fixed in the front (folding together with the barrel) part of the receiver. They allow you to rotate it relative to the barrel in the longitudinal plane, so that the rifle can be used on any surface.

However, the bipod (like the carrying handle) is attached directly to the barrel, which is not the most in the best way affects shooting accuracy. The butt is made of wood and has a rubber shock-absorbing butt pad, it is not adjustable in length and height. The rifle is not designed to be fired handheld and has no handguard.

The rifle is designed to destroy lightly armored and unarmored targets at distances up to 1800 m, as well as enemy personnel behind shelters and in personal protective equipment at distances up to 1000 m.

When firing sniper cartridges at a distance of 100 m in series of 4-5 shots, the dispersion diameter does not exceed 50 mm. One of the disadvantages of the rifle is that the sound of the shot is too loud, as a result of which it is recommended to fire with headphones.

Variants and modifications

V-94 "Volga" - a prototype, was developed by the Tula Instrument Design Bureau in the early 1990s and was first shown in 1994. The initial energy of the bullet is about 18860 J. The standard sight was a 4x optical sight PSO-1.
OSV-96 "Cracker" - a modification developed in 1996-2000 and put into service in March 2000. The main differences between the OSV-96 and the prototype are the design of the muzzle brake, the shape of the buttstock and the carrying handle, as well as the ability to install several different options for optical (POS 13 × 60 and POS 12 × 56) and night sights.

Technical characteristics of the OSV-96 rifle

Caliber: 12.7×108
Weapon length: 1746/1154 mm
Barrel length: 1000 mm
Weight without cartridges: 12.9 kg.
Magazine capacity: 5 rounds

Sniper rifles

large-caliber sniper rifles - this is a special type of sniper rifles of caliber from 9 mm to 20 mm inclusive. As a rule, such samples are significantly superior to ordinary sniper rifles in terms of effective firing range, bullet energy, dimensions, weight and recoil, which leaves an imprint on their use.

At present, Russia has created a sufficient number of interesting solutions in this area, which are represented by both public and private manufacturers of small arms.

The main area of application for large-caliber sniper rifles is to disable:
- unarmored and lightly armored enemy vehicles, including low-flying or standing on the ground helicopters and aircraft;
- protected firing points (firing at embrasures and observation devices for pillboxes);
- means of control, communications and intelligence (antennas for satellite communications, radar, etc.);
- destruction of unexploded bombs and mines.

The creation of large-caliber sniper rifles was caused by the need to solve a number of tasks, such as the destruction of manpower at a great distance in armor, the incapacitation of enemy armored vehicles, and many others.

Story

The weapon of Russia - OSV-96 "Vzlomshchik" - the first rifle of domestic production in its class. It was developed at the Tula Design Bureau by the gunsmith A.G. Shipunov in 1990. They took as a basis the V-94 Volga rifle, already created at that time, by the same Tula KBP.

OSV-96 was put into service in mid-2000. It is the pride of Russian small arms of the sniper type.

Sniper rifle OSV-96 "Cracker", appearance

It is in service with almost all special units of law enforcement agencies Russian Federation. It is imported to the CIS allied countries - Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, as well as to India.

Design features

The design feature of the new weapon can be called the fact that the locking is carried out by the barrel of the rifle. This makes it possible to fold it almost in half when carrying. When folding, the holes in the barrel and receiver overlap from contamination.

The bipod and the handle for carrying the rifle are attached to the barrel.
OSV-96 - self-loading, reloading is carried out due to powder gases.
On the barrel, closer to the receiver, bipods are installed, which are movably fixed so that the rifle can change the line of fire both horizontally and vertically. The bipod can also be adjusted in height.
The fire is carried out with a regular cartridge SPTs-12.7, armor-piercing and incendiary B-32, BZT, BS.
There is a fairly long reactive flame arrester. The length is caused by the strong recoil of the rifle.
Optical and night sights are installed.

The main technical characteristics of OSV-96 firearms

Purpose

According to the declared characteristics, the rifle can stop lightly armored vehicles at a distance of up to 1800 meters, a fighter in a bulletproof vest, located in a shelter - up to 1000 meters. Moreover, with a fairly fast rate of fire, good accuracy is maintained. This just allows you to quickly disable equipment or even just sow panic among the enemy.

Application

OSV-96 took its baptism of fire even before the official introduction into service. It started its journey back in the Volga variant of firearms and from 1996 to 2000 underwent constant modernization. In addition to armed conflicts and anti-terrorist operations on the territory of the Russian Federation, the Cracker managed to take part in the civil war in Syria.

Results

The rifle fully characterized itself only with positive side not only by the Russian military, but also by specialists from foreign states. However, like all weapons, it has its drawbacks. But they are few. The main one is a very loud shot. When shooting, you need to wear headphones. It also significantly affects the stealth of the shooter. Another one is that you can only shoot while resting on the bipod. And they are mounted on the barrel, which reduces the angle of fire without moving the bipods themselves.