McMillan TAC-50

History of the McMillan TAC-50

The core of the TAC-50 is a heavy long rifle designed to deal with lightly armored vehicles, with a secondary role in combat with senior personnel. The weapon excels at targeting and destroying critical systems in armored vehicles, making them less of a threat on the modern battlefield. When used against enemy personnel, the .50 BMG cartridge means a certain death to the target. If necessary, the TAC-50 can also attack such personnel through walls.

Accurate shooting is possible with extensive training and specialized optics. Major operators of the TAC-50 include the US Navy SEALs (designated Mk 15), the Canadian Army (designated C15 Long Range Sniper Weapon - LRSW), French Navy Commandos, Turkish Army Mountain Commandos, and Israeli Special Forces. The TAC-50 is primarily marketed to military and law enforcement agencies and has been in service/production since 2000.

He witnessed first-hand combat operations with U.S. troops in the war in Afghanistan.

Externally, the TAC-50 showcases clean lines and a sleek design approach. The removable fiberglass shoulder rest is adjustable (with an adjustable saddle), and the foldable steel bipod mounts under the forearm.

Removing the stock allows operators to disassemble their weapon system into portable parts for transport. The pistol grip is ergonomically angled and equipped with finger grooves. The curved trigger is housed in an elongated trigger guard and is adjustable, initially set to 3 lbs of pull.

The front end is decked and fairly featureless. The latch lever - designed to be longer on purpose for easier placement of mounted optics - is located on the right side of the receiver and has a traditional ball knob for a good grip. The optical mount is attached to the receiver. The long barrel is grooved to dissipate heat in and around the assembly while reducing weight.

The barrel is also equipped with a multi-plate muzzle brake and is hand finished to specific dimensions for excellent accuracy. Their construction is made of stainless steel and available in matt finish applications. A proprietary muzzle brake is a requirement for weapons designed to fire large caliber cartridges, eg . 50 BMG.

The overall receiver and stock design of the TAC-50 helps eliminate the harsh recoil inherent in the shooting action.

All in all, the TAC-50 weighs 26 pounds, has an overall length of 57 inches, and a barrel length of 29 inches. Although optics are optional, they are critical to the functioning of the TAC-50. The rifle's standard supplied scope is adjustable, and 5-25x scopes are standard on some military services - notably the Canadian Armed Forces.

The TAC-50 has an accurate effective range of 2,000 yards or more, depending on training and operating conditions - but "range" is an astonishing "range" for such a large caliber weapon. The TAC-50 is for . 50 rounds BMG rounds (12.7x99mm) fired from a 5 round detachable magazine.

Military ammunition types include armor-piercing (AP), incendiary, and high-explosive ammunition to meet mission requirements. In addition to penetrating armored targets, the TAC-50 can also attack people hiding behind brick walls.

The firing action revolves around a manually operated rotating bolt system, consistent with other McMillan rifle designs.

Canadian Army soldier Robert Furlong set a world record with his TAC-50 hitting a target at 2,430 m (2,657 yd) in the Afghan theater of operations. In addition to military applications, the TAC-50 has proven popular with competitive shooters and collectors worldwide.

According to the McMillan website, the TAC-50 will be sold as a single rifle or as a complete tactical kit that includes the rifle itself, scope and cleaning kit.

June 2017 - The Canadian military claims a member of its Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2) killed an ISIS fighter two miles away with a Macmillan TAC-50 rifle. If this claim is true, it would be the longest sniper kill ever recorded.

Specification

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