The Blaser, one of my favorites
The Contracting Office stated at the end of September that there is no timeframe for the release of the PSR Request for Proposal. With big budget cuts coming as Afghanistan winds down, it looks like the PSR will be put on the back burner for a while.
I personally believe that SOCOM will continue to receive a big piece of the DOD budget but there will likely be tough decisions ahead and some programs will inevitably get cut completely. I believe most of the fat will be trimmed from bricks & mortar types of programs (vehicles, guns and gear) and the money will be invested in Unmanned Systems (Predator/Micro weaponized UAS) and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems (smart radios & SIGINT).
The sniper in me hopes that PSR makes the cut for sure. There are some solid candidates out there including some of my favorites like Remington and Blaser. If completely done away with this could be a huge blow to the manufacturers that invested millions "at risk" in early R&D. The total award ceiling for the contract was over two hundred million dollars. Here's a review of the original phase one requirements. I'll keep you posted on anything new. Brandon out.
REQUIREMENTS:
Phase I
-Three (3) each Precision Sniper Rifles (PSR) Product Samples shall consist of three PSR rifles of the
SAME configuration and caliber
-One (1) suppressor (TOTAL)
-Three (3) ammuniition magazines. Magazines shall be able to hold a minimum of five (5) rounds
-One (1) No-Go or Field Reject Headspace Gauge and written procedures for use
-One (1) GO Minimum Headspace Gauge and written procedures for use
-A minimum of 200 rounds of ammunition (Vendor is responsible for supplying enough ammunition to
complete the Go/No-Go testing)
-The PSR product sample shall weigh no more than 18.0 lbs with 12 o’clock MIL-STD 1913 rail, and an
unloaded magazine. Weight excludes any protective MIL-STD-1913 rail covers and all other ancillary
equipment
-The PSR rifle shall have an overall length of no more than 50 inches in the fully extended
configuration, less suppressor
-The PSR shall have a safety mechanism that prevents the weapon from firing when the trigger is
depressed and the safety is in the “safe” position
-The projectile shall have a remaining velocity no less than 1,228 feet per second under nominal
conditions at 1500 meters (1640 yards)
