TECHNOLOGY

Inside a sniper rifle

CAD designs for components and entire weapons are fed into a rapid prototyping machine

5TOP FACTS
ACCURaCY INTERNaTiONaL

Gold
One of Accuracy Internationals  founders was Malcolm Cooper, a British Olympic shooting champion who won gold in the 50m (164ft) rifle three positions event in 1984 and 1988.

Designers
AIs key designers are Dave

Walls and Dave Caig, who both helped found the company in 1978. Today, both are major contributors to each new rifle that is produced at AI.

Renaissance
The original company fell into

.50 BMG

liquidation in 2005, but was immediately bought back by a British consortium that included the original companys designers and now director, Tom Irwin.

Accuracy International

introduced its first .50-calibre, semi-automatic sniper rifle (the BMG) in 2005 at the NSSF SHOT Show in Las Vegas, USA.

AX
Currently, AIs most

advanced rifle is the AX338 PSR, which is part of the AX series as introduced in 2010. The rifle is hand built in Portsmouth, UK.

DID YOU KNOW? Accuracy International was founded in 1978

AX338 PSR sniper rie

We look at the tech that makes this gun so state of the art
Recoil pad Folding chassis
The 338s butt pad features a quick-adjust button, allowing users to rapidly customise its length.

Accuracy Internationals AX338 PSR sniper rie is, arguably, the best long-range rie in the world. HIW went to AIs headquarters to see how it is designed and constructed

AI rigorously tests all of its ries, ensuring safety, reliability and its reputation as a world-class producer of cutting-edge weaponry
CAD software is used to complement traditional design techniques An AI engineer assembling a new rie

Testing times

All the weapons produced are put to the test at a 100m (328ft) ring range

Anatomy of an AX338 PSR

Picatinny rail Modular bolt

A 22mm (0.9in)-diameter close-fitting steel bolt, bolt head, locking head and barrel tenon ensure enhanced durability and maximum temperature threshold.

The primary area for optical system attachment, this rail is pinned and screwed to the rifles action.

Upon build completion, each rie produced by Accuracy International is put through its paces in a dedicated, secure testing facility. This includes a workshop, a 100-metre (328-foot) ring range and, most importantly, an ex-British military sniper. The sniper who took up the role due to Accuracy Internationals commitment to improving the tools needed to operate effectively and safely in the eld takes each unit, thoroughly checks it for any defects, tests its action for uidity and then res two braces of ve rounds down the range. During the ring, the

sniper can measure the ries accuracy as well as other key actions such as cartridge ejection. Once the sniper is content with the ries quality, it is passed through to the armoury. From the armoury, each deposited gun is then examined by an external ofcial in AIs proof house. The proof house is another dedicated testing room where the governmental representative can approve the construction and safety of each rie prior to shipment to the customer, marking each tested component with a mark of accreditation.

The rifles stock can be folded for ease of transportation, reducing overall length by 235mm (9.3in).

Safety

In the three-stage safety mechanism, stage one blocks the firing pin and locks the bolt, stage two blocks the firing pin but allows bolt operation, while stage three allows the weapon to be fired.

Forend rail
A battle-proven two-stage mechanism is fitted as standard, sporting adjustable pull weights of 1.5-2kg (3.3-4.4lb).

The rifle sports a match-grade, free-floating barrel, which is threaded deep into the action with a large-diameter thread. Optional barrel lengths, twists and muzzle breaks can be fitted.

Barrel

Trigger assembly Bonded action

All images Accuracy International

Optical, ranging, support and carry attachments can be equipped to the PSR via a free-floating forend system.

The statistics
AX338 PSR
Calibre: 0.338 Lapua Magnum (CIP) Weight: 7.8kg (17.6lb) Length: 1,250mm (49in), with up to 686mm (27in) barrel Action: One-piece, high-grade steel Trigger: Two-stage adjustable, set at 1.5-2kg (3.3-4.4lb) Safety lever: Three-position safety Barrel: Stainless steel match grade, various lengths and twist rates Chassis material: Aluminium Chassis features: Adjustable cheekpiece, rear support leg, sling loops, movable forward accessory rails and sight rail extensions to MIL-STD 1913 Rear support leg: Height adjustable design with quick and ne adjustment Carriage: Four sling attachment points; two adjustable forward mounts

Stock

A brand-new stock design grants the user enhanced freedom of movement.

