SR-25

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Summary

Country🇺🇸 United States
CategorySniper rifle
ManufacturerEugene Stoner

Technical specifications

SR-25
Fire Rate30 rounds/min.
Caliber.308 Winchester
Magazine5 - 20 rounds
Length1118 mm (44.0 in)
Weight4.88 kg (10.8 lb)
Range800 m (2625 ft)

Description

The SR-25 (Stoner Rifle-25) is a designated marksman rifle and semi-automatic sniper rifle designed by Eugene Stoner. In the late 1950s, Stoner designed the AR-10, which was ultimately not selected by the U.S. military, losing out to the M14. The patent rights for the AR-10 and AR-15 were subsequently sold. In the early 1990s, Stoner joined Knight's Armament Company and resumed his AR-10 design work. The result was the SR-25, which combined elements of the AR-10 and AR-15 designs, incorporating M16A2 advancements and parts commonality. The original SR-25 was released in the early 1990s with a heavy free-floating 24-inch match grade barrel. The United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) took interest in the SR-25 for its magazine capacity and faster engagement time, and after modifications, adopted it as the Mk 11 MOD 0 in May 2000.

The SR-25 utilizes a rotating bolt and a Stoner bolt and carrier piston gas system, and is based on Stoner's AR-10, rebuilt in 7.62×51mm NATO caliber. Approximately 60% of its parts, excluding the upper and lower receivers, hammer, barrel assembly, and bolt carrier group, are interchangeable with the AR-15 and M16. Original SR-25 barrels were manufactured by Remington Arms with 5R rifling and a 1:11.25 twist. The heavy barrel is free-floating, attached to the front of the receiver, avoiding contact with the handguards for accuracy. The rifle was designed to fire 168 gr open-tip match cartridges, with accuracy guaranteed at or under 1 minute of angle for the original model. The Mk 11 MOD 0 system, chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO for match-grade ammunition, included a 20-round magazine, scope rings, Leupold scope, Harris bipod, and QD sound suppressor. It featured an Obermeyer 20-inch match target barrel and an 11.35-inch KAC RAS fore-end, an empty weight of 15.3 lb, and an overall length of 45.4 inches.

Several models and designations exist within the SR-25 line:

  • The original SR-25 featured a 24-inch barrel and fiberglass handguard.

  • The Mk 11 MOD 0, adopted by SOCOM, utilized a 20-inch barrel compatible with M118 and M118LR ammunition, an 11.35-inch RAS fore-end, and provisions for a QD suppressor.

  • The SR-25 Enhanced Match (E.M.) rifle features the URX II Picatinny-Weaver rail system and is designed for 0.5 minutes of angle precision.

  • During the Iraq War, the United States Marine Corps ordered Mk 11 MOD 1 rifles, which were Mk 11s equipped with the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System upper receiver, featuring a URX modular rail and a flash suppressor.

  • The Mk 11 MOD 2 was the USSOCOM and U.S. Navy designation for the complete M110 rifle. The SR-25 Enhanced Match (E.M.) Carbine is described as very similar to the M110.

The SR-25 Mk 11 MOD 0 was adopted by United States Special Operations Command in May 2000, selected for its high magazine capacity and faster engagement time compared to bolt-action rifles. During the Iraq War, the United States Marine Corps acquired the Mk 11 MOD 1 variant, though these saw limited use. Starting in mid-2011, SOCOM began divesting the Mk 11 MOD 0 from their inventory, replacing it with the SSR Mk 20, the sniper variant of the FN SCAR. The Mk 11 was completely replaced by 2017 within SOCOM. USMC snipers began replacing their Mk 11 MOD 0 rifles with the M110 starting in late 2011.

The SR-25 and its variants are used by multiple military and law enforcement organizations, including Australia (Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force Airfield Defence Guards, and Police Tactical Groups), the Special Warfare Diving and Salvage (SWADS) of the Bangladesh Navy, IDF special forces in Israel, the Philippine National Police Special Action Force and Philippine Army Light Reaction Regiment in the Philippines, GROM in Poland, the Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Flotilla in South Korea, the Royal Thai Army in Thailand, the Gendarmerie General Command in Turkey, and elements of the United States Military.