Iran's revolutionary guards adopt Russian rifles with NATO twist
Iranian Revolutionary Guards have been seen with new sniper rifles, specifically the Orsis T-5000M models, intriguingly using NATO ammunition. We explain the reasons and examine their performance.
Photographs of the new weapon, codenamed "Great Prophet-19," were published during Iranian military exercises. The Orsis T-5000M rifles were not only displayed to the media but also actively used by Iranian sniper teams for long-range shooting in mountainous regions.
Evidently, Iran aims to significantly upgrade its snipers' arsenal with new weapons. The current standard includes SWD rifles, domestic versions of the American M40, and a few other locally designed models. The calibre remains unknown, but indications of a range of 1.4 kilometres, the presence of a larger muzzle brake, and the barrel's thickness in relation to surrounding components suggest a variant using an 8.6x70 mm / .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge.
Orsis T-5000M rifles: Russian precision based on NATO expertise
In recent decades, the Russians have stopped developing their own sniper rifles and ammunition. For instance, available 7.62x54 mm R calibre ammunition is considerably inferior to sniper or target 7.62x51 mm NATO calibre ammunition. In combination with domestically produced ammunition of substandard quality, a few small Russian private companies have opted to design weapons based on NATO calibres.
This group includes companies such as Lobaev Arms and ORSIS, which initially produced rifles for hunters or sports shooters, but the outbreak of conflict led to an influx of government clients.
The Orsis T-5000M rifle is a modified version of the T-5000, which was first unveiled in 2011. Structurally, it is a basic bolt-action rifle (requiring manual reloading after each shot) designed to accommodate 7.62x51 mm NATO / .308 Winchester or 8.6x70 mm / .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition. Not even the world's finest bulletproof vest can shield one from the latter, as the projectile's muzzle energy exceeds 6,000 joules.
When configured for the larger cartridge, the rifle's weight is approximately 6 kilograms with a barrel length of 70 centimetres. This results in the weapon's overall length exceeding 120 centimetres. Still, thanks to a foldable stock with adjustable length and cheek pad height, it can be shortened by about 20 centimetres during transport. The Russians claimed to achieve precision at an impressive 0.5 MOA (Minute of Angle), which at a distance of, for example, 100 metres translates to a group with a diameter of less than 1.5 centimetres or 10 centimetres at 700 metres. This performance is comparable to the world’s leading precision firearms.
It’s noteworthy that the General Director of the ORSIS plant, Alexey Sorokin, boasted before the full-scale war in Ukraine that all parts of the rifle, except for the barrel, were made in Russia. However, the most crucial part of the weapon was made from imported steel, specifically from the USA, which is likely no longer the case due to sanctions.
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