Shaher
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 1200 mm
- Weight, empty
- 22.00 kg
- Introduced
- 2012
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Shaher is an Iranian anti-materiel rifle chambered in the massive 14.5x114mm Soviet cartridge, one of the largest calibers fielded in a shoulder-fired weapon. Unveiled in 2012 by Iran's Defence Industries Organization, the Shaher is designed to engage light armored vehicles, hardened positions, communications equipment, and even low-flying helicopters at extreme ranges. The rifle's anti-armor rounds are capable of penetrating 50mm of steel armor, giving infantry units a potent anti-vehicle capability without dedicated missile systems. At 22 kg, the Shaher requires a two-person crew for effective deployment and is typically fired from the prone position using its integrated bipod.
The Shaher represents Iran's ambition to field one of the most powerful shoulder-fired weapons on Earth. Chambered in the colossal 14.5x114mm cartridge originally developed for Soviet anti-tank rifles in World War II, the Shaher can theoretically engage targets at ranges where the shooter would be nearly invisible to the naked eye. Iran has claimed the rifle can hit targets at 4 kilometers, which if true would make it one of the longest-ranged anti-materiel rifles ever produced.
The Shaher was first unveiled in 2012, with an improved variant shown in April 2014 that added a 5-round detachable box magazine and Picatinny rails. The original version was a single-shot design. The 14.5x114mm cartridge was originally developed for Soviet anti-tank rifles during World War II and is one of the most powerful man-portable cartridges in existence, generating over 32,000 joules of muzzle energy. Iran claims the rifle has a maximum effective range of 4 kilometers, though independent verification of this claim is unavailable. The hydraulic recoil buffer system is essential for managing the extreme recoil forces of the 14.5mm cartridge.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Defense Industries Organization
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Iran
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2012
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 1200 mm
- Overall length
- 1850 mm
- Weight, empty
- 22.00 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 23.50 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Trigger pull
- 35.0 N
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Chrome moly steel
- Stock
- Steel frame polymer furniture
- Finish
- Matte black
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 1000 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 32000 J
- Effective range
- 4000 m
- Maximum range
- 7000 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.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Muzzle brake
Picatinny rail
Integral bipod- Anti materiel design
Hydraulic recoil buffer- Armor piercing capability
- Anti aircraft capability
Heavy barrel profile
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 430 sniper rifles | 22.00 kg | 5.40 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 1850 mm | 1150 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 1200 mm | 620 mm | Among the longest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 5 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Shaher
How much does the Shaher weigh?
The Shaher weighs 22.00 kg (48.50 lb) empty and 23.50 kg (51.81 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Shaher?
The Shaher is chambered in 14.5x114mm.
How many rounds does the Shaher hold?
The Shaher holds 5 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Shaher?
The Shaher is 1850 mm (72.8 in) long overall, with a 1200 mm (47.2 in) barrel.
Who makes the Shaher?
The Shaher is made by Defense Industries Organization (Iran).
When was the Shaher introduced?
The Shaher was introduced in 2012.
How does the Shaher operate?
The Shaher 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
- Islamic Republic of Iran Army
- 2012
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
- 2012
Provenance
Confidence in this record
60%
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/shaher' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "shaher", "name": "Shaher", "manufacturer": { "id": "dio", "name": "Defense Industries Organization", "countryCode": "IR", "foundedYear": 1981, "website": "https://www.diomil.ir", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-18 03:40:42", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:46", "version": "73a23efd83312b8206364872d2a6d56ecece408ad3e70868592ee29e0ee2c00c" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "IR", "year_introduced": 2012, "barrel_length_mm": 1200, "weight_empty_g": 22000, "action_type": "bolt_action"}