By Thomas Murphy
A 20mm anti-material rifle that fires a 1,543grain bullet traveling at 3,396 feet per second with 39,500 foot-pounds of muzzle energy ought to be enough for most any encounter...
This rifle actually exists. Anzio Ironworks owner Mike Remo builds it and its little brother, the Anzio 50. The 20mm is magazine fed out of a 3-round box magazine into a tubular receiver with a quick change barrel and an oversized muzzle brake. The bolt handle is large enough to get a firm handgrip and a titanium firing pin insures reliable ignition. The muzzle blast has to be seen to be believed. There's a video on YouTube showing the rifle being fired. The operator's hair lifts completely up and his head kicks back a few inches.
If you've got the right scope, 22 power at least, tapping a garbage can-sized steel plate at 5,000 yards should be possible. Considering the rifle weighs 59 pounds minimum - over 130 pounds with mounts and options - it's a very stable platform. Moving it around might be a bit of a challenge and might be better suited with a pintle mount on a trailer or scout car.
Very long range sniping is becoming more important as insurgents are beginning to appear with longer range weapons in larger calibers. The need to reach out 4,900 yards won't be common, but when faced with a .50 coming your way, a 20mm gives you quite an edge in range.
The FBI has begun to integrate the 20mm into its arsenal. They say the option to take out a hardened target at a distance isn't an option any more. Training at Quantico, VA is well underway.
Retail is $11,900. For the model with a fully-floated barrel and bipod expect to spend $13,000. A suppressor is a $3,200 option and, as the 20mm is loud in the extreme, is an accessory that should not be overlooked. Ammo runs $8 per round for training rounds, and tracer is $15.
Standard Equipment
- Quick change - take-down barrel
- Fluted, hand lapped match barrel
- Oversized, high efficiency brake
- One detachable 3-round magazine
- Four massive locking lugs
- Heavy duty bipod
- Fully adjustable rear monopod
- 40 minute inclined scope rail
- Duracoat finish of your choice
- Blue-printed bolt & action
- Percussion primed configuration
- Massive bolt handle for easy loading & extraction
- Super smooth action
Optional Equipment
- Multi- caliber kit 14.5mm and 20mm
- Pintle mount
- Electric primed upgrade
- 50BMG "rail gun" conversion kit
- Single shot version available for $9,800
- Optional handguard, free-floated barrel and adjustable bipod model $13,000
- Suppressor available for $3200
- This same action but in 20/50 caliber $1,400 less
- 49-inch match grade fluted barrel
- Heavy duty clam-shell brake
- Detachable box magazine
- Available in 14.5mm, 20mm, and new Anzio 20-50 calibers. (20-50 is a 20mm case necked down to .50 caliber; 750-800 gr. bullet at 3,200 fps-3,600 fps)
- Titanium firing pin
- Optional weights and configurations
Manufacturer: Anzio Ironworks Corporation (anzioironworks.com)
Mike Remo
Caliber: 20mm x102mm
Service date: 2006
Weight: 59-130 lb depending on mount
Length: 6' 8" w/o suppressor
Barrel length: 49 inch
Action: Bolt, detachable three-round box magazine
Effective range: 5,000 yards
Optics: Customer supplied (minimum 20x)
Stock: Metal
This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V14N6 (March 2011) |
| SUBSCRIBER COMMENT AREA |
Comments have not been generated for this article.
