Anti Material Weapon

Anti-materiel rifle

Steyr HS .50 AM rifle

US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician with a McMillan Tac-50

An anti-materiel rifle (AM) is a rifle that is designed for use against military equipment (materiel) rather than against other combatants ("anti-personnel").

The offensive use of anti-materiel rifles or Special Application Sniper Rifles (SASR) is termed Hard Target Interdiction (HTI) by the United States military.

Anti-materiel rifles are similar in form and appearance to modern sniper rifles and can often serve in that role, though they are usually chambered for cartridges more powerful than are normally required for neutralizing a human and can operate at a greater range. In general, anti-materiel rifles are chambered for 12.7×99mm NATO (.50 BMG), 12.7×108mm Russian,14.5×114mm Russian, and 20mm cartridges. The large cartridges are required to be able to fire projectiles containing usable payloads such as explosives, armor-piercing cores, incendiaries, or combinations of these, as found in the Raufoss Mk 211 projectile.

Due to the considerable size and weight of anti-materiel rifles and other support equipment, sniper cells operating in 2- or 3-man or larger teams become a necessity. The recoil produced by the employed cartridges dictates that these rifles are designed to be fired from the prone position. Bipods and monopods and muzzle brakes are used as accessories to employ these rifles as comfortably and accurately as possible. Firing several 12.7×99mm NATO, 12.7×108mm Russian, or larger calibers from the (unsupported) standing position or in a kneeling position would be very uncomfortable for the operator.

The origins of the anti-materiel rifle go back to the First World War, during which the firstanti-tank rifles appeared. While modern tanks and most other armored vehicles are too well protected to be affected by anti-materiel rifles, the guns are still effective for attacking unarmored or lightly armored vehicles. They can also be used against stationed enemy aircraft, small watercraft, communications equipment, radar equipment, crew served weapons and similar targets. Their value is in being able to precisely target and disable enemy assets from long range for a relatively low cost.

Anti-materiel rifles can also be used in non-offensive roles for safely destroying unexploded ordnance

List of anti-materiel rifles by country

Rifle	Country of origin	Caliber
Steyr HS .50	Austria	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Steyr IWS 2000	Austria	15.2 mm proprietary Steyr APFSDS
Istiglal	Azerbaijan	14.5×114mm
ČZW-127	Czech Republic	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian)
AMR-2	China	12.7×108 mm (.50 Russian)
JS-05	China	12.7×108 mm (.50 Russian)
JS 12.7	China	12.7×108 mm (.50 Russian)
LR2A	China	12.7×108 mm (.50 Russian)
M99B / M06	China	12.7×108 mm (.50 Russian) 12.7×99mm NATO
W03	China	12.7×108 mm (.50 Russian)
RT-20	Croatia	20×110mm Hispano
Lahti L-39	Finland	20×138 mm (Solothurn Long)
PGM Hecate II	France	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr	German Empire	13.2 mm (.525 inches)
DSR-Precision GmbH DSR-50	Germany	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Gepárd anti-materiel rifles	Hungary	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO), 12.7×108mm (.50 Russian), 14.5×114mm Russian
Vidhwansak	India	12.7×108mm (.50 Russian) 14.5×114mm 20×82mm
Pindad SPR-2 and SPR-3	Indonesia	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Wz. 35 anti-tank rifle	Poland	7.92 mm DS
Tor	Poland	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
KSVK 12.7	Russia	12.7×108 mm (.50 Russian)
Zastava M93 Black Arrow	Serbia	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) or 12.7×108 mm (.50 Russian)
Denel NTW-20	South Africa	14.5×114mm Russian (NTW 14.5) 20×83.5mm (NTW 20) 20×110mm (NTW 20)
Solothurn S-18/100	Switzerland	20 × 105 mm B
Solothurn S-18/1000	Switzerland	20 × 138 mm (Solothurn Long)
Kalekalıp Avunya	Turkey	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Accuracy International AS50	United Kingdom	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Accuracy International AW50	United Kingdom	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Accuracy International AW50F	United Kingdom	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Accuracy International AX50	United Kingdom	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Boys anti-tank rifle	United Kingdom	Kynoch & RG .55 Boys (13.9×99mm)
Barrett M82A1/M107	United States	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Barrett M90	United States	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Barrett M95	United States	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Barrett M99	United States	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) .416 Barrett
Barrett XM500	United States	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Barrett XM109	United States	25×59mm
McMillan Tac-50	United States	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
Armalite AR-50	United States	.50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO)
PTRD-41	USSR	14.5×114mm Russian

Sumber : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-materiel_rifle