McMillan TAC-50

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McMillan Brothers TAC-50
Canadian Forces McMillan TAC-50 Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW)
Type	Anti-materiel rifle, Sniper rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	2000-present
Used by	Canada
Wars	Afghan War
Production history
Designed	1980s
Manufacturer	McMillan Brothers Rifle Co.
Produced	1980s–present
Specifications
Weight	26.0 lb (11.8 kg)
Length	57.0 in (1,448 mm)
Barrel length	29.0 in (737 mm)

Cartridge	.50 BMG (12.7 x 99 mm)
Caliber	.50 caliber (12.7 mm)
Action	manually operated rotary bolt action
Muzzle velocity	823 m/s (2,700 ft/s) (Hornady 750 gr A-MAX)
Effective range	2,000 m (2,190 yd)
Feed system	5 round detachable box magazine
Sights	Customizable; 16x telescopic sight standard in Canadian Forces

The McMillan TAC-50 sniper rifle is produced in the United States by the McMillan Brothers Rifle Company. This long-range anti-materiel/anti-personnel weapon is based on previous designs from the same company, which first appeared during the late 1980s. McMillan makes several versions of .50 caliber rifles, based on the same proprietary action, for military, law enforcement and civilian use.

The TAC-50 is a military and law enforcement weapon, which is the standard Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW) of the Canadian Forces since 2000. Rifles of the TAC-50 family are capable of outstanding accuracy and guaranteed to provide 0.5 MOA groups with match grade ammunition.^[1]

The McMillan TAC-50 is a manually operated, rotary bolt action rifle. The large bolt has dual front locking lugs, and its body has spiral flutes to reduce weight. The heavy match-grade barrel, made by Lilja barrels, is also fluted to dissipate heat quickly and reduce overall weight and fitted with an effective muzzle brake to reduce recoil. The rifle is fed from detachable box magazines, holding 5 rounds each. The stock is made from fiberglass by McMillan Stocks, and is designed to be used from a bipod only. The buttstock is adjustable for length of pull with rubber spacers, and can be folded to the side or removed for compact storage. The rifle has no open sights and can be used with a variety of telescopic or night sights.

In Canadian service, the standard telescopic sight is a 16X Leupold optical sight. McMillan also endorses the Nightforce NXS 8–32x56 Mil-dot telescopic sight for the TAC-50.

[edit] Longest distance kill

A Canadian sniper in Afghanistan made the longest recorded kill in history with this weapon. On a March afternoon in 2002, Corporal Rob Furlong of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) killed an enemy combatant from 2,430 meters (12.0772 furlongs/2,657 yd/1.509 miles) with 750 grain Hornady A-MAX very-low-drag bullets.^[2]^[3] It is the longest-ever recorded kill by a sniper in combat, surpassing the mark of 2,250 meters set by U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock during the Vietnam War.^[4]

[edit] References

^ Data Summary McMillan Tactical TAC-50
^ World longest distance kill - 2,430 metres (1.5 miles). Stupid Beaver (April 2007). Retrieved on 2008-03-24. “Canadian snipers in Afghanistan after September 11th made the longest recorded kills in history with this weapon. On a March afternoon in 2002, Cpl. Furlong of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) squinted through the scope of his McMillan TAC-50 and successfully killed an enemy combatant from 2,430 m.”
^ Hornady A-MAX information
^ Friscolanti, Michael. "We were abandoned", Macleans.ca, 2006-05-15. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.