OSV-96
Summary
| Country | 🇷🇺 Russia |
| Category | Anti materiel sniper rifle |
| Manufacturer | KB Instrument Design Bureau |
Technical specifications
| OSV-96 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | Single shot rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 12.7 x 108 mm |
| Magazine | 5 rounds |
| Length | 1746 mm (68.7 in) |
| Weight | 12.9 kg (28.4 lb) |
| Range | 2000 m (6562 ft) |
Description
The OSV-96 (ОСВ-96) is a Russian semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle chambered for the 12.7×108mm cartridge. Developed from the V-94 (В-94 «Волга») prototype created by the KBP (Instrument Design Bureau) in the early 1990s and first showcased in 1994, the refined OSV-96 model was developed from 1996 to 2000 and officially entered service in March 2000.
The OSV-96 is designed to engage personnel targets up to 1800 meters and materiel targets up to 2500 meters, allowing the shooter to remain outside the effective range of many conventional small arms. It utilizes specialized high-accuracy 12.7×108mm 7N34 sniper cartridges (59.0 grams, available in FMJ and AP variants). While standard large caliber machine gun ammunition can also be used, accuracy is reduced compared to the specialized rounds. With 7N34 ammunition, the rifle is reported to achieve an accuracy of 1.5 MOA or better at 100 meters. The rifle can be folded in half between the barrel/chamber and receiver sections for easier transport, and its free-floating barrel, paired with a large muzzle brake, significantly mitigates recoil.
Several variations of the rifle have been developed:
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The initial V-94 (В-94 «Волга») prototype, revealed in 1994, featured an estimated initial muzzle energy of 18860 J with API ammunition.
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The subsequent OSV-96 (ОСВ-96 «Взломщик»), developed between 1996 and 2000, includes enhancements such as a redesigned stock, muzzle brake, and carrying handle.
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The MTs-567 (МЦ-567), a civilian version, was developed from 2018 to 2019 and has been permitted as a civilian hunting weapon since August 2020.
The OSV-96 has been employed by various military and special forces organizations, including during the Syrian civil war by both government and jihadist forces.
Confirmed users of the OSV-96 include special forces units in Azerbaijan and Belarus, the Egyptian special operation forces (El-Sa'ka Forces), the Indian Army, the Russian Federal Security Service, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Vietnamese military (which produces an unlicensed copy designated as the SBT12M1 at the Z111 Factory).