Pistol grip

A streamlined grip delivers improved ergonomics over the traditional rifle thumbhole variant.

The PSR uses compact, ten-round, military-grade steel magazines. These are surface toughened and finished with an anti-corrosive coating.

Magazine

The AX338s action is permanently fixed to the aluminium chassis. This eliminates movement, ensuring the sights accuracy at all times.

One of the most advanced pieces of kit at Accuracy International HQ, a rapid prototyping machine (RPM)

Accuracy International (AI) is unique in its approach to designing any rie, blending traditional engineering skills and techniques with cutting-edge design and manufacturing technology. The completion of any rie at the AI production plant, including its latest AX338 PSR model a long-range precision sniper rie boasting a raft of next-generation features (see the Anatomy of an AX338 PSR illustration) begins, naturally, with user feedback and analysis of any required specication. These can sometimes differ, so nding the

optimal balance between the two, as well as between those and the learned experience of the teams designers, is essential. This process of manual design runs concurrently and in a loop with the weapons computer-aided design, with rst individual components and, eventually, the entire weapon and modiers designed electronically. The CAD-focused software is an excellent and relatively recent addition to AIs production method, enabling the teams head designers to visualise new prototypes much quicker than previously possible.

Of course, a 3D computer model can only take you so far in the creation of any weapon, especially one as rened as a sniper rie. This is where the rst of AIs many advanced machines comes into play. CAD designs for components and entire weapons are then fed into a rapid prototyping machine (RPM), which decodes the CAD drawing and proceeds to lay down physical layers of liquid plastic in a series of cross-sections. These layers gradually build up and, when nished, create a physical version of the CAD schematic ready for handling in the real world. This is a particularly

useful tool, as it enables Accuracy Internationals designers to quickly get their hands on a new item without the huge cost or time penalty of constructing it out of metal. As soon as a design is nalised, it is parsed down into its requisite parts and tools (quality tools are vital for construction of precision weaponry, as parts need to be constructed identically each and every time) before being sent through for manufacturing at AIs dedicated construction centre. Taking the AX338 PSR as an example, this process involves the creation of core components such as the ries WWW.HOWITWORKSDAILY.COM

chassis, action, magazines, bolt and ring mechanism, as well as many smaller, though equally as vital, parts such as pins and rails. The elements are created in milling machines, hydraulic presses and spark erosion cutters, each bending, cutting or ning metal into the desired objects. Individual components are removed of rough edges and any debris collected during manufacture through rumblers large vats lled with smooth stones that rotate and, once parts are dropped in, ensure a smooth and blemish-free nish. When free from imperfections, components are covered with an anti-corrosion coating for extra durability and longevity. WWW.HOWITWORKSDAILY.COM

After all the ries elements have been created which are done in batches and according to predicted resource demand to reduce cost the assembly process can begin. Accuracy International has spent a good deal of time maximising the assembly ow of all its ries, creating a U-shaped assembly line that reduces logistical gaps between the various stages. Importantly, at this point each weapon is partnered with its own identity tag and paperwork, the latter specifying its build stage, bespoke options such as a folding stock and nal destination (which is most commonly a military contractor or private individual).

Finally, as each weapon is completed, it is sent through to AIs dedicated in-house testing facility and proof room (for more detailed information on this stage see the Maximum testing boxout). Here, each rie is tested for mechanical operation as well as component/full-weapon quality. Ries that meet the exacting standards are ofcially stamped and then sent to the companys armoury for storage prior to shipment. The ability to have ries proofed in-house is relatively unique within the industry, negating the need to transport the guns to London for approval and, as a result, reducing costs and improving security.

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