The McMillan TAC-50 is a long-range
anti-materiel rifle
An anti-materiel rifle (AMR) is a rifle designed for use against military equipment, structures, and other hardware (materiel). Anti-materiel rifles are chambered in significantly larger calibers than conventional rifles and are employed to elimin ...
. The TAC-50 is based on previous designs from the same company, which first appeared during the late 1980s. As of 2017 it holds the record for the
longest confirmed sniper kill. McMillan makes several .50 caliber rifles, based on the same proprietary action, for military, law enforcement and civilian use. It is produced in
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
, in the United States by
McMillan Firearms Manufacturing
McMillan Firearms is an American arms manufacturer best known for the McMillan Tac-50, its .50 BMG long-range anti-materiel and sniper rifle. It also produces the McMillan Tac-338, McMillan Tac-300 and McMillan Tac-308 sniper rifles, the ALIAS R ...
.
The TAC-50 is a military and law enforcement weapon, which, designated as the C15, has been the standard long-range sniper weapon (LRSW) of the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
since 2000. Rifles of the TAC-50 family are guaranteed to provide 0.5 minute of angle (
MOA
Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand.
The term has also come to be used for chicken in many Polynesian cultures and is found in the names of many chicken recipes, such as
Kale moa and Moa Samoa.
Moa or MOA may also refe ...
) groups with
match-grade
Match grade frequently refers to quality firearm parts and ammunition that are suitable for a competitive match. Sometimes it also refers to other devices and parts that are made with high precision in mind.
Description
In firearms, the term is ...
ammunition under ideal conditions.
Design details
The McMillan TAC-50 is a manually operated, rotary bolt-action rifle. The large bolt has dual front locking lugs, and its body has spiral flutes to reduce weight. The heavy match-grade barrel, made by Lilja barrels, is also fluted to dissipate heat quickly and reduce overall weight, and fitted with an effective
muzzle brake
A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted ...
to reduce recoil. The rifle is fed from detachable box magazines, holding 5 rounds each. The stock is made from
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...
by McMillan Stocks, and is designed to be used from a
bipod
A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix ''bi-'' and Greek root ''pod'', meaning "two" and "foot" respectively.
Bipod ...
only. The buttstock is adjustable for
length of pull
Length of pull (sometimes abbreviated as LOP) is the distance from the trigger to the part of a rifle or shotgun which fits against the shoulder of the shooter. Length of pull is an important ergonomic factor for ease of use; and optimum length of ...
with rubber spacers, and can be removed for compact storage. The rifle has no open sights; it can be used with a variety of telescopic or night sights.
In Canadian service, the standard
telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a ''reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate po ...
was the McMillan endorsed
Leupold
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is an American manufacturer of telescopic sights, red dot sights, binoculars, rangefinders, spotting scopes, and eyewear located in Beaverton, Oregon, United States. The company, started in 1907, is on its fifth genera ...
Mark 4 16x40mm LR/T M1 Riflescope optical sight that has now been replaced by the
Schmidt & Bender
Schmidt & Bender (often abbreviated as S&B) is a German company specialized in producing high end telescopic sights for hunting, sports, law enforcement and military arms.
The company was founded in 1957 by instrument maker Helmut Schmidt and mast ...
5-25×56 PMII
telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a ''reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate po ...
. McMillan also endorses the Nightforce NXS 8-32x56
Mil-dot telescopic sight for the TAC-50.
Variants
TAC-50 A1
In 2012 the TAC-50 A1 variant was introduced. The TAC-50 A1 has a new take-down fiberglass stock with a forend that is longer than the TAC-50 stock. This moves the balance point for the bipod forward. The stock includes an integral cheekpiece and a monopod on the buttstock with an option for vertical adjustment. The stock incorporates a smaller pistol grip to fit a wider range of hand shapes, with and without gloves. The magazine release lever was repositioned ahead of the trigger bow to make the system easier to operate with gloved hands. For the A1 variant a new lighter bipod with legs that adjust vertically, as well as forward and rearward, to fine-tune the rifle for elevation was also developed.
TAC-50 A1-R2
The TAC-50 A1-R2 variant was introduced in 2012 alongside the TAC-50 A1 variant. The A1-R2 variant is basically a TAC-50 A1 rifle system with a hydraulic recoil mitigation system (a proprietary hydraulic piston in the buttstock) added to reduce the considerable amount of
free recoil
Free recoil is a vernacular term or jargon for recoil energy of a firearm not supported from behind. Free recoil denotes the translational kinetic energy (''Et'') imparted to the shooter of a small arm when discharged and is expressed in joules ( ...
the .50 BMG chambering generates, and hence increase user comfort.
World record
An unnamed Canadian
Joint Task Force 2
Joint Task Force 2 (JTF 2; french: links=no, Deuxième Force opérationnelle interarmées, FOI 2) is an elite special operations force of the Canadian Armed Forces, serving under the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. JTF 2 is known to wo ...
sniper made the
longest recorded sniper kill
Reports regarding the longest recorded sniper kills that contain information regarding the shooting distance and the identity of the sniper have been presented to the general public since 1967. Snipers have had a substantial history following the ...
in history with this weapon in Iraq. He made the kill within the 30-day period leading up to 22 June 2017. The Canadian sniper killed an
ISIS
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
fighter from .
The previous record of was set by British sniper
Craig Harrison in 2009 using a
.338 Lapua Magnum
The .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70 mm or 8.58×70 mm) is a rimless, bottlenecked, centerfire rifle cartridge. It was developed during the 1980s as a high-powered, long-range cartridge for military snipers. It was used in the War in Afghanistan and ...
chambered
L115A3 Long Range Rifle sniper rifle.
Two of the top five longest recorded sniper kills were made with the McMillan TAC-50 rifle, all by Canadian soldiers.
Users
![Mk 15 sniper rifle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Mk_15_sniper_rifle.jpg)
*:
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
,
JTF2
Joint Task Force 2 (JTF 2; french: links=no, Deuxième Force opérationnelle interarmées, FOI 2) is an elite special operations force of the Canadian Armed Forces, serving under the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. JTF 2 is known to wo ...
designated as the C15 long-range sniper weapon (LRSW).
*: infantry of the
FORPRONU and
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
commandos
Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured
A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
.
*:
army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
&
special operations forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
.
*: Used by special forces units.
*: Used by SRR-61 (Special Reconnaissance Regiment).
*: In service with
South African Police Service Special Task Force
The Special Task Force (STF) is the elite police tactical unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The Special Task Force handles high risk operations that fall beyond the scope of classic policing which require specialised skills.
H ...
.
*:
Turkish Gendarmerie
The Gendarmerie General Command ( tr, Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı) is the national Gendarmerie force of the Republic of Turkey. It is a service branch of the Turkish Ministry of Interior responsible for the maintenance of the public order in a ...
and
Special Forces Command
*:
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
designated as the Mk 15.
*:
Ukrainian Army
The Ukrainian Ground Forces ( uk, Сухопу́тні військá Збрóйних сил Украї́ни), also known as the Ukrainian Army, are the land forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They we ...
See also
*
List of sniper rifles
This article is a listing of major precision rifle variants used by snipers from around the world.
A hunting or precision rifle equipped with a telescopic optic has been long described as a sniper rifle. Below is the list of precision rifles us ...
References
External links
Official McMillan Firearms websiteOfficial TAC-50 pageData Summary McMillan Tactical TAC-50
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcmillan TAC-50
Sniper rifles of the United States
Bolt-action rifles of the United States
.50 BMG sniper rifles
Anti-materiel rifles
Military equipment introduced in the 2000s
Sniper rifles of Canada