Remington MSR

Lore & Background

The Remington MSR was declared the winner of the Precision Sniper Rifle competition on 7 March 2013, with Remington announcing the win on March 8 and public confirmation on March 9. A $79.7 million contract for 5,150 rifles with suppressors and 4,696,800 rounds of ammunition was awarded on 12 September 2013. Remington Defense produces the rifles, with Barnes Bullets for ammunition and Advanced Armament Corporation for muzzle brakes and suppressors; all three are subsidiaries of Freedom Group Incorporated. In 2015, the U.S. Army considered the PSR to replace both the .300 Winchester Magnum M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle and the .50 BMG M107 Long Range Sniper Rifle, though no decision was made. The U.S. Marine Corps also considered the Mk 21 to replace their M40A5 but was unlikely to adopt it due to higher system and ammunition costs compared to the 7.62mm NATO M40A5.

The MSR is a manually operated bolt-action weapon with a rotary locking bolt and removable bolt heads for caliber change. It uses an aluminum alloy chassis with a compact receiver, adjustable trigger, pistol grip, and fully adjustable side-folding buttstock. Quick-change barrels are free-floated inside a tubular handguard with Picatinny accessory rails. The model that won the PSR competition is a modified version of the original MSR, chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .338 Lapua Magnum, with reported 0.7 MOA average accuracy at 1000 m using both Barnes and ATK 300 gr .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition. Changes include a reinforced AAC muzzle brake, chromoly steel .338 barrel with 1:9.5 twist and 5R rifling, one-piece handguard with 20 MOA top rail, X-treme trigger, and a lightweight removable buttstock with throw lever adjustments.

On 14 August 2014, the Army sought sources to produce .338 Lapua armor-piercing ammunition for the Mk 21 PSR to engage targets out to 1500 m, with requirements including defeating level IV body armor at 400 meters, projectile velocity of 1340 ft/s or more at 1250 m, 1000 ftlb of kinetic energy at 1500 m, and defeating 3/8 in of rolled homogeneous armor and 1/2 in of cast iron at 800 m. Users include USSOCOM (first winner of the PSR competition, later excluded due to non-compliance) and the National Army of Colombia, used by Colombian Special Forces.

Reader's Guide

The Remington MSR's significance lies in its role as the initial winner of the U.S. Precision Sniper Rifle competition, a program intended to replace multiple sniper systems with a single modular platform. Its adoption as the Remington Mk 21 marked a major contract for Remington, involving over 5,000 rifles and nearly 4.7 million rounds of ammunition. However, the MSR's legacy is complicated by the later decision that the Mk 21 did not conform to SOCOM requirements in 2018, leading to a re-competed program won by the Barrett MRAD as the Mk 22 in 2019. The MSR's design emphasizes modularity with quick-change barrels, removable bolt heads, and a chassis system, allowing caliber changes between 7.62mm NATO, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .338 Lapua Magnum. Its reported 0.7 MOA accuracy at 1000 m with .338 Lapua ammunition and the Army's pursuit of armor-piercing ammunition for the Mk 21 highlight its intended long-range anti-materiel and anti-personnel capabilities. Despite not achieving full SOCOM adoption, the MSR saw use by Colombian Special Forces and remains a notable example of a modular sniper rifle developed for a major military competition.

Did You Know?

• The MSR was introduced in 2009 and won the Precision Sniper Rifle competition on 7 March 2013.
• The contract for 5,150 rifles and 4,696,800 rounds of ammunition was valued at $79.7 million.
• The U.S. Army sought .338 Lapua armor-piercing ammunition for the Mk 21 to defeat level IV body armor at 400 meters.