Large caliber sniper rifle flexes when fired

[Ocin]

For all of you who like to fire large caliber sniper rifles: this is what you do with your gun:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5pVya7eask

 

[Big Frank]

Great video. I thought it was just the G-forces of the recoil that ate scopes. I didn't know they flopped around like rubber. 

[m25operator]

Most calibers do this to some degree, the .50 is a excellent example at the extreme end, but your old 06, does it too. A good friend had a front grip bolt action handgun built by Riley Gilmore for the masters tournament, and when he showed it to me, I remarked on how close the scope was to the barrel, a dollar bill would barely slide between the objective lens and the barrel,  10 shots later, the objective lens shattered and the tube had a dent in it, right above the barrel. Expansion and contraction, barrel whip, barrel flex, it moved enough to contact the scope and it was a .243 !

[MikeBjerum]

Probably in danger of hijacking a thread, but after several looks at this, and I've enjoyed it, I started to think of the power of words.  What is a "sniper rifle," and is the wording any different than "assault weapon?" 

In firearm safety we use the studdy that shows in our Nation 11% of the population has a positive outlook on hunting and shooting sports, 9% has a negative outlook and 80% has no strong oppinion other than how we sway them.  These numbers are from a study a few years ago that the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources looked at, and even if they aren't exactly on they do show the posibilities.  By using the word "sniper" to describe a gun that is built to be accurate and can be shot well, are we instilling the wrong picture in the minds of both the 9% and the 80%.  I tell those in class that most of the items listed in the "so called assault weapon ban" were either cosmetic or items that improved accuracy.  I than joke that if it is scary looking or highly accurate some in or Government don't think we should have it (by this point in the class we have discussed much of shooting positions and the fundimentals of shooting).

Just spouting off on the spin on classifications like Sniper and AWB.

Thud ...

The sound you just heard was me falling off my ammo box.

[Ocin]

Thud ...

The sound you just heard was me falling off my ammo box.

I hope it didn't fall on your toe? 

I think one could consider it a hijack of a thread, but I have to say that you make a good point. The only "real" assault rifle I know about is the WW2 German made Stg44 Sturmgewehr (literally: storm rifle, assault rifle). And as for a sniper rifle: you might add a scope and a silencer to an MP5 and create a (short range) sniper rifle, but only very few would place such a combination in the category of sniper rifles. It is like you said: these words, sniper rifle and assault rifle will be used by certain people to create fear for those rifles so that the large masses will be more receptive to their ideas ad plans for gun control.

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

Ocin, you stole MY usual rant (Because my AK is  an StG 2000  )
Sniper rifle NO , Precision Rifle YES Gun nut NO  Firearms enthusiast  YES ( Although I like "Civil Rights activist as well  )