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Military

Accuracy International's L115A3 sniper rifle does it again – six kills from one bullet

By Mike Hanlon
April 02, 2014
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A British sniper in Afghanistan has used the Accuracy International L115A3 sniper rifle to kill six insurgents with one bullet
The sniper is one of the most feared specialists of war and he is one workman who definitely relies on the right tools.
Individual snipers routinely account for more kills than entire battalions operating in the same place at the same time
Snipers inflict a psychological terror on an enemy force that restricts its ability to operate effectively – when elite snipers are operating, they are invisible close up, and can strike from enormous distance
The sniper is without doubt the most feared combatant in any theater of war, the best of whom have an array of skills far beyond simply being able to hit human targets at a distance. Snipers are the most cost effective way of killing the enemy
A British sniper in Afghanistan has used the Accuracy International L115A3 sniper rifle to kill six insurgents with one bullet
The L115A3 sniper rifle is produced by Portsmouth-based Accuracy International, a company established by two-times Olympic shooting Gold medalist Malcolm Cooper.
The £23,000 (US$38,250) rifle weighs 6.8 kg and was designed using the knowhow Cooper had gained in international target shooting and fires an 8.59 mm bullet. Even at its most extreme range, a bullet from the L115A3 hits harder than a .44 Magnum does in the same room.
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In November 2009, the Accuracy International L115A3 sniper rifle was the weapon used in the most prodigious feat of marksmanship in military history – two consecutive confirmed kills at 2.47 kilometers were followed by a third shot which disabled the (much smaller) machine gun the two combatants had been carrying. Now a British sniper in Afghanistan has reportedly killed six insurgents with one bullet from a distance of 850 m (930 yards) using the L115A3.

Last December, a British sniper in the Coldstream Guards killed six Taliban with one bullet during a gun battle with 15-20 Taliban in Kakaran in southern Afghanistan according to a report in The Telegraph.

The initial target is believed to have been wearing an explosive vest which was to be used in a suicide bomber attack, and the bullet caused the vest to explode, killing five Taliban in the near vicinity. Another unexploded suicide vest was found nearby, indicating that the shot may have saved more people than it killed.

As is customary when soldiers are still "in theater," the name of the Lance Corporal who took the shot has been withheld, though it has been confirmed that the Coldstream Guard sniper is 20 years of age, and killed a Taliban machine-gunner from 1,340 m with his first shot on his current tour of duty.

The L115A3 sniper rifle is produced by Portsmouth-based Accuracy International, a company established by two-times Olympic shooting Gold medalist Malcolm Cooper.

The L115A3 sniper rifle is produced by Portsmouth-based Accuracy International, a company established by two-times Olympic shooting Gold medalist Malcolm Cooper.

There are more than 100 different sniper rifles manufactured in the world, and Accuracy International was a latecomer to the game, but immediately stood out.

The £23,000 (US$38,250) rifle weighs 6.8 kg and was designed using the knowhow Cooper had gained in international target shooting and fires an 8.59 mm bullet. Even at its most extreme range, a bullet from the L115A3 hits harder than a .44 Magnum does in the same room.

The £23,000 (US$38,250) rifle weighs 6.8 kg and was designed using the knowhow Cooper had gained in international target shooting and fires an 8.59 mm bullet. Even at its most extreme range, a bullet from the L115A3 hits harder than a .44 Magnum does in the same room.

The high-accuracy L115A3 sniper rifles have become favorites with elite military forces worldwide and are used by both the British SAS and US Delta Force.

Our article on the most prodigious feat of marksmanship in military history contains a more detailed history of sniping, the Accuracy International L115A. The article details the feat of British Corporal Craig Harrison who killed two Taliban with consecutive shots at a distance of 2.47 kilometres (8120 ft) in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in November, 2009.

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MilitarySniperAccuracy InternationalRifle
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Mike Hanlon
As a photojournalist, Mike’s work has been published in a dozen languages across 20+ countries. He has edited or managed over 75 different print publications, each with a different target audience: sports, automotive, advertising, marketing, design, ad infinitum. Mike has been working in the internet for more than 25 years and was the veteran of five internet start-ups before founding New Atlas in 2002.
9 comments
JoshBarry
What a legend! 20 years old too, hat's off to these guys as a fellow vet.
gobbo
Amazing gun and snipers.Bit disappointed that he blew up a suicide vest in a way.I was picturing 6 guys walking towards him in a line.Ah well never mind.Maybe next time.
Norm Frey
You need to compare the rifle and ammo to the 50 cal sniper rifle, so people have a reference. List bullet weight, muzzle velocity and energy. $40,000 seems awfully high for a basic riflr, I've seen computerized rifles that auto fire when you're on target and steady aim, you designate the target ahead of time, the computer sees what the rifle scope is aimed at, and will fire the trigger if you hold trigger, are on target, and are steady enough. It will wait till you get on target, then fire the gun before your aim drifts off.
dougspair
...8.59mm...sounds like a 338 Lapua...? And compared the .50 BMG Barrett at a third the cost??
AlfonsoRodriguez
The 8.59mm is the .338 Lapua Magnum. The rifle sends a 250 grain bullet at 3000 FPS or a 300 grain bullet at 2800 FPS and is accurate to 1600 meters (2760 yards). That is why the British Army prefers this caliber which by the way was developed by Lapua in Finland at the behest of the US Army and then did not adopt it sticking with the .308 Win and the 300 Magnum and the 50 cal. Lapua and Sako produced popular hunting rifles in this caliber (for moose and elk) and the Brits adopted it along the Accuracy International (also British) rifle. The AI rifle in 338 Lapua covers all 3 calibers in US use with just one caliber which is more powerful than the 338 Win Magnum used in the US for hunting. It fits the British tactics and it is simpler for them, besides the rifle is super expensive. Even in 308 Win, the AI rifle system will set you back $10,000. As to $30,000 plus per rifle, I doubt it unless the Brits are just as stupid as the Americans when it comes to signing military contracts. Love to have one but is out of my price range, I'll stick to a target Savage in the same caliber.
Calson
Imagine being able to take out an entire family with a single bullet. Great to know that the military will spend $38,000 for a rifle when Remington sniper rifles sell for well under $2,000 and dead is dead. I thought the USA led the world in dollars spent per person killed on the ground but it looks like the Brits may now be in the running.
TimothyFoote
Guys do your home work this is part of a weapons system. Sniper + this = confimed kills. I believe this hold the world record for longest confirmed kill. 1.8 miles or something like that. But this is no "basic rifle" this is a rifle designed by olympians for LONG distance target shooting. But the military adopted it for sniping. Now if you know about the military, or more specifically special forces, you will never hear or read about the real insane shots. Black ops
GeorgesSévigny
Now official state terrorists ( assassins ) can openly boast about the number of humans they eliminate. And at one time there was a universal declaration of human rights!
TonyMondello
Amazing shooting. Amazing rifle. The price is without a doubt, utterly insane. $38,000 for a sniper rifle/system? I don't see it. Suppressor - $3000 Optics - $5000 Where's the other $30,000?
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