Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 660 mm
- Weight, empty
- 6.40 kg
- Introduced
- 1988
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare (AW) is a bolt-action sniper rifle designed for extreme cold-weather reliability, chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. Introduced in 1988 as the successor to the original AI PM/L96A1, the AW features a distinctive aluminum chassis stock system with a folding stock, free-floating stainless steel barrel, and a modular design that allows rapid barrel changes and caliber conversions. The rifle's action uses a 60-degree bolt throw for fast cycling, and the entire system was designed to function reliably in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius. With a 660mm match-grade barrel and 10-round detachable magazine, the AW delivers consistent sub-MOA accuracy at ranges up to 800 meters. The aluminum chassis bedding system eliminates the accuracy-degrading effects of traditional wood or fiberglass stocks warping in extreme conditions. The AW family became the most widely adopted military sniper rifle system in the world, serving with armed forces across more than 30 nations.
The Arctic Warfare family began when the Swedish military demanded a sniper rifle that could operate flawlessly in -40C Arctic conditions. The AI design passed every test, earning the 'Arctic Warfare' name that would define an entire generation of precision rifles. The AW family became the foundation for the world's most widely adopted military sniper rifle system, with variants spanning from 7.62 NATO to .50 BMG.
The AW was developed after the British Army's 1982 sniper rifle trials, where the original Accuracy International PM (Precision Marksman) won the contract as the L96A1. The Arctic Warfare designation came from subsequent Swedish military trials in 1988, where the rifle was tested and adopted as the Psg 90 after demonstrating flawless function in extreme Arctic conditions. The 660mm barrel with 1:12 inch (305mm) twist rate and 4-groove rifling is optimized for 147-grain NATO ball ammunition. Weight with 10-round magazine and no optic is approximately 6.4 kg.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Accuracy International
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1988
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 660 mm
- Overall length
- 1180 mm
- Weight, empty
- 6.40 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 6.80 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Two stage
- Trigger pull
- 15.0 N
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Aluminum alloy
- Barrel
- Stainless steel
- Stock
- Aluminum chassis polymer furniture
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 850 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3441 J
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 3700 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Free floating barrel
Adjustable cheek piece
Folding stock
Integral bipod mount
Suppressor ready
Quick change barrel
Accessory rail- Cold weather operation
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 6.40 kg | 5.04 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 1180 mm | 1116 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 660 mm | 559 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 10 | 15 | Holds fewer rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
How much does the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare weigh?
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare weighs 6.40 kg (14.11 lb) empty and 6.80 kg (14.99 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare?
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare hold?
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare holds 10 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare?
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare is 1180 mm (46.5 in) long overall, with a 660 mm (26.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare?
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare is made by Accuracy International (United Kingdom). It was designed by Dave Walls.
When was the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare introduced?
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare was introduced in 1988.
How does the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare operate?
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- British Armed Forces
- 1988
- Swedish Armed Forces
- 1988
- Australian Defence Force
- 2000
- Royal Netherlands Army
- 1996
- Norwegian Armed Forces
- Norway
- Irish Defence Forces
- Ireland
- Belgian Armed Forces
- Belgium
Provenance
Confidence in this record
88%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/accuracy-international-aw' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "accuracy-international-aw", "name": "Accuracy International Arctic Warfare", "manufacturer": { "id": "accuracy-international", "name": "Accuracy International", "countryCode": "GB", "foundedYear": 1978, "website": "https://www.accuracyinternational.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:34", "version": "866df02489fa366bae9eb49362c9e929d73f7a1c5456d99b5727d9c049063c47" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "GB", "year_introduced": 1988, "barrel_length_mm": 660, "weight_empty_g": 6400, "action_type": "bolt_action"}