Steyr HS .50

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Steyr HS .50

Maker:	Steyr Mannlicher
Model:	HS .50
Nicknames:
Category:	Sniper rifle
Production:	2000s
Length:	1370 mm / 54"
Weight (empty):	12.4 / 28.5 lb
Weight (loaded):
Caliber:	.50 BMG
Magazine :	Single Shot
Barrel :	833 mm / 33"
Rifling:	-
Trigger pull:	2-Stage 4.00 lb
Sight:	(Mil. Std. 1913 rail)
Rate of fire:	- Rounds / Min
Range:	-

The Steyr HS .50 is a .50 BMG high-accuracy, single-shot bolt-action, long range sniper rifle, made by Steyr Mannlicher. The weapon is also available in the proprietary .460 Steyr round, developed for markets where the .50 BMG is restricted, such as California and Australia. This version is known as the HS .460.

The rifle made headlines when Steyr sold at least 800 rifles to Iran in 2004. There was a large amount of concern in the United States, UK, and to a lesser extent, countries such as Denmark that the rifles would find their way into Iraq and be used against the New Iraqi Army or Coalition forces. Nevertheless, the sale was approved by the Austrian government in November 2004.

In February 2007, the UK The Daily Telegraph reported that US Defence sources claimed to have recovered more than 100 of the rifles from insurgents in Iraq. The first American soldier killed with one occurred within 45 days of the shipment.^[1] However, according to Steyr CEO Franz Holzschuh, nobody has contacted the manufacturer to compare serial numbers and verify if the weapons found in Iraq really were part of the Iranian shipment as of February 14.^[2] According to Steyr, patents for the HS .50 ran out years ago, and fraudulent copies are produced in several countries of the world.^[3]