Russian private arms company Lobaev Arms (Tarusa) is developing an ultra-long-range sniper rifle DXL-5, capable of firing at ranges up to 7 km. This was announced in an interview with RIA Novosti by the general director of the enterprise Vladislav Lobaev. According to him, such a product will become unique in the world market.

“Now we are working on a rifle and a cartridge with a record range of six to seven kilometers and confident shooting - three kilometers. The preliminary name of the project is DXL-5, our products such as DXL-4 “Sevastopol” and DXL-3 “Retribution” belong to this family. There were no rifles with such range in the world market of sniper weapons, ”said Lobaev.

The head of Lobaev Arms refused to disclose data on the caliber and other characteristics of the new small arms, but noted that a special ammunition of large sizes and with a high initial speed would be developed for the DXL-5. A promising cartridge, according to Loubabev, will be a "breakthrough product."

As RT expert Dmitry Litovkin suggests, the DXL-5 will become a sufficiently heavy single-shot product - it will be deprived of the store that equips these types of firearms. The shooting, according to the analyst, will be conducted by a hypersonic cartridge.

Last year, Lobaev repeatedly spoke of the need to develop such ammunition. His company intends to develop a hypersonic cartridge with an initial speed of more than 5 Machs.

“The capabilities that such a weapon gives (firing hypersonic ammunition. - RT ) are completely unique. They will reset the individual protective equipment for a while, and there will be no issues of penetration of light armored vehicles even from long distances, ”Lobaev emphasized.

On the far reaches

Rifles Lobaev Arms are considered one of the most accurate and long-range in the world. In 2017, the SVLK-14C “Twilight” weapon was used to establish an absolute at that time record of firing range. Sniper Andrei Ryabinsky, with the support of spotters Yuri Sinichkin, Yevgeny Titov and Vladimir Grebenyuk, hit a 1 × 1 m target at a distance of 4210 m. The bullet covered this path in 13 seconds.

In 2019, sniper Sergey Shmakov set a world record for the range of sniper shots at night from “Twilight”. From a distance of 1920 m, he hit a 60x60 cm target five times. Only the domestic passive night sight “Daedalus-NV” was used for firing. It was decided to refuse laser illumination and other auxiliary means.

According to experts, such experiments indicate a high level of development of sniper weapons in Russia. The maximum effective range of "Twilight" exceeds 2.5 thousand meters, accuracy is estimated at 0.3 arc minutes (bullets scatter after five shots is 9 mm between the centers of hits from a distance of 100 m). The length of the rifle is 1570 mm, height - 175 mm, width - 96 mm, weight - 9.6 kg.

The Twilight comes in three different rounds: .408 Cheytac (10.36 x 77 mm), .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6 x 70 mm) and .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62 x 67 mm). In addition to range and accuracy, the developer attributes the use of the rifle to the use of the most modern materials - carbon fiber, Kevlar, fiberglass, aircraft aluminum.

The flip side of the ultra-long-range shooting from the "Twilight" is the need for serious preparatory measures. For example, to set a record in 2017, specialists had to take into account many factors: wind speed, atmospheric pressure, temperature and rotation of the Earth, as well as derivation - the deflection of a rotating bullet after a shot.

According to experts, in real combat conditions it will be difficult for a sniper to hit a target at a distance of more than 2-2.5 km, even if the terrain and characteristics of the weapon allow him to do this. At the theater of operations, the shooter and spotters often do not have time to occupy the most optimal point for ultra-long range damage, taking into account factors affecting the accuracy of the fire.

In addition, a large distance to the target reduces the penetration of the bullet. Nevertheless, analysts are confident that these problems can be solved by Russian designers, and in a not so distant future.

“Shooting for setting records is carried out in ideal conditions. Special services and especially army units are deprived of the opportunity to adapt to environmental factors. Nevertheless, work to increase the range and accuracy of sniper weapons will always be in demand, and their results may well be adapted to firing in real conditions, ”commented Alexander Butyrin, a columnist for the magazine“ Firing Line ”, in an interview with RT.

According to the expert, in addition to sporting events, ultra-long-range rifles can be effectively used as part of anti-terrorism measures and counter-sniper fighting.

In turn, military expert Dmitry Litovkin believes that ultra-long rifles are suitable for the unique tasks that are posed in Russia primarily by FSB special forces and special operations forces.

“It should be understood that ultra-long rifles are not a mass production product. This is an expensive piece of equipment, under which special cartridges are also created, complex and original optics are installed. The price of a shot from such a product is high, but depending on the specifics of the task, its cost is compensated by the quality of hitting the target at large distances, ”Litovkin emphasized.

  • DXL-4 "Sevastopol"
  • © lobaevarms.ru

One of the successful developments of Lobaev Arms, the expert called the army modification "Twilight" - a rifle DXL-4 "Sevastopol", made under the cartridge .408 Cheytac. It is distinguished by its lightweight construction compared to the basic version, it has a range of more than 2.3 km, accuracy of 0.45 arc minutes, and is also equipped with a store for five ammunition.

“With her, one should not be afraid of bestowal. You do not even have to think about the same perception of bestowal. You can just focus on more important things - for example, reading the wind and just enjoy a good two-plus shot, ”says Lobaev Arms.

Competition with the best

In addition to ultra-long-range rifles, Lobaev Arms develops and manufactures tactical rifles that fire aimed at a range of several hundred meters and more than one kilometer. Some samples, such as the DVL-10M1 Saboteur, DVL-10M2 Urbana, the DXL-3 Retribution, and the TSVL-8 Stalingrad, are being tested by Russian law enforcement agencies, according to Lobaev.

The Lobaev Arms website says that the list of Russian rifle operators includes the FSO, the FSIN and other special services of the Russian Federation. Also, at present, the products of the Tarusa enterprise are used by law enforcement agencies of Belarus, Kazakhstan, a number of European states, Argentina and the UAE. Private military companies (PMCs) also act as buyers. Export deliveries are carried out through the mediation of Rosoboronexport.

At the international military-technical forum “Army 2020”, which is scheduled for the end of August, Lobaev Arms intends to present its new developments - rifles “Dominator” and “Antimatter” with a range of 1600 and 1200 m, respectively. Distinctive features of these rifles is a unique system to reduce such unmasking factors as flash and barrel heating.

Experts believe that the products of Lobaev Arms are somewhat superior in quality to the sniper weapons that TsNIITOCHMASH and the Kalashnikov concern produce. However, the rifles of this private company have disadvantages associated with high cost and whimsical operation. For this reason, they are in demand mainly in special units of law enforcement agencies.

“Lobaev Arms produces single samples that compete with the products of the best foreign companies - Barrett Firearms (USA) and Steyr Arms (Austria). Ordinary infantrymen do not need such a weapon that does not withstand the ingress of dirt. Such unique rifles are in demand in special forces, where professionals of the highest standard serve, ”concluded Litovkin.