SEAL shooters: What did they use?

[terraformer]

A supressed MK23 from about 3 feet away.

We are hearing what they WANT us to hear.

Why bother with the suppression? And for what it is worth, this is how I thought they did it before the story came out with the snipers. But I am not as paranoid as you so I am inclined to believe, with some reservation, the sniper story. Although I do call BS that they weren't looking for an excuse to shoot.

 

[Cuda444]

+1 if they didn't just pull them into the water and knife them... There is NO WAY that even SEAL snipers could hit a target bobbing up and down in the ocean from platform that is also bobbing up in down (even at 100 meters or so)... 6 guys in scuba gear handled this operation

Yeah the life boat may have been bobbing, but if you're on the deck of a destroyer, I don't think you'd be "bobbing up and down." They have a pretty significant presence. A slow port to starboard rocking motion, but I don't think it would be considered "bobbing." Just my .02

 

[Patriot]

Mossberg 12ga pump with a full choke.

With a 12" barrel.

 

[MRJ]

Interestingly enough they might have had a partner in this:

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Monday that the Defense Department twice requested the authority to use deadly force because two groups of Special Operations Forces were involved in the operation. Each required its own sanction. He said that "the approval was given virtually immediately in both cases."

I'd guess CAG - Interesting how only one group consistently is in the news, while
the other group consistently avoids it.

 

[matt1956]

Too close for the Barrett though.

is there such a thing

or is that because at 30 feet with the Barrett, the shooter would be covered in red mist?

 

[Jose]

Put me in the camp of "I don't care".

Too many focus on hardware to the point of neglecting the "software".

Any accurate rifle could have made the shot, Mk11, Mk12, M40, M110....

It's the singer, not the song.

 

[Ripach]

I think they consulted with Bob Lee Swagger and Wesley Gibson. They then took a shot from 3.2 Miles away and curved the path of the bullet in such a manner as to kill all three shitbags with one shot. Hell my story is as good as any, and if you're not believing the official version you may as well believe mine.

 

[Bob P]

Put me in the camp of "I don't care".

Too many focus on hardware to the point of neglecting the "software".

Any accurate rifle could have made the shot, Mk11, Mk12, M40, M110....

It's the singer, not the song.

+1 However they did it, whatever they used we've got 3 dead BG's and a freed hostage.

 

[NOVA]

I'd guess something along to the lines of a Remington 700 in .308

 

[tele_mark]

This is a gun board -- of course people are interested in the hardware.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Too close for the Barrett though.

But the mist of red rain would be a beautiful sight to see!

We will never know the details. It does not matter to me,the scumbags are dead,the SEAL'S are ok as well as the captain. Enough said.

Totally agree!

A lot of things are best left "unsaid"!

Honestly, I could care less how they did it, or what they used I just see 3 Pirates KIA, 1 family getting one hell of an easter present courtesy of the USN Seals.

Yup, agreed!

 

[Another_David]

I think it was the Mark 12, not the Mark 11 rifle:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_Mark_12_Mod_X_Special_Purpose_Rifle

Luttrell, the Navy Seal of the Lone Survivor book, used a Mark 12.

SR25 third from left, Luttrell fourth from left

 

[P-14]

Mark 12 third from left, fourth from left is Luttrell

That Mark 12 has a pretty big 5.56 magazine compared to the other rifles in the picture. I can't say that Luttrell didn't use other than Mark 12 rifles, but as a qualified sniper, he used it as described in his book. His Mark 12 used 77gr. OTM 5.56mm ammo.

 

[Another_David]

That Mark 12 has a pretty big 5.56 magazine compared to the other rifles in the picture. I can't say that Luttrell didn't use other than Mark 12 rifles, but as a qualified sniper, he used it as described in his book. His Mark 12 used 77gr. OTM 5.56mm ammo.

the photo wasn't intended to contradict your post, but yes I believe that's the SR25 3rd from left. I don't claim to know my current mil designations--I'm just posting a photo for all to enjoy. FWIW, if seal snipers were used my guess is the SR25

 

[Buck Nekid]

Did anyone else hear Martha Raditz on ABC News last night? She made the speculation that the snipers probably used some sort of "auto-gyro stabilizing device" for their rifles.
I have GOT to get one of those!

 

[JonJ]

Did anyone else hear Martha Raditz on ABC News last night? She made the speculation that the snipers probably used some sort of "auto-gyro stabilizing device" for their rifles.
I have GOT to get one of those!

Use that in conjunction with the "shoulder thing that goes up" and we're talking FRIGGING DEADLY!

