Waifus with Raifus: The Walther WA 2000 Sniper Rifle

Source: Facebook

     When the Walther WA 2000 sniper rifle appeared on the market in 1981, it was a radical departure from the more conventional sniper rifles then in use. Development of the WA 2000 was started by the Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen, a response to the aftermath of the Munich Massacre that took place during the 1972 Summer Olympics. At that time, the standard West German police sniper rifle was the Heckler & Koch G3SG/1. This was simply a regular G3 assault rifle picked off the factory floor when it showed high accuracy on the testing range. A heavy bipod and Zeiss 1.5-6x36 telescopic sight was added to the rifle, creating the G3SG/1. Following the incident, after action reports pointed out the need for a dedicated sniper rifle that could be deployed in urban environments where engagement ranges were shorter. The WA 2000 was one of three designs developed, the other two being the Mauser SP66 (appearing in 1976) and the Heckler & Koch PSG1 (Präzisionsschützengewehr 1; Precision Rifle 1) which was introduced in late 1972.

     The WA 2000, visually, differed from both the SP66 and PSG1 greatly. The WA 2000 is a bullpup design in which the magazine and action are situated behind the trigger group. This permitted the rifle to maintain a standard 26 inch barrel but have a shorter overall length in comparison to a traditional rifle. As an example, the total length of the SP66 is 3.6 feet long while the WA 2000 is 2.9 feet long. This makes using the WA 2000 in the closer confines typical of urban terrain easier. The next visually striking difference is the floating barrel situated between the bottom stock and upper rail. A floating barrel means that the only point of contact the barrel has with the weapon is the connection to the receiver. The benefit is that there are no external factors acting on a floating barrel that could influence accuracy. With traditional barrels, the pressure caused by a bipod, rested stock, or even a sling can act against the barrel, affecting trajectory. In addition, temperature and humidity can warp plastic or wood stock furniture and cause accuracy reduction. Something as basic as draping a camouflage net over the rifle can even have a negative effect on bullet trajectory, especially at range.

     The WA 2000 uses a gas-operated, rotating bolt action and is a semi-automatic weapon. The primary round used in the WA 2000 is the .300 Winchester Magnum and the box magazine holds five rounds. There were three other calibers the WA 2000 could be chambered for, these being .308 Winchester, 7.5x55mm Swiss, and 7.62x51mm NATO. As the latter three rounds are smaller, the box magazine for these calibers holds six rounds. The rifle can use either a one-stage trigger or a two-stage trigger.

     Although not visible in this photograph, the WA 2000 has a adjustable spike bipod mounted on the top of the weapon near the muzzle which is fitted with a flash suppressor. Early makes used a “can” style flash suppressor while the final production make used a different design. The stock furniture is fully adjustable to suit the firer. The WA 2000 does not have iron sights and so it requires optics with the standard one being a Schmidt & Bender 2.5-10x telescopic sight. The sight used in the photograph is not a Schmidt & Bender but a more modern one, as is the scope mount which features a integral upper rail.

     The WA 2000, despite its impressive capability, did not enjoy success. Two factors doomed the rifle. The first was the cost and all in, the WA 2000 topped out at $12,500 when production ended in 1988. In 2025 value, the rifle would have cost $35,010. This was far more than either the West German military or police were willing to pay. By comparison, the H&K PSG1 could be had for under $5,000. The second factor was the WA 2000 was too frail to withstand the rigors of military use. With the military not interested and the West German police opting for the PSG1 and SP66, only 176 examples were made. A small number of German police units adopted the WA 2000 but it wasn't enough to justify continued production.

