Alex-338 - the new Polish sniper rifle

[REMOV]

I've got a chance to fire a few rounds from a prototype of the 8,6-mm Alex-338 sniper rifle designed by OBR SM Tarnow, Poland.

http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/REMOV/Inne/th__Alex-338_01.jpg (http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/REMOV/Inne/_Alex-338_01.jpg)

The Alex-338 is in bullpup design bolt-action rifle designed by Aleksander Lezucha, like two previous OBR SM Tarnow's precision rifles: .50BMG Wilk (Polish military name 12,7-mm wkbw Tor) and .308 Alex-762 (7,62-mm kbw Bor).

http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/REMOV/Inne/th__Alex-338_02.jpg (http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/REMOV/Inne/_Alex-338_02.jpg)

New weapon is fed by 8,6 mm x 70 (.338 Lapua Magnum) round from 5-rounds box magazine. Barrel length 660 mm, weight ca. 7,5 kg with scope and full loaded, 6,5 kg without scope and magazine. The muzzle brake reduces around 45% of recoil force and in my opinion a recoil is only slightly greater than from Alex-762 fed by 7,62 mm x 51 (.308). Bear in mind the 8,6 mm x 70 round has twice energy than 7,62 mm x 51 cartridge, and the Alex-338 is only 0,5 kg heavier than Alex-762.

http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/REMOV/Inne/th__Alex-338_04.jpg (http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/REMOV/Inne/_Alex-338_04.jpg)

I've shoot some .338 rounds without the muzzle brake. Well, it is possible but unconfortable - after 10-15 shots your shoulder ask you to screw the muzzle brake back ;)

http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/REMOV/Inne/th__Alex-338_03.jpg (http://s62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/REMOV/Inne/_Alex-338_03.jpg)

The prototype has an accuraccy under 1 MOA. The best group of five shots from factory shooters I've seen (only 200 rounds were fired from prototype) was 20 mm at 100 m (1 MOA is around 29 mm).

[Hollis]

Impressive. I wonder what it would do with ammo build for that specific rifle.

1.0 MOA, is not that great, for standard issued ammo, pretty good.

[Rynnäkkökivääri]

It's still a kill. Whether it goes through his left ventricle or his right ventricle, he's still a dead bum.


Nice rifle. Will this and the Alex be exported from Poland to the civilian market in other countries?

[gafkiwi]

[QUOTE=Rynnäkkökivääri;3368009]It's still a kill. Whether it goes through his left ventricle or his right ventricle, he's still a dead bum.QUOTE]

Take into account that this is a snipers rifle, and being a .338 is for use over medium to long sniping ranges not 100m as stated for the groupings (a waste of a .338 at that range for operational use). Push back to the ranges where this thing is at home 1000m + and you wouldn't be able to rely on its accuracy but As hollis said maybe with specific/match ammo for it it would be alot better.

[REMOV]

Nice rifle. Will this and the Alex be exported from Poland to the civilian market in other countries?Yes. There were planes to show civilian version of the Alex-762 at the IWA 2008, but were some problems with paper work and finally the Alex Tactical Sport will be presented at the MSPO 2008 fairs in Kielce, September 2008.

About the grouping. It is just the very first pre-prototype which fired only about 200-220 shots. The weapon is not tested for accuracy now but testers are checking the barrel work with receiver (endurance test, with defectoscope), mechanism work together, trigger group etc.

[Asheren]

Its still an early prototype and we also need a gun for our sharpshooters. SVD are kinda old you know.

[REMOV]

Its still an early prototype and we also need a gun for our sharpshooters. SVD are kinda old you know.You miss the point. The bolt-action sniper rifles like Alex-762 and Alex-338 are not designed to replace the SVD semiautomatic rifle - they are not assigned for designated marksmen (like SVD rifle) but for snipers operating at the battalion level (independent sniper groups). And there is still a need for semiautomatic sniper rifle for sharpshooters at the platoon level.

