Harris / McMillan M87

History

The M87 is a military anti-material rifle designed to defeat rugged structures such as armored vehicles with an accurate and large-caliber cartridge. Therefore, the powerful and proven NATO standard 12.7x99 mm cartridge can be used for a range of up to 1.5 km.

The overall design of the M87 is essentially an enlarged version of the previous M86 series of bolt-action 7.62mm rifles, which were produced from the late 1980s to the 1990s (later discontinued). Global operators of the weapon include Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Turkey, as well as several specialized agencies in the United States.

Externally, the M87 proved to be a well-contoured rifle system in a traditional rifle-style configuration. The plastic stock is an integral unit that includes the stock, receiver and front end. The steel parts are inlaid, including the barrel, which protrudes from the front of the weapon as usual. Interestingly, the pistol grip is integrated into the stock with a large groove for the shooter's thumb.

The trigger group consists of a curved trigger assembly protected by an elongated ring guard with the magazine directly in front of the group. A bipod assembly is attached to the lower front end to provide frontal support, as the weapon is primarily intended for firing from a prone position.

The stainless steel barrel is covered by a heavily perforated muzzle brake/muzzle suppressor. As a bolt-action weapon, the bolt-action lever was relocated to the right side of the body with a knob on the end for a firm grip. The optics are traditionally mounted on the steel part of the receiver - the weapon has no spare iron sights.

The original M87 version was a single-shot model, while later versions brought burst support with an integrated and detachable multi-shot magazine.

The U.S. Army tested the M87 (among other things) to find a standardized anti-material rifle, and ultimately chose the Barrett M82A1 as the winner.

Additional versions of the M87 were developed in addition to the standard M87 offering, including an improved and improved "M87R" that supports an integrated (fixed) 5-round magazine. The "M93" has a stock monopod, cheeks and a folding stock with a removable magazine holder for 5 or 10 rounds, while the M95 "Ultra Light", as the name suggests, is a light (18 lb. ) variant with a fixed titanium stock.

Alloy casing, graphite barrel and single shot or bolt action.

As a powerful and accurate long-range weapon system, the M87 has received little attention in a world flooded with a plethora of similarly powerful options. The M87 was replaced by the "TAC-50" along the Harris/McMillan line in 2000.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes