SEAL Recon Rifle


The SEAL Recon Rifle, built in-house by U.S. Navy SEAL Team armorers, and later by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (often referred to as NSWC-Crane or "Crane"), was developed to provide SEAL snipers with a portable, lightweight, accurate weapon with greater lethality than a standard M4 carbine. The SEAL Recon Rifle is sometimes referred to as the "Recce Rifle".

When production of this rifle was turned over to NSWC-Crane, U.S. Army funding and concepts were apparently incorporated into the program (there is some confusion as to the exact events). The SEAL Teams were apparently disappointed with the performance of the resulting Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle (SPR), and convinced the program managers at Crane to return to the original specifications. Production of Recon rifle on the original pattern is progressing now according to several sources.

The Recce rifle's existence was more so a conceptualization of an accurized rifle that shares the same ammo as the standard infantrymen's rifle, with enhanced capabilities, than it is a specification in itself. However, as rifle technologies advanced throughout the 21st Century, the specifications begin to blend or blur tremendously.

Specifications

The SEAL Recon Rifle was initially built in-house with the only specifications being the ability to shoot any 5.56×45mm cartridge in inventory (at the time this included the first iterations of the 77-grain (5 g) Mk 262 Mod 0 cartridge), and that the rifle have a barrel 16 inches (406 mm) in length.[1]

The barrel blanks have a 1:8 in (203 mm) twist and are stainless steel[2] with a unique heavy barrel profile, starting with 0.980 in (25 mm) in diameter for the first 2.60 in (66 mm) of length, then narrowing down to 0.850 (22 mm) in diameter, 0.750 in (19 mm) in diameter underneath the front sight block, and 0.725 in (18 mm) in diameter to the muzzle. The barrels have the Ops Inc 12th model suppressors with the specified muzzle brake to mount the suppressor. A carbine-length gas system is used. These barrels were mated to flat top upper receivers, and back up iron sights (BUIS) from KAC (Knight's Armament Company).

Recon rifles built by Crane are reportedly all fitted with a free-float handguard system, the most popular being the Knight's Armament Co. M4 Match RAS and the LaRue longer-length free-float handguards (which protect the barrel and provide more area to mount tactical accessories). Knights Armament Corp (KAC) free floated rails (P/N 20214) were most often used by the time of the Global War on Terror, which was the basis for the Mk. 12 mod. 1 rifle. Barrels are a mix of stainless Lilja or Douglas and SOCOM heavy profile barrels, the former offers higher accuracy (1 MOA or better) whilst the latter offers as much accuracy, but with better barrel life. Some operators also reportedly use various back-up iron sights by Knight's, ARMS Inc, and Troy Industries with the rifles.[2]

See also

References
  1. Rottman, Gordon (20 December 2011). The M16. Osprey Publishing. pp. 46–47. ISBN 978-1-84908-891-6.
  2. Neville, Leigh (31 March 2016). Guns of Special Forces 2001 – 2015. Pen and Sword. p. 162. ISBN 978-1-4738-8102-0.
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