Enhanced Battle Rifle

Imagine a rifle and its attendant training so good that Taliban forces have been forced to modify their tactics. The Designated Marksman program was officially implemented in 2003 by the US Army and has been in high demand ever since. A Designated Marksman is trained to deliver precise, long range rifle fi re out to around 600 yards. Unlike a sniper, DMs maneuver with their squad as normal and can be tasked with long range shooting and overwatching as needed.

Much like the Combat-Lifesaver program, this additional training extends the ability within a squad. As implemented, the Designated Marksman program and qualifi cation calls for as-issue rifles, either M16A2 with iron sights or M16A4 with optics. Effective long range shooting is more about marksmanship and know-how than equipment. Issue M16s shooting 5.56mm ball are more than capable of getting consistent hits at a half kilometer but enhanced gear helps.

Purpose-built M16-based Designated Marksman Rifles have been fielded with good results and help make getting those hits easier. A potential problem, especially at extended distances, is the lack of "oomph" the 5.56mm cartridge offers. DMs are charged with engaging enemy targets out to 500 meters and standard-issue rifle ammunition might not cut it. Increasing to 7.62mm potentially affords greater range. It certainly hits harder.

While training some of the first units deploying to Iraq in 2004 at Fort Hood we had many Soldiers assigned as Designated Marksmen being outfi tted with M14s. While this took care of the power issue, these were simply rack-grade M14 rifles with a mix of after market bolt-on bases and optics. Few current unit armorers had the tools and knowledge to keep them running and critical parts like magazines were scarce.

Since then, procurement of purpose-built 7.62mm self loaders, namely the M110 SASS (Semi-Automatic Sniper System), has begun. These rifles are accurate enough to be considered replacements for bolt action sniper rifles and the SR-25 on which they’re based is virtually identical to the familiar M16-series, greatly reducing training needs, but they’re expensive as issued and were intended for sniper teams, not to be used at the squad level. Enter the Enhanced Battle Rifle.

The M14 Resurrected Enhanced Battle Rifles area modernized M14 Battle Rifle with an

aluminum billet stock that bears a resemblance to the T25 prototype that the original M14 is based. The stock, manufactured by Sage International (sageinternationalltd.com), includes an M16-type pistol grip, cantilever mount, Picatinny rails. The barreled actions from M14s are set into the new stock and tweaked for accuracy. A quality adjustable power optic from Leopold or Nightforce is included. Picatinny rails are set above the receiver and around the forend, allowing modular capability.

A variety of day/night optics, lasers, vertical hand grips, bipods and other accessories can be added. As a squad-level rifle the EBR can be handled effectively at close distances but is intended for long range precision work. Properly tweaked, EBRs routinely shoot M118LR ammunition at one MOA, the same accuracy standard as the M24 and M110. As an M14-based rifle the EBR is chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge and is semi-automatic. The effective range is out to 800 yards, similar to the M24.

EBRs are beefy, weighing in at just under fifteen pounds unloaded, almost 3.5 pounds heavier than a standard issue M14, with an overall length of 35 inches. EBRs affords infantry squads the volume of fi re of a self loader with the range and accuracy of a sniper rifle. Making The EBR Manufacture of the EBR is managed by Rock Island Arsenal based on the Department of Defense’s Operational Need Statement for along range rifle serving within standard US infantry platoons.

Sage International has been contracted to supply the stocks. Rock Island Armory officials report that, despite the fact the M16series has been official issue since 1965, there are nearly 100,000 M14 rifles remaining in US inventory. This means the barreled M14 action This improves rigidity enough that a double lugged receiver is not necessary. that is the heart of every EBR has already been paid for, thus saving tax payer money. The M14 was a staple of National Match competition for decades.

Accuracy tweaks included bedding the action with a mirror fit to the stock via bedding compound and allowing the barrel to float without touching the stock. To eliminate the tendency for point of impact shifts as the rifle heats a gunsmith must check that the op rod can’t touch the stock anywhere and that the handguard doesn’t bind the receiver or temperature shifts may cause point of impact errors.

Some shooters claim that inconsistent gas cylinder tightness can alter point of impact up to eight minutes as the barrel heats up. M14 rifles are more inherently complicated to accurize than AR-

This used to be require extensive hand fitting and assembly. 15s and anything that improves consistency helps. The Sage stock engineers many of the hand fitting fixes into the design. Barrel movement is controlled by a Barrel Whip Control Screw, minimizing vibrations and overall barrel whip.

The Op Rod Guide Block adds another mounting point for the barrel at the op rod guide, removing the forward barrel mounting/tensioning point at the forend, making the barreled action more monolithic and mounted in the receiver more solidly. The precision, CNC machining of the all-aluminum stock includes a bedding block to provide consistent receiver-to-stock tension. Across the top of the receiver is a cantilever scope base.

In addition to providing a sturdy mount for optics, this adds rigidity to the action and eliminates the need for a double lugged receiver. American Gunsmith Mailing List Policy Like many other publishers, we make portions of our customer list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services we believe you may enjoy.

If you do not wish to receive these offers, and/or information, please let us know by contacting us at: American Gunsmith Opt-Out Program Norwalk, CT 06854 Please include your current mailing label. EBR work is done by a handful of Rock Island personnel that were previously familiar with M14 gunsmithing. These rifles are hand assembled and tweaked individually at arate of 300 per month. Anew EBR takes at least eight rounds to settle and "like itself" so test firing is done on site.

The completed price of these sniper-accurate rifles is less than one-fourth of the M110. Using already paid-for components is a savings while still proving an effective platform. To date, Rock Island has assembled over 5,000 Enhanced Battle Rifl es out of rack grade M14 rifles and most of those have been dispersed to units that have fi led requests for them.

Members of the USAR Shooting Team have been tasked to offer Designated Marksman training in the States and abroad to teach the thousands of Soldiers now armed with them. These 5,000+ EBR systems are in service with US Army forces in Afghanistan, typically with two issued per squad. The EBR has proven to be a cost effective modular platform that successfully fulfi lls the needs of a Squad Designated Marksman.

Making use of existing M14s keeps procurement costs low while breathing life into this still-viable warhorse. AG