The Beretta 501 Sniper is an Italian-made
bolt-action
Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are right-handed).
Most bolt-action ...
sniper rifle. Introduced in 1985, it was intended for military and police use. The Beretta Sniper was adopted by number of European police forces and by armies in other parts of the world.
[Ian V. Hogg, "Small Arms: Pistols and Rifles", revised by John Walter, page 128-129, ]
Because of competition by more modern sniper rifle designs and due to the lack of interest in the M501 rifle, the product was discontinued. The 501 Sniper has been replaced in service by newer sniper rifle designs.
Design
The 501 is a conventional bolt-action rifle that utilizes a modified
Mauser action. The 501 has a heavy, free-floating barrel fitted with a flash suppressor.
The 501 fires
7.62mm NATO rounds, weighs 5.56 kg, is 1165mm in length, has a 586 mm barrel and uses a 5-round detachable
box magazine
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). The magazine functions by holding several cartridges with ...
.
The standard stock is made of wood. Within a stock is built a tube that's attached to a receiver. It contains a harmonic balancer, a weight and springs help manage recoil. At the end of the tube can be used to mount a bipod.
The sight mount is a NATO STANAG 2324 and takes any NATO-standard night-vision and optical sight.
Users
* :
Italian Army
"The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law"
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, march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...
, has been replaced with the
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Magnum
The Accuracy International AWM (Arctic Warfare Magnum or AI-Arctic Warfare Magnum) is a bolt-action sniper rifle manufactured by Accuracy International designed for magnum rifle cartridges. The Accuracy International AWM is also unofficially k ...
rifles.
[Modern Firearms' Beretta 501 sniper page.](_blank)
/ref>
See also
* Accuracy International PM
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International. It has proved popular as a civilian, police, and military rifle since its introduction in the ...
* Unique Alpine TPG-1
References
* Stanisław Kochański, Brygady antyterrorystyczne Operacje Uzbrojenie, SIGMA NOT 1992.
* Andrzej Ciepliński, Ryszard Woźniak, Broń wyborowa 2, Wojskowy Przegląd Techniczny i Logistyczny 2/96. ISSN 1230-7386
{{Beretta firearms
7.62×51mm NATO rifles
Bolt-action rifles of Italy
Sniper
Military equipment introduced in the 1980s
pl:Karabin Beretta M501