M24 SWS
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Weight, empty
- 5.44 kg
- Introduced
- 1988
About
What it is, and why it matters
The M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) is a bolt-action sniper rifle adopted by the United States Army in 1988 as a replacement for the semi-automatic M21. Based on the Remington Model 700 long action, the M24 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO and features a 610mm (24-inch) free-floating heavy barrel made from 416R stainless steel with 5R rifling. The long action receiver was a deliberate design choice requested by the special operations community, allowing the rifle to be reconfigured for larger cartridges such as the .300 Winchester Magnum. The M24 SWS includes the Leupold Mark 4 M3A 10x40mm fixed-power scope, Harris bipod, and a Kevlar-reinforced HS Precision stock with a full aluminum bedding block. The system proved highly effective in Iraq and Afghanistan, with confirmed kills made beyond 1,100 meters despite an official effective range of 800 meters. The M24 served as the US Army's primary sniper rifle for over two decades before being supplemented and eventually replaced by the M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle in .300 Winchester Magnum.
The M24 SWS was born from a 1985 US Army solicitation for a modern bolt-action sniper rifle to replace the aging M21 semi-automatic system. Remington won the competition with a militarized version of their iconic Model 700, incorporating a long action receiver at SOCOM's request to allow future recalibering without replacing the entire weapon. The M24 and M118LR ammunition combination proved devastatingly effective in Iraq and Afghanistan, with skilled snipers routinely exceeding the system's stated 800-meter effective range.
The M24 SWS was specifically designed with a long action receiver chambered for a short action cartridge (7.62 NATO), allowing for future recalibering to .300 Winchester Magnum without requiring a new receiver. The A2 variant introduced a detachable 5-round magazine, adjustable Picatinny rails, and an improved HS Precision PST-026 stock. The M24A3 variant was chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum with a detachable box magazine. The single-stage trigger is externally adjustable from 15.6N to 22.2N (3.5 to 5 pounds). The rifle's accuracy requirement was 1.30 inches average mean radius at 200 yards. Many law enforcement agencies across the United States also adopted the M24 for SWAT and tactical operations.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Remington Arms
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- United States
- Status
- In service
- Produced
- 1988
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 610 mm
- Overall length
- 1092 mm
- Weight, empty
- 5.44 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 6.80 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Trigger pull
- 17.0 N
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Fixed box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Stainless steel
- Stock
- Kevlar reinforced fiberglass
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 790 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2965 J
- Effective range
- 800 m
- Maximum range
- 3725 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 trigger
Aluminum bedding block
Detachable bipod
Long action receiver
Heavy barrel
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 | 5.44 kg | 5.04 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 1092 mm | 1116 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 610 mm | 559 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 80 7.62x51mm NATO sniper rifles | 5 | 15 | Holds fewer rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the M24 SWS
How much does the M24 SWS weigh?
The M24 SWS weighs 5.44 kg (11.99 lb) empty and 6.80 kg (14.99 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the M24 SWS?
The M24 SWS is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the M24 SWS hold?
The M24 SWS holds 5 rounds, fed from a fixed box magazine.
How long is the M24 SWS?
The M24 SWS is 1092 mm (43.0 in) long overall, with a 610 mm (24.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the M24 SWS?
The M24 SWS is made by Remington Arms (United States).
When was the M24 SWS introduced?
The M24 SWS was introduced in 1988.
How does the M24 SWS operate?
The M24 SWS 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
- United States Army
- 1988
- United States Air Force
- United States
- Afghan National Army
- Afghanistan
- Iraqi Army
- Iraq
- Brazilian Armed Forces
- Brazil
- Georgian Armed Forces
- Georgia
- Japan Self-Defense Forces
- Japan
- Hungarian Defence Forces
- Hungary
- Israel Defense Forces
- Israel
- Lebanese Armed Forces
- Lebanon
Provenance
Confidence in this record
87%
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/m24-sws' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "m24-sws", "name": "M24 SWS", "manufacturer": { "id": "remington", "name": "Remington Arms", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1816, "website": "https://www.remarms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:45", "version": "f839df62af811e3e261014e3302be8a7e112b5d78fb2f9f7bfad68d74817c9c8" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1988, "barrel_length_mm": 610, "weight_empty_g": 5440, "action_type": "bolt_action"}