     Given Japan's strict weapon laws, the WA 2000 shown in the photograph is most likely an airsoft replica. The most common is the Walther licensed Ares WA 2000 which is a spring gun firing 6mm pellets from a 50-round magazine. The Ares WA 2000 does feature Hop-Up and is compatible with using CO2 bottles to work the action rather than the firer using their hand to rack the bolt. Retail cost for a Ares WA 2000 is around $650 to $800. Another replica is the Geneth WA 2000 though this isn't a licensed version and is not well received in regards to quality. In Japan, the Asahi WA 2000 is the de facto airsoft version of the rifle but is quite rare and examples come with a significant cost. Given the markings on the weapon in the photograph, it is not an Asahi as they do not use the Walther logo.

Russo-Ukrainian War: Russian Sniper Decoy

Source: Military Informant

     The Russo-Ukrainian War is notable for the relatively widespread use of decoys with the Ukrainians making significant usage of decoys that mimic high value targets. Such targets include the M142 HIMARS, the MIM-104 Patriot, and NASAMS. Decoys which have seen deployment include artillery pieces, IFVs, tanks, missile batteries, and even decoy drones. The intent of decoys in the current battlefield in Ukraine is to lure in drones and cause the enemy to expend them on the decoys and not the actual weapon systems. However, they can also be used to deceive enemy intelligence in regards to troop disposition and strength. More rarely seen is the use of decoy soldiers and in this photograph, appearing in social media in March 2025, Russian soldiers have created a decoy sniper and set it up in a damaged building. Some may question the logic of expending the effort to create this decoy but Major John L. Plaster, USAR (Ret.) in his book The Ultimate Sniper provides the likely purpose: counter-sniping.

     As the name suggests, counter-sniping is the methodology of locating and eliminating an enemy sniper. Plaster devotes an entire chapter in his book on techniques that can be used to locate an opposing sniper and then engage him. One of these techniques is the use of decoys. The purpose of a decoy is to fool the enemy sniper into firing on it which then betrays his location and allows the counter-sniper to engage. This is because the counter-sniper positions his decoy and understands the likely avenues in which the enemy sniper may take the decoy under fire. As such, the counter-sniper actively surveils these avenues and if the bait is taken, he can quickly seek and eliminate the opposing sniper following the shot.

     However, Plaster makes it clear that decoys are no guarantee, stating “...do not forget that your opponent is a breathing, thinking human being with intelligence and determination just like you.” What this means is that no matter how much effort is put into making a realistic decoy, it may not fool the enemy sniper. Or the very decoy in question could be there to lure a counter-sniper. Plaster says that the sniper needs to assess the situation in that, does it make sense for a sniper to be located in the area. Also, he goes on to say that “if the shooting opportunity looks too good to be true, it probably is.” It should be pointed out since the mannequin generates no heat, in night operations where thermal imagers would be used, the decoy may not even be visible as it will match the background temperature.  To remedy that, somehow, the mannequin would need to have a heat source when the air temperature is cold. Another concern would be if a sniper is using quality optics, the crudeness of the “rifle” may be evident and thus the decoy would be ignored. A better option would have been to utilize a genuine, though non-functional, rifle for authenticity and and make it believable.

Russo-Ukrainian War: The Accuracy International AXMC

Source: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

     A sniper belonging to the 4th. Rapid Reaction Brigade “Rubizh” (“Frontier”) who looks to be equipped with a AXMC bolt-action rifle designed and built by the British company Accuracy International. The AXMC (MC standing for Multi-Caliber) is a rifle available on the open market, typically costing well over $7,500USD or more depending on the options added and what caliber is desired. The rifle finds use by military, law enforcement, and civilian sharpshooters. Of interest, the soldier is wearing the patch of the U.S. Army's 1st. Infantry Division, known as the "Big Red One".

     Ukrainian snipers are known to favor the .308 Winchester cartridge (made specifically for the civilian market) as it offers a much higher pressure and accuracy than the very similar military 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. The .308 Winchester can attain velocities of up to 3,500 feet per second. Another benefit of having a rifle chambered for the .308 Winchester round is that the rifle can also utilize the military 7.62x51mm cartridge without any concerns. However, not all battle rifles using the 7.62x51mm cartridge can handle the .308 Winchester without risk of problems such as cartridge case rupture or splitting. In the hands of a trained sniper and the right conditions, the .308 Winchester round can hit targets out to .5 of a mile. The AXMC is also available in .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges.