 

[Stef]

Did anyone else hear Martha Raditz on ABC News last night? She made the speculation that the snipers probably used some sort of "auto-gyro stabilizing device" for their rifles.

There will almost certainly be news reports of her "fatal accident" in the next day or two for disclosing that kind of operational intelligence to the public.

 

[K-DUB]

A small radio controlled boat with a large tray of Khat attached to it was
motored out to the lifeboat.... when the pirates went to retrieve it, that's when the shooting started.

-Mike

 

[P2A]

It was a variant of the SR-25. No one uses M-14s as a primary sniper system. A bolt gun wouldnt be employed in this situation and there would be too much collateral with the barrett.

 

[colt_fan]

Did anyone else hear Martha Raditz on ABC News last night? She made the speculation that the snipers probably used some sort of "auto-gyro stabilizing device" for their rifles.
I have GOT to get one of those!

Draper in Cambridge designed a rifle with that feature, but the folks at Ft. Bragg laughed at it during the presentation. This technology is now used in cameras.

 

[bpm990d]

Draper in Cambridge designed a rifle with that feature, but the folks at Ft. Bragg laughed at it during the presentation. This technology is now used in cameras.

Please elaborate. I'm curious to hear more. I'm not quite sure how it could work with a rifle.

B

 

[Franco]

Please elaborate. I'm curious to hear more. I'm not quite sure how it could work with a rifle.

B

to answer your question:

they already use this technology in the M1 Abrams tank to stabilize the turret when driving in uneven terrian..it can stay on target even when driving at speed across terrian.

it would be the same concept just scaled down.

 

[bpm990d]

to answer your question:

they already use this technology in the M1 Abrams tank to stabilize the turret when driving in uneven terrian..it can stay on target even when driving at speed across terrian.

it would be the same concept just scaled down.

I'm aware of turret stabilization. The Navy had it long before the Army. How does it work with a rifle, since you have to hold the thing?

B

 

[terraformer]

to answer your question:

they already use this technology in the M1 Abrams tank to stabilize the turret when driving in uneven terrian..it can stay on target even when driving at speed across terrian.

it would be the same concept just scaled down.

But in the abrahms, the barrel and sighting mechanism is stabilized. In a camera the optics are stabilized in the aperture with a small lens that needs to move. Similar concept, BIG difference in implementation. And here it would be of no use because the target was moving at different rates then the platform the shooter was on. The way stabilization works is to stabilize the sprung object to a fixed point in space to eliminate jitter from platform movement.

In this case, given a consistent rocking motion, a shooter could get into a rhythm and lead the shot. Similar concept to trap shooting.

 

[colt_fan]

Please elaborate. I'm curious to hear more. I'm not quite sure how it could work with a rifle.

B

Not sure how it worked, it was a monster of a stock though. It was designed so that if you shifted your weight or moved suddenly it would counter in the opposite direction. Similar principle as if you took the front wheel of a bicycle off, held it at the axle and spun it. Try to change direction and gyroscopic effect would prevent you from moving too quickly.

 

[Garys]

Draper in Cambridge designed a rifle with that feature, but the folks at Ft. Bragg laughed at it during the presentation. This technology is now used in cameras.

Gyro stabilized cameras have been around about 20 years or so. The technology has become cheap enough that it can be bought in consumer grade video cameras. No reason to think that it's not possible to use the technology in rifle sights.

 

[jobowker]

Weren't they in that lifeboat for a few days? Four guys, three with bad personal hygiene, and the fourth an American who was tied up? If you're a prisoner for four days, what do you do when it's time to drop a deuce? That boat probably smelled so bad they had no choice but to stick their heads out.

 

[terraformer]

Gyro stabilized cameras have been around about 20 years or so. The technology has become cheap enough that it can be bought in consumer grade video cameras. No reason to think that it's not possible to use the technology in rifle sights.

That would be useless unless the barrel was also stabilized. Otherwise, the barrel would be moving but the image would be stable.

 

[kevin9]

Gyro stabilized cameras have been around about 20 years or so. The technology has become cheap enough that it can be bought in consumer grade video cameras. No reason to think that it's not possible to use the technology in rifle sights.

Could be. Then again if one needs that level of precision just use a TOW. Yea it's a bit of an overkill for taking out a single pirate but the boom factor would be most satisfying.

 

[bpm990d]

That would be useless unless the barrel was also stabilized. Otherwise, the barrel would be moving but the image would be stable.

I'm glad I'm not the only confused one.

B

EDIT: The idea sounds interesting though. I'd like to learn more if the poster can get some more info.