For soldiers stationed near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army has imported Sako.338 TRG-42 ( a version of M10) sniper rifles from Finland. Finnish firearms manufacturer Sako created the bolt-action sniper rifle TRG 42.
The Sako rifles have replaced the .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT by Beretta and the .50 Calibre M95 by Barrett, which were inducted into the Indian Army in 2019 and 2020, respectively. These rifles, made in Italy and America, had replaced the aging Russian Dragunov, the mainstay of Indian soldiers.
The gun is designed for three rounds,
- 7.62×51 (.308 Win)
- 7.62×63 (.300 Win Mag)
- 8.58×70 (.338 LM)
According to this ammunition, the barrel lengths are 408, 510, 602, and 656 millimeters, and their magazine capacity is in the order of 11,7,8 Cartridges. The rifle is designed to fire powerful .338 Lapua Magnum-sized cartridges. And weighs 6.55 kgs without ammunition. It has an effective range of 1,500 meters, the official said.
The stock can adjust its length, as well as the height of the cheekpiece. The Sako TRG M10 sniper rifle has four Picatinny rail seats: one at the top for the sights, two short ones on the sides, and one at the bottom.
Height-adjustable and foldable bipods are mounted on the bottom mounting bar. The bipod’s installation location can vary along the entire mounting bar, which can be handy when installing an efficient device.
A silent firing device will alter the weapon’s balance. Although the rifle lacks open sights, these can be readily mounted on the top mounting bar; however, they are not included in the package.
The weapon’s barrel, of course, hangs freely. As the information above indicates, it can be of varying lengths, which justifies the ability of the bipod to move along the mounting bar for more convenient weapon use.
Considering the weapon’s numerous calibers, there have been several failures. Changing ammo requires changing the magazine’s receiver, as it’s challenging to accomplish universality with varied cartridge lengths, and it seems the designers didn’t try.
Key features
- The Sako TRG 42 is a bolt-action sniper rifle created and produced in Finland.
- It is built to fire powerfully.338 Lapua Magnum cartridges. These rifles have an effective range of 1,500 meters and weigh 6.55 kg without ammunition.
- According to the website, these rifles are available in a black and green stock with a blued barrel and action or an all-black stealth configuration with a black stock and bolt and a phosphatized barrel and action.
- The rifle’s robust vault-like action is cold hammer-forged from a unique steel alloy.
- These rifles are equipped with a strong bolt with three locking lugs that feed cartridges flawlessly from the centerline of a removable staggered 2-row magazine.
- The guns offer a consistent feed for a variety of bullet types. The rifle’s bolt lift is set at a 60-degree angle for quick bolt throw.
- “It is regarded as one of the most accurate and trustworthy weapons in the world,” the official stated.