     The barrel of the AXMC is made of match grade, stainless steel and uses Accuracy International's Quickloc system which permits the operator to change barrels without needing tools. The proofed steel action features a leaf spring extractor and a bolt whose handle is turned 60 degrees. The rifle has a 3-position safety along with a 2-stage trigger. From appearances, the rifle in the photograph looks to be fitted with a 27” barrel. Magazine capacity is 10 rounds.

     The AXMC utilizes a configurable pistol grip (as it is detachable and easy replaced with another style) and a buttstock which offers the ability to adjust stock length. There is also an adjustable cheek piece at the top of the stock and a rear grip along the bottom of the stock. The latter can use an optional butt spike. When not needed, the stock can fold forward, resting along the right side of the rifle.

     It is difficult to say what suppressor is fitted but most AX model rifles are built to accept suppressors made by the Swiss company B&T AG. Also, the AXMC has a top Picatinny rail (MIL-STD 1913). Additional rails can be added to the sides and bottom of the forend using Accuracy International's KeySlot™ system and the soldier here has added a bottom rail which supports a folding bipod. The scope mounted atop the rifle appears to be a Nightforce Optics ATACR series rifle scope.

Russo-Ukrainian War: The VSSM Vintorez Suppressed Sniper Rifle

Source: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

     A soldier of the 46th. Airmobile Brigade posing with captured Russian VSSM Vintorez 9mm sniper rifle. VSSM is the romanized abbreviation for Vintóvka Snáyperskaya Spetsiálnaya Modernizirovat (Special Sniper Rifle Updated). Interestingly, the Ukrainian Army ceased using the original VSS (introduced in 1981) in 2014 due to the lack of ammunition but the VSS and VSSM remains in service with Russian Spetsnaz (special forces) units.

     As mentioned, the VSSM falls into the 9mm caliber rifle class but it uses a uniquely Russian rimless 9x39mm round. The round is derived from the Soviet 7.62x39mm cartridge case. To put it simply, it is the 7.62x39mm case resized to fit a 9.2mm bullet. It is specifically designed to be subsonic and used in suppressed weapons, such as the VSSM. The VSSM is usually fired using the 9x39mm SP-5 subsonic round which uses either a hardened steel or tungsten tip in order to defeat body armor. The SP-5 round has a maximum muzzle velocity of 1,050 feet per second and can defeat NATO standard body armor at a range of 400 meters (.2 of a mile) which is the weapon's optimal engagement range. The integral suppressor of the VVS and VSSM works by having a dual-chamber arrangement where propellant gasses from the fired round are both cooled down and their pressure lowered within the chambers until the sound signature of the exiting gas is greatly reduced to the point that it does not have the sound signature of regular caliber battle rifles. Usually, the VVSM is fed from a 10-round box magazine but here in the photograph, it uses the 20-round box magazine of the similar AS Val (Avtomát Spetsiálny; Special Automatic). The VSSM is select fire with a 30 rounds per minute effective rate of fire in semi-automatic and double that in full automatic. Without a scope and ammunition, the VSSM has a weight of 5.7 pounds.

     The VSSM differs from the VSS in that the latter's wooden stock is replaced with a metal stock which has adjustable cheek and shoulder pads. Another difference is that the VSSM uses a integral picatinny-style rail for mounting optics whereas optics for the VSS need to be fitted using side mounts. Speaking of optics, the VSSM can use most of the Soviet/Russian military scopes to include the PSO-1, PSV, PSO-1-1, and PO 4X34 daytime sights or the MBNP-1 and NSPU-3 night scopes. Finally, it can mount the KOP-2 daylight/low-light scope. The night scope here, however, appears to be a civilian make rather than military issue. With a PSO-1-1 scope, the weight of the VSSM goes up to 7.5 pounds (without ammunition).