Iran's revolutionary guards unveil advanced NATO-caliber rifles
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have been spotted with new sniper rifles, specifically the Orsis T-5000M rifles, which interestingly use NATO ammunition. We explain why and present their performance.
Photos of the new weapon were published during Iranian military exercises codenamed "Great Prophet-19." The Orsis T-5000M rifles were not only displayed to the media but also actively used by Iranian sniper teams for long-range shooting in mountainous areas.
Apparently, Iran has decided to significantly enhance its snipers with new weapons since the current arsenal includes SWD rifles, local variants of the American M40, and a few other locally designed models. The exact caliber is unknown, but references to a range of 0.9 miles, a more substantial muzzle brake, and the barrel thickness relative to surrounding elements suggest a variant powered by an 8.6x70 mm / .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge.
Orsis T-5000M rifles: Russian precision based on NATO expertise
In recent decades, Russians have effectively ceased developing their own sniper rifles and ammunition. For example, available 7.62x54 mm R caliber ammunition falls far short compared to 7.62x51 mm NATO caliber ammunition used for snipers or target shooting. Combined with poorly produced locally produced ammunition, a few small Russian private companies decided to design weapons based on NATO calibers.
This group includes companies like Lobaev Arms and ORSIS, initially producing rifles for hunters and sports shooters. However, the outbreak of war also led to an influx of government clients.
The Orsis T-5000M rifle is a modification of the T-5000 version first shown in 2011. Structurally, it's a simple bolt-action rifle (requiring manual reloading after each shot) adapted to use 7.62x51 mm NATO / .308 Winchester or 8.6x70 mm / .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition. Not even the world's best bulletproof vest can protect against the latter because the muzzle energy of the fired projectile exceeds 4,425 foot pounds.
The rifle weighs about 14 pounds for the larger cartridge, with a barrel length of 27.5 inches. This results in the weapon's length exceeding 47 inches, but thanks to a foldable stock with adjustable length and cheek pad height, it can be shortened by about 8 inches during transport. The Russians claimed to achieve precision at the level of even 0.5 MOA (minute of angle), which at a distance of, for example, 100 yards translates to a circle with a diameter under 0.6 inches or 4 inches at 765 yards. This performance is comparable to the world’s leading precision firearms.
It’s worth noting that before the full-scale war in Ukraine, the General Director of the ORSIS plant, Alexey Sorokin, boasted that all parts of the rifle, except for the barrel, were made in Russia. However, the most critical part of the weapon was produced from imported steel, specifically from the USA, which is likely no longer the case due to sanctions.
