Tips to understand the different types of sniper rifles and how to best armour up your ride against

Let’s try to imagine something. Picture a bad neighbourhood. Like kill-you-for-looking-funny bad neighbourhood. There are a group of unsavoury people going down the street, people who have no fear since they are armed to the teeth and looking to jack an Audi A6 that is about to come down the street. One of them stops to relieve himself while the other stands back to smoke a cigarette. Suddenly, the smoker feels a wind chime and a gush of warm liquid over his face. Before he can realize that his buddy was gunned down, he’s dead too. As shots ring out in the distance, the rest of the group try to figure out what’s happening. Wishing that they had armoured vehicles, they desperately try to seek out the shooter. Soon, every one of them drop to the ground as dead silence envelopes the air.

Spooky, right? This is the kind of legend that tell of the feats of snipers across the world. These are a rare breed of warriors feared by even the most battle-hardened veterans. And like every legend, there is some truth to the stories. People who own bulletproof cars in India often don’t think much about them, yet they are a rather potent threat that should be taken with utmost seriousness, especially when the owners in question are heads of state or big businesses standing against some nasty individuals. A sniper looks for the perfect moment and place to strike. So, a moving vehicle with limited protection out in the open looks very tempting.

Let’s try to understand the various kinds of sniper rifles and how to best counter them in a moving vehicle.

l Low-powered sniper rifles

These are the starting point for all marksmen. Sniper rifles in this category are mostly modified from semi-automatic assault rifles and carbines. They have low power penetration, owing to their smaller calibre ammunition. While many are chambered in 5.56 mm cartridges, some even have 9 mm mags, like the Vintorez VSS. Protection against these is fairly simple, since most CEN BR Level 5 armour can withstand such impacts. Since the attack is most likely multiple rounds, it is best to focus on the front and side protection, where the accuracy tends to be highest for incoming vehicles. It also gives you plenty of time to get away from the line of fire.

l Match-grade rifles

These are where the proper sniper rifle design starts. Chambered in match-grade ammunition like the.300 Winchester and.30-06, these sniper rifles are quite effective from long range, rather deadly in the hands of a skilled shooter. Although regular cartridges of this calibre have moderate penetration, full metal jackets(FMJs) and steel cores are difficult for armoured vehicles to deal with. To counter such ammunition, it is best to used reinforced BR glass and kevlar coating to absorb the impact, rendering the bullets less dangerous.

l High-powered sniper rifles

Alright, now we’re getting serious. These are military-spec sniper rifles mostly chambered in high-calibre ammunition like the 7.62 X 51 mm NATO and.338 Lapua magnum rounds. Rifles like the M110 and the Cheytac Intervention M200 come under this category. These are highly precise and have a high chance of penetration. Most bulletproof cars in India are often not ready for such threats. To resist impact from these, it is best to plan for energy absorption since it is highly unlikely that many follow-up shots will take place. The rounds are high-energy and it takes a while to refocus on targets. CEN BR Level 7 protection with extra-thick polycarbonate glass is best against such weapons. The added armour also requires upgraded brakes and suspension to retain stability.

l Anti-material rifles

These are the big boys. Expensive, powerful, and extremely rare, you really need to get a lot of things wrong to find yourself in the scope of these. These rifles are called ‘anti-material’ because of the fact that they can literally destroy concrete blocks with a single bullet. Ammunition like the.50 BMG are chambered in these sniper rifles, that include the likes of the Barret M107 and the Accuracy International AS50. To counter these, you need more than just heavy ballistic plates. Since the shooter will try to disable the vehicle if he can’t get the target, it is best to have additional measures for your vehicles. Things like run-flat tyres, reinforced hinges, and armoured engine blocks can go a long way in keeping you safe against anti-material rifles.

In conclusion, threats from long-range are a reality to deal with. Thus, it is a good idea to prepare for them. Your car is the only means of protection and escape in a sniper situation. An ordinary Audi A6 won’t do. Consultation with a security expert, most likely a renowned organization like JCBL Armouring Solutions, is the right way forward. Of course, there should be no margin error or no scope for cheaping out. Nothing is more valuable than your own life, and measures to protect it are surely not so relative to the cost.

We are a leading armoured vehicle manufacturer in India with a team of over 25 years’ experience in engineering, designing, prototyping and manufacturing of armoured cars and vehicles for government, military and civilians.