STINGS LIKE A BEE:

The .338 Lapua and the ERMA SR100

STINGS LIKE A BEE: The .338 Lapua and the ERMA SR100

It consistently outperforms NATO's most common-used sniper rifles, claims an MOA of .2, and can pierce body armor at ranges of up to 1,000 meters. Since its inception, the .338-chambered SR100 sniper rifle has been a popular -- and deadly -- preference for sharpshooters.

A mighty one-two combination: The .338 Lapua and the ERMA SR100 (Photo courtesy of http://world.guns.ru).

ERMA SR100: Killer Features

Multi-caliber offering: the 7.62mm NATO, .300 Winchester magnum (WINMAG) and the .338 Lapua Magnum

Custom fit check and butt pads to mach the shooter's shooting style

A hefty price tag of $9000

They're light, accurate and deadly - the preference of elite teams such as Germany's GSG9. Since 1983, .338 chambered rifles have given elite sniper teams the world over a suitable weapon for mobile, tactical long-range sniper operations. The most prolific of these rifles? The SR100. Used in tandem with the .338 Lapua long-range sniper cartridges, the SR100 packs a powerful punch. In fact, the best way to characterize the relationship between the .338 Lapua cartridge and the ERMA SR100 sniper rifle would be to place it in boxing terms -- a one-two combination. As Muhammad Ali would say, it stings like a bee. Developed by the Research Armament Company for the U.S. Navy in the 80s, the .338 Lapua fills in the gap between standard (7.62mm chambered) sniper rifles, and the heavy, special purpose .50 caliber rifles. Modified by Lapua Ltd. in Finland in the mid 1980s, the production cartridge is based on a modified .416 Rigby cartridge and is capable of driving a 250-grain bullet at roughly 3,000 fps out to 1,500 meters. Now that's one heck of a punch! What makes the .338 Lapua chambered rifle so impressive? Its capabilities. The .338-chambered SR100 was designed to penetrate 5 layers of military body armor and still make the kill. Nasty. As one soldier we know put it: "If this rifle's aimed at you, you're dead."

While the .50 caliber BMG rifles, such as the Barret M107, remain the undisputed kings of long range anti-personnel/ anti-material shooting, their heavy weight (26+ pounds) and high recoil/ muzzle blast signature, make them less suitable for mobile, tactical long range sniping operations than would a .338 Lapua chambered rifle.

Additionally, .338 chambered rifles (such as the Erma SR100) are only a couple of pounds heavier than "stock" sniper rifles, yet they offer nearly double the range and down range energy of their counterparts (7.62mm rifles are accurate to between 600-800m whereas the 338 Lapua is accurate out to 1,500m). In essence, the .338 Lapua is the first and only caliber designed specifically for sniping. Hey, ERMA!

Designed and built in Germany by Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (now Suhler und Sportwaffen, a division of Steyr-Mannlicher) the ERMA SR100 is an uncompromising and unparalleled sniper rifle. Amongst it features: a multi-caliber offering. It can quickly change between three different barrels in three different calibers: the 7.62mm NATO, .300 Winchester magnum (WINMAG) and, of course, the .338 Lapua Magnum. The SR100 can be converted to any one of these three calibers in a matter of minutes by swapping out the barrel, bolt assembly, and the magazine, which makes the SR100 a wonderful weapon to have in numerous sniper operations.

Moreover, the SR100 is customizable. The stock of the SR100 is laminated wood and features fully adjustable cheek and butt pads, which allows the shooter to custom fit the rifle to their specific shooting style. The SR100 is also equipped with an integral bipod, as well as a stock mounted "foot" to completely stabilize the rifle for long range (1,000+m) shooting. Lastly, the SR100 features a fully adjustable match grade trigger. With a price tag of $9000, the SR100 isn't exactly the cheapest sniper rifle in the world, but given its features it can be classified as a first-rate weapon. In tandem with the .338 caliber Lapua, the SR100 can even be called an outstanding weapon - the choice of elite sniper teams. Overall, the combination punch of the .338 chambered SR100 is a force to reckon with (and a blow even the great Muhammad Ali would shy away from).