Arctic Warfare AW50

The Accuracy International AW50 is a .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) anti-materiel rifle built by the British company whose Arctic Warfare family grew out of the PM rifle adopted by the British Army in the 1980s as the L96A1. The AW50 is an Arctic Warfare design re-engineered around the much larger cartridge, and was introduced in 2000 by the British and Australian armed forces. It is intended for targets that a 7.62 mm sniper rifle cannot address: radar installations, light vehicles including light armoured ones, field fortifications, boats and ammunition dumps.

The rifle feeds from a five-round magazine and measures 1,420 mm in length. At 15 kg (33 lb) it weighs roughly four times as much as a typical assault rifle. A muzzle brake combined with a hydraulic buffer in the butt keeps recoil relatively low for the calibre and helps accuracy. Among the rounds it fires is the multi-purpose Raufoss Mk 211. Barrels come from three makers, Lothar Walther, Border and Maddco, and most rifles are manufactured in the United Kingdom.

Optics mount on a Picatinny rail. The normal sight is a Schmidt & Bender 3–12×50 PM II with an Al Mil Dot reticle, 0.2 mrad adjustment clicks, elevation out to 1,500 m and laser protection. Night sights such as the Simrad KN series or the Hensoldt NSV 80 can be fitted in its place.

The AW50F is a folding-stock variant adopted by Australia. It carries a Maddco barrel, an adjustable bipod, a heel rest on the buttstock and four sling loops.

In British service the rifle is designated L121A1 and is held in limited numbers by explosive ordnance disposal units, special forces and Royal Marines maritime sniper teams. Germany fields it as the G24. Other users include Indonesia (Air Force Bravo Detachment 90), Ireland (Army Ranger Wing marksmen), Malaysia (Royal Malaysian Navy PASKAL), Portugal (GNR), Slovakia (the AW50F with the 5th Special Operations Regiment), South Korea (UDT/SEAL) and Thailand (Royal Thai Navy and its SEALs). Accuracy International later produced two further .50 calibre rifles, the semi-automatic AS50 and the AX50.