Israeli SP66: A Modern Mauser Sniper
Forgotten Weapons
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10m
Around 1980, Israeli purchased a batch of modern Mauser SP66 precision rifles to supplement or replace their stocks of M14 and Mauser K98k sniper rifles. This new rifle was based on the Mauser 66 sporting rifle action, and had been developed by Mauser in the 1970s to meet the new demand for serious snipers’ rifles for the new modern counter-terrorism agencies like GSG-9. It offered features like an adjustable cheek rest, magnificent trigger, and excellent mechanical accuracy. The IDF equipped them with a variety of different optics including Kahles, Nimrod (both 6x and 10x), and Swarovski. They were eventually replaced by newer Mauser SP86 rifles, and surplussed out, to be purchased mostly by Springfield Armory and imported into the US.
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