In the mid-2000s, Karl Lewis of LMT Defense, and Greg Felton of Law Enforcement International Ltd (LEI) in the U.K., were involved in a program for another client. The requirement was for a reliable, maneuverable 7.62x51mm select-fire rifle. The rifle that LMT & LEI evolved was nothing short of amazing. Concurrently, the British MOD came out with a requirement for a designated marksman rifle in 7.62×51, semi-auto only. The basics were there, Lewis had to remove the full-auto feature and add a few needed design changes and they submitted what is now adopted as the L129A1 “Sharpshooter.” The weapon was an outstanding success, and after Afghanistan, the weapon system – initially purchased as a temporary measure – was adopted as a permanent system.

Which brings us to the L129A2: Sharpshooter II in 6.5 Creedmoor. Most readers of SADJ know that the military purchases “systems” as opposed to just shopping off the shelf and putting things together. It all must be tested together, then integrated. Thus, after the decade-long success of the L129A1 system, with lessons learned, the U.K. military called on LMT and LEI again to upgrade the system. The ammunition is changed, although the original 7.62x51mm NATO round from the L129A1 can be used in the L129A2 by switching out the barrel. The goal, with the 6.5 CM (6.5x48mm) round, is to extend the performance of the system another 200 meters and get some flatter trajectory. More on the ammunition later.

The Royal Marines have ordered an unspecified quantity in a dual-caliber configuration with the primary being 6.5 CM. As a DMR and as a sniper support weapon (SSW), this is an exceptional rifle, as shown in our range tests that follow.

Top: Original L129A1 rifle in 7.62x51mm. Bottom: New L129A2 rifle in 6.5mm Creedmoor.

The changes to the system are fundamental to the core rifle, and in the accessories used, which are all new to the Sharpshooter program.  At the rear is the L129A1 as issued, with a Trijicon 6×48 optic. Eventually, the L129A1 was also upgraded to an SSW with the addition of a newer optic. To the front is the L129A2 as issued, with Leupold Mark 5 3.6-18×44 optic, TIER-ONE Cantilever Monomount, Atlas PSR-type bipod, and HUXWRX QD suppressor. L129A1 did not have a suppressor issued, but there were several trials, one of which Gemtech and LEI won to produce test suppressors. The new issue Sharpshooter II has the HUXWRX suppressor as part of the kit.

Markings of the L129A1 as 7.62x51mm and the L129A2 are “MULTI-CAL” because of the changeable calibers.

L129A1 front, L129A2 rear. The L129A1 featured the LMT SOPMOD buttstock, an excellent collapsible stock. The L129A2 has moved up to the fully adjustable .308 DMR buttstock, also from LMT.

L129A1 MWS Style lower, in front, L129A2 MARS-H style lower, at rear. Ambidextrous selector the same, A2 deflector, Picatinny rail top. Note the ambidextrous bolt hold open/release on the right side of L129A2. Inside, the L129A2 has the AXLE two-stage trigger. MWS is Modular Weapon System, MARS-H is Modular Ambidextrous Rifle System with an “H” to denote 7.62x51mm.

Left side L129A1 in front, L129A2 at rear. An ambidextrous magazine release is a feature of both rifle lowers.

Both rifles are direct gas impingement and have the signature LMT Monolithic Rail Platform design. Both change barrels in the same manner, with a split collet-type receiver and two properly torqued screws. The L129A2 (rear) uses the MLOK rail configuration as opposed to the Picatinny rail fore-end of the L129A1 (front). The L129A2 can accept the L129A1 7.62x51mm barrel if needed (but not vice versa). The new rail is extended significantly on the L129A2, and the barrel for the 6.5 CM is 18 inches with 1:8-inch RH twist, as opposed to the 16-inch 1:10-inch RH twist barrel on the L129A1.  

L129A1 on top of L129A2, left side, showing the overall length difference. Both rifles have a full FDE color treatment with a durable Cerakote finish.

BIPOD 

The L129A2 system uses the Atlas BT46-LW17PSR bipod, which is a very stable and popular bipod in the precision shooting community. It’s made from 6061-T6 aluminum with inner legs of 7075-T6 aluminum. The finish is a Type III Mil-spec hard anodize.

Leg positions are 0, 45, 90, 135, and 180 degrees, with the position/support components made of heat-treated stainless steel. This allowed us a variety of firing levels and supports. Very important to our test, the non-rotating legs added to the stability of the shooting platform, perhaps more than shooters might realize.

Regarding cant and pan, the Atlas bipod has a built-in, pre-loaded, tensionable 30-degree cant and the same 30-degrees of pan. This author is not a fan of panning on a bipod for a sniper system, but it has its place and is desired by many professionals. Cant, on the other hand, combined with the built in anti-cant bubble in the TIER-ONE cantilever mount, is an excellent feature for accuracy.

