A Russian-made weapon is claimed to be the most powerful sniper ever built and is being called a “game changer,” according to the Daily Mail.
The sniper, called the SVLK-14S, is reportedly able to kill from a distance of nearly two miles and costs more than $37,000. It is made by a Russia-based company called Lobaev Arms. The fearsome weapon weighs more than 22 pounds and utilizes a single-shot bolt action.
According to the report, the SVLK-14S is accurate up to almost 10,000 feet, double the effective range of the L115A3, which is the sniper rifle the British Army uses, being accurate up to almost 5,000 feet.
The chief engineer of Lobaev Arms, Yuri Sinichkin, touted the weapon, saying: “This weapon was made piece by piece, just like a Ferrari or Porsche, for people who appreciate high-precision guns as well as for professional snipers.”
“The newer model has a carbon fiber-reinforced “sandwich” of plastic, fiberglass and kevlar that is specially designed for the powerful Cheytac round. A long aluminum alloy chassis is integrated into the stock – to provide increased firmness and stability,” the weapons manufacturer wrote about the SVLK-14S on its site.
The SVLK-14S fires a 408-inch Cheyenne Tactical round at almost 3,000 feet per second from the barrel, which is almost three times the speed of sound.
“Such a bullet can pierce a rail that is 3cm thick. Imagine what will happen to an enemy. No bullet-proof vest will help him,” Sinichkin added.
A member of Britain’s Weapons Intelligence Section for the Royal Military Police said that the rifle would be a “game changer” if it “really can take out a target at two miles.”
He added: “A sniper has to make a whole series of judgment calls before he pulls the trigger and the rifle has to be robust.”
