Estonian R20L Designated Marksman's Rifle in 7.62x51mm
Select-Fire Rifles
•
7m 55s
Alongside their new 5.56mm R20 infantry rifles, Estonia has recently adopted the LMT 7.62x51mm MARS-H as its new designated marksman's rifle; the R20L. These rifles were part of a single rifle contract, with the vast majority of the rifles being the smaller 5.56mm ones. The larger 7.62mm rifles have basically all the same features (including bayonet lugs and select-fire trigger groups), but scaled up for the larger caliber. Initial batches were fitted with Vortex scopes, but more now are being set up with Schmidt & Bender scopes in Spuhr mounts - really excellent kit. They use the same GSL suppressor as the 5.56mm guns, and are fitted with 2-position gas plugs when using the suppressor.
Thanks to the Supply Battalion of the Estonian Defense Forces Support Command for giving me access to film the new R20 rifles as well as some of their older firearms!
Up Next in Select-Fire Rifles
-
R20 "Rahe" - Estonia Modernizes its I...
In 2017, the Estonian military began the process of replacing its infantry rifles. At that time, the primary rifle in use was the Galil, which had been purchased from Israel shortly after Russian occupation ended and Estonia regained its independence in 1992. The Galils had made sense at the time...
-
Type 63: China Makes an AK/SKS Hybrid
Starting in 1960, China ran a program to develop an infantry rifle that would combine the accuracy of the SKS with the firepower of the AK. The result was the Type 63, which used the general layout of the SKS along with its short stroke gas piston and an SKS-like fire control system (with fully a...
-
WF-54: The Swiss FG-42 Scaled up to 7...
After World War Two the Swiss needed a new self-loading military rifle to replace their K-31 bolt actions. Two major design tracks followed; one being a roller-delayed system based on the G3 at SIG and the other being a derivative of the German FG-42 at Waffenfabrik Bern. Bern, under the directio...