This is a very well-made bipod, with a footprint of 8 to 11 inches, getting low at 5.2 inches and up to a height of 9.6 inches. Almost every detail is well thought out. Even the springs and fasteners are made of stainless steel.

OPTIC

World renowned U.S. optics manufacturer Leupold was chosen for the L129A2-issue optic. The exact model is the Mark 5 HD 3.6-18×44 (M5C3) in desert IR finish (catalog no. 183456). It has a 35mm tube—a tube size that’s still gaining in popularity—that needs to be taken into account when selecting an optic mount. The reticle is the Tremor 3 and is illuminated with a 5-minute time-out to save batteries.

The Mark 5 HD is a workhorse. It’s robust; the controls are not going to fail; it’s first focal plane, which is pretty-well accepted in military circles as the best for the job. Plainly put, with FFP, no matter your magnification, the hash marks are always the same in relation to the target. 0.2 mils is always 0.2mils, no matter what magnification you’re at. This makes it much easier to judge windage and drift; it’s just very quick.

The Mark 5 HD is waterproof and fogproof, will withstand a lot of impact and extreme climate conditions. It has three full revolutions of elevation adjustment, so it can handle longer range jobs. While the L129A2 is a DMR and SSW, you can see from our targets that the performance was excellent at range. At 1100m, the optics were crisp, and with the flat-shooting 6.5 CM, we had excellent results.

To the left is the power selector ring — your “zoom.” It has a valuable 5:1 magnification ratio, giving you five times more magnification at high power than at low power. We found magnifications changes to be smooth, easy to control, and liked the system. In the lower right of the picture is the windage adjustment knob, and on top, the elevation adjustment knob with the elevation lock release button prominent at the rear. The controls are well thought out and easy to use.  

The control knob in the lower part of the picture is the side parallax adjustment and illumination control knob. The outer control knob denotes brightness, and in between levels there are “off” positions. This allows the shooter to set the optic in “off” right next to the preferred illumination level. Very fast and handy if you know your preferences in various light levels.

The Pixels On Target Thermal Sight (not shown) was chosen for the Thermal part of the system.

OPTIC MOUNT

The optic mount chosen is a very robust and compact one-piece cantilever monomount made by TIER-ONE of the U.K. Since the scope is a 35mm tube, the mount weighs 7.19 oz (204g). The mount is made from 7075 T6 aluminum, the same as many of the AR family firearms are, and is robust enough to withstand heavy recoil, having a large scope clamping area. Its finish is a mil-spec 30-micron hard-anodized finish.

Looking up underneath the mount, the solid contact with the monolithic rail is evident. Also, there is an anti-cant bubble level (replaceable) in the rear mount base. We found it easy to use for a quick level reading using the left eye; it’s very convenient without the common protrusion many scope levels have.

SUPPRESSOR

The adopted suppressor is the HUXWRX HX-QD Helix 7.62. The company’s statement of purpose is very telling, setting them apart from many other suppressor companies.

“HUXWRX Safety Company is a human exposure workshop dedicated to building products that are optimized for the safety and health of our customers, without compromising efficiency or performance.”

HUXWRX was at one time OSS Suppressors, a successful and innovative manufacturer with their “OSS Flow-Through” technology. I met the new owner and we discussed his vision. He was adamantly focused on the “safety” aspect of his product. With as much damage as firearms use has done to the health of end users, this is pretty refreshing. The toxic gas mitigation being discussed, many shooters have serious issues with heavy metals in their blood, is addressed in the HUXWRX system using a series of helical coils to decrease blowback, and actually “blow forward.”

Our tests at the range confirmed the claims about the gas-forward operation of this system. We compared brass from a 6.5 CM direct gas rifle using an older, screw-on can with the brass from suppressed L129A2, and the difference was clear. A lot less backflow, hardly any staining on the brass from the HUXWRX Flow-Through can. Their design works. As far as noise suppression, we didn’t do a full test on this. We plan on it later with the Larson Davis 800B meter. It was clear the HUXWRX suppressor tightened our groups, as expected, and was well within the sound suppression desired. Performance is expected to be in the 136-139 dB range, and to the ear, it sounded right.

The suppressor weighs 19.4oz (550g) and is made from 17-4 heat-treated stainless steel and Grade 5 titanium, is 1.62 inches in diameter, and 7.45 inches long — it only adds 6.85 inches to the barrel length. Finish is a C-series Cerakote in FDE.

The front endcap of the suppressor has spiraling holes venting forward from the helical design.

The HUXWRX Torque Lock system is patented and keeps the suppressor squarely mounted to the QD muzzle device. This is threaded 5/8-24 for most AR-10 type barrels. In this photo, the muzzle device is inside the suppressor for storage.