[Rynnäkkökivääri]

Yes. There were planes to show civilian version of the Alex-762 at the IWA 2008, but were some problems with paper work and finally the Alex Tactical Sport will be presented at the MSPO 2008 fairs in Kielce, September 2008.
Ok, very good then, very good.


About the grouping. It is just the very first pre-prototype which fired only about 200-220 shots. The weapon is not tested for accuracy now but testers are checking the barrel work with receiver (endurance test, with defectoscope), mechanism work together, trigger group etc.
Yeah, and for a early stage rifle, it's very accurate. People should take into account that most rifles aren't this accurate until a lot of tweaking; now with this tweaking there'll be another rifle spewing hell.

[Asheren]

You miss the point. The bolt-action sniper rifles like Alex-762 and Alex-338 are not designed to replace the SVD semiautomatic rifle - they are not assigned for designated marksmen (like SVD rifle) but for snipers operating at the battalion level (independent sniper groups). And there is still a need for semiautomatic sniper rifle for sharpshooters at the platoon level.

Mea culpa
I had hope it was intended for ss. I guess someone will do something about SVD problem, when our ss will have to throw rocks at enemies.

[REMOV]

http://www.tvs.pl/index.php?id_materialu=1198

A short, 15 minutes movie about Polish snipers and sniper rifles. Unfortunately in Polish, but you can see all modern rifles from OBR SM Tarnow and ZM Tarnow in action from the first heavy, antimaterial 12,7 mm x 99 (.50 BMG) Tor, 7,62 mm (.308 Winchester) Alex-762 (Bor) and 8,6 mm (.338 Lapua Magnum) Alex-338.

[gosciu555]

Mea culpa
I had hope it was intended for ss. I guess someone will do something about SVD problem, when our ss will have to throw rocks at enemies.

The SVD isn't a bad rifle, its probably the optics and ammo that need modernization. Look at the US forces, they busted out the old m-14 to use as a DM rifle in Iraq. If it works, don't fix it ;)

[REMOV]

The main problem with old SVDs was receiver with very thin walls, the barrel with strange twist was a second one, and the optics the third one. And trust me, old SVDs the Polish Army bought in 1970s are bad rifles, and their modifications the SWD-Ms are only a bit better.

[maw]

why no safety on the left side?
what kind of bolt/extractor? how many lugs?
what kind mags sako, cz or ai?

[REMOV]

why no safety on the left side?I think there is no need. This is a precise bolt-action sniper rifle, not the assault rifle.
how many lugs?Three.
what kind mags sako, cz or ai?They comes from the SAKO TRG-42 sniper rifle.

[gosciu555]

I think there is no need. This is a precise bolt-action sniper rifle, not the assault rifle. Three. They comes from the SAKO TRG-42 sniper rifle.

Is the barrel a foreign design or native?

[REMOV]

The barrel in the prototype sniper rifle comes from German company Lothar Walther. This is very first weapon ever created in Poland which is fed by .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge.

[gosciu555]

The barrel in the prototype sniper rifle comes from German company Lothar Walther. This is very first weapon ever created in Poland which is fed by .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge.

What about Tor and Bor .308?

[REMOV]

12,7 mm (.50 BMG) Tor heavy sniper rifle and 7,62 mm Bor (Alex-762) are adapted by the Polish Army and small batch both of them were purchased.

[gosciu555]

12,7 mm (.50 BMG) Tor heavy sniper rifle and 7,62 mm Bor (Alex-762) are adapted by the Polish Army and small batch both of them were purchased.

No, I mean whether the barrel is designed/manufactured by Walther or natively.

[REMOV]

Barrels for the 12,7 mm (.50 BMG) Tor heavy sniper rifle are manufactured in Poland by ZM Tarnow, while barrels for the 7,62 mm (.308 Win.) Bor sniper rifle comes from Lothar Walther.

[Indiana Jones]

Hallo Remov,
what twist does the barrel have and what scopes are going to be procured for the rifles ?
Thanks in advance,
IJ.

[Militaryboy]

What will be the target sight on this weapon?