Walther WA2000

History

After the 1972 Munich Olympics, and the deaths of 11 Israeli competitors and a German policeman at the hands of Arab Black September extremists, sports weapons company Carl Walther GmbH began work on a new precision sniper rifle that would open the door to SWAT forces market. This effort culminated in the WA2000 sniper rifle, hailed as one of the most accurate (if not the most accurate) sniper rifles in the world at the time. In fact, it was dubbed the "Cadillac of sniper rifles" in its heyday. Walther guns are well made and designed to a high standard, which in turn makes them extremely expensive to manufacture, maintain, and acquire in large quantities. It was never really a military-minded weapon at its core, and ended up with very limited exposure.

Only the German police force eventually took over the model, with only 176 produced from 1982 to 1988.

The key component of the WA2000 is its fine-tuned barrel around which the rest of the gun is designed. A bullpup configuration was chosen, which fixed the action behind the (adjustable) trigger group and allowed the use of a full-length rifled barrel on a more compact overall length.

The bullpup arrangement also aids recoil by directing power back to the shooter's shoulders along a more unique, focused line. This minimizes muzzle rise and maintains accuracy by firing back-to-back when needed.

The barrel only contacts the frame front and rear, and by design it is free for most of its length - a so-called "free-floating" barrel, which also contributes to accuracy and precision. The gun is fired by a pneumatic system that uses a rotating bolt function that allows semi-automatic action.

In this way, the WA2000 is more like a modern Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) than a "true" sniper weapon, which typically uses a manual bolt action mechanism - although the WA2000 is hardly the direct offensive weapon a DMR could be.

The WA2000 also features a thumb hole pistol grip (the entire assembly can be removed from it for cleaning), an adjustable rubber stock for adjustment (and adjustable cheeks) and a stable feed system, Prevents ammo from moving weapons fired. The receiver can be equipped with various ranges, although the standard Schmidt and Bender series 2.5-10x56mm range is sufficient for the range in question. There are no spare sights, which is typical of precision rifles. The muzzle uses a flash suppressor designed for firing cartridges (.300 Winchester Magnum), and a foldable bipod is integrated into the front of the frame. out of the norm.

300 Winchester Magnum cartridge, eventually supporting other calibers: 7. 62x51mm NATO and 7. 5x55mm Swiss. Feeds from a detachable magazine that holds six rounds. The magazine is inserted into the shaft behind the pistol grip base.

No militaries in the world have stockpiled the WA2000, which severely affects its long-term usability. In addition, many budget-conscious police forces have adopted low-priced sniper products, marking the quiet end of this remarkable rifle system.

Specification

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