MAGAZINE

The magazine chosen for the system is the 20-round Magpul PMAG Gen M3. It’s a 7.62×51/6.5 CM capable magazine and is very reliable. It uses a stainless-steel spring, an anti-tilt, self-lubricating follower, and the internal curve of the magazine is constant. PMAGs are well known for their reliability. They’re lightweight and very popular. The 20-round mag weighs 5.7 ounces empty, is 6.5 inches long, and is SR-25 patterned.

AMMUNITION

There really isn’t a settled-on mil-spec 6.5 CM cartridge as of yet. I know there are people who will beg to differ on that, however, I’ve yet to see the final, this-is-it, last straw dropped, documents. That said, most of us want to see a 140-grain open tip match cartridge with a muzzle velocity of about 2700fps. Olin-Winchester has such a cartridge, and since they operate the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) and produce much of the U.S. and other militaries’ ammunition, we went with their offering. At this point, the cartridges don’t have military style sealing or primer crimps. Still, the muzzle energy is impressive, and while we don’t have access to the terminal or wound ballistic data, the people that do have that available are looking very favorably at this Winchester round.

Ammunition Used in the Test:

Winchester 6.5 Creedmoor (140-gr) Match BT Hollow Point

ON THE RANGE

Our test firing was done at the Boulder Rifle & Pistol Club in Boulder City, NV (BRPclub.org). BRPC is an excellent, well maintained range system, with everything from archery to long range shooting out to 1100m. BRPC is well known in Nevada, especially with the events they host during SHOT Show.

Our accurate shooter is Dennis Powell. These are his targets. The reasonably accurate shooter is Dan Shea, we’re not showing his targets.

Set up at the Boulder Rifle & Pistol Club long range, out to 1100m. Left; Vortex Razor HD 4000 GB laser range finder. On tripod; Vortex RAZOR HD angled 22-48×65 spotting scope on a Vortex Tripod. Both the spotting scope and range finder are written about in more depth in the Barrett MRADELR article. Right, L129A2 Designated Marksman Rifle, ready for firing.

At 100m, the sighting-in process was fairly quick. We were bore-sighted onto paper, lower right, walked across the target and ended with three in the center that were at 0.5 MOA. Our next groups got to 0.34 MOA, then we moved out to further and further targets.

A bit of background: During the war in Afghanistan in the mid-2000s, many soldiers were questioning the terminal ballistics—the stopping effect—that the 5.56x45mm NATO round had at longer distances. A rifle’s purpose in war, of shooting an enemy soldier, is not so much to kill as it is to stop him from continuing what he’s doing… to make him cease being a threat. Many coalition soldiers have stories about hitting the enemy, center of mass, at 600 meters only to see the enemy soldier fire an RPG or DShK in return, dying later, bleeding out 100 meters away. The projectile did not do the “stopping” part of the job.

In the mid-2000s, Karl Lewis of LMT Defense, and Greg Felton of Law Enforcement International Ltd. (LEI) in the U.K., were involved in a program for another client. The requirement was for a reliable, maneuverable 7.62x51mm select-fire rifle. The rifle that LMT & LEI provided was nothing short of amazing. Concurrently, the British Ministry of Defence came out with a requirement for a Designated Marksman Rifle in 7.62×51, semi-auto only. The basics were there, Karl had to remove the full auto feature and add a few needed design changes and they submitted what is now adopted as the L129A1 “Sharpshooter.” The weapon was an outstanding success, and after Afghanistan, the weapon system – initially purchased as a temporary measure—was adopted as a permanent system.  

Author’s note: We have the L129A2 system heading to us for a full test and report. Watch for that. We’ll compare the caliber performances, as well.

Lewis Machine & Tool Company (LMT), an Illinois-based company that designs, prototypes and manufactures small arms, accessories and tooling components for the military, government, law enforcement, commercial manufacturers and responsible civilians has introduced the new LM8 platform on two new rifle systems: the LM8MRP and the LM8MWS. The LM8 Platform is a combined result of LMT’s consistent philosophy that “Failure is Not an Option” and the changing landscape of modern warfare where combat is more likely to occur in confined urban settings or tight mountain passes. The LM8 platform is a direct evolutionary update from LMT’s benchmark monolithic rail platform making it lighter, smaller, slimmer and more maneuverable than anything before. Now the LM8 platform is available in two rifle systems: the LM8MWS and the LM8MRP, both with four versatile rail segments to fit any mission.

The LM8MWS is built on a LM308MWS lower with a SOPMOD buttstock and a two-stage trigger. The upper receiver has either a 1:10 inch twist, chrome-lined barrel or a 1:11.35 inch twist in an ultra-match stainless 5R tactical black matte finish barrel. The semi-auto bolt carrier group and tactical charging handle assembly come standard. The LM8MWS ships with a sling, operator’s manual, tactical adjustable rear and front sight, one 20-round magazine, a torque wrench/driver, four rail-segments and two heavy-duty push button swivels. Contact them at www.lmtdefense.com.

The MRP is the first monolithic upper receiver.  The upper receiver is machined from a single 7075 T6 aircraft aluminum forging.  There are four solid Mil-Std 1913 rails and permit complete zero retention for optics or any other accessory placed on the rails.  The upper receiver is equipped with a forward assist, fired cartridge case deflector as well as an ejection port dust cover.  All rails are numbered for easy replacement of optics to insure they are placed back in the same position from which they were removed.  Removable sling swivel mounts are placed on the end of the MRP at the 3, 6 and 12 o’clock positions.  Additionally, mounting points are located on the right and left side at the rear of the handguard area by the ejection port.  This permits any type of sling or desired location for the operator’s discretion.

The innovation does not stop with the development of the first one piece monolithic rail platform.  The barrel, held in by two bolts, is removable by the user.  When the bolts are removed the barrel/gas tube assembly is pulled straight out of the receiver.  This enables the 5.56mm caliber weapon to be configured for whatever mission it will be used.  If a close quarter combat environment is the mission, a 10.5 inch barrel may be used.  If the mission is urban or normal combat ranges, a 14.5 or 16 inch barrel may be used.  If longer range is required, an 18 or 20 inch barrel may be used.  It should be noted the 16 inch 5.56mm barrel uses a mid-length gas system and all others use a standard carbine gas system.  All is accomplished at the user level; no armorer is needed to change out the barrels.  The barrels are manufactured from machine gun barrel steel and button cut rifling.  They are cut with the Mil-Spec 1 turn in 7 inch twist allowing up to 80 grain projectiles to be stabilized.  The barrels have chrome plated bore and chambers and are equipped with an A2-style compensator.  With Lewis Machine & Tool being a U.S. government contractor for many different parts, they are familiar with what Mil-Spec means and what it takes to achieve it.  All barrels manufactured by Lewis Machine & Tool are proof tested with a 70,000 psi proof cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected to insure the barrels are free of stress fractures.  When the barrel is installed in the MRP, the barrel is completely free floating.  This increases accuracy as well as the air holes in the MRP circulate air to aid in cooling.  The removable barrels also enable another innovation: the MRP is a multi-caliber weapon as different caliber barrels can be used.  Complete changing of the barrel is accomplished in less than 5 minutes.

The MRP provided for this evaluation came with many enhancements that are all Karl Lewis.  Starting with the sights, the rifle was provided with the LMT BUIS (Back Up Iron Sight).  This is a fully adjustable rear sight that has been provided to the U.S. Navy and SOCCOM for the MK18 CQB 10.3 inch carbines.  The sight is identical to that of the standard M16A2 or M4.  The front sight is removable and held on by a nut.  It has the traditional triangular shape and square front sight post.  Of course, being a Mil-Std 1913 rail, any BUIS can be mounted.

The charging handle has an improved latch that is easier for one to grasp as it is made wider so it is easier to actuate.

The bolt and carrier are also a significant departure from the norm.  When Lewis looked at the new design, he looked at the specific operating dynamics of the carbine and how different it is from the rifle.  Given the different dynamics, Lewis designed the bolt and carrier to function with that in mind.  To begin with, the bolt carrier has had several modifications.  Due to the dynamics of the carbine, the bolt unlocks at a faster rate on a carbine length gas system than a full length rifle.  Owing to this quicker action, there is still residual pressure in the cartridge case and it is still somewhat expanded when the rifle starts to extract making the extractor and extractor spring work that much harder to extract that cartridge case.  It also causes extractor springs to wear quicker than that of the rifle.  SOCOM has added rubber O-rings to increase the extractor force to cope with the wear issue.  The standard GI M4 has a new and improved extractor spring (copper in color) that is designed specifically for the carbine to increase extractor force.  Lewis also redesigned the geometry of the cam track by increasing the dwell time upon unlocking and thus permitting additional time for the residual pressure to drop allowing much easier cartridge extraction.  He also added an additional gas relief port to get rid of unneeded gas.

All LMT lower receiver assemblies come with the LMT produced ambidextrous selector lever. These are made in both semi-auto only and selective fire models.

The bolt was also redesigned with durability on mind using proprietary material that is significantly stronger than standard bolt material.  Due to its hardness it is more expensive to procure and more expensive to machine than standard bolt steel.  The geometry of the locking lugs has been modified as well.  There are stress relief cuts that allow more flexing of the lugs to prevent breakage.  The extractor has been redesigned as well.  The improved “lobster tail” extractor uses two extractor springs instead of one that significantly enhances the reliability of the extractor in adverse conditions.  The extractor claw is considerably more aggressive and stronger as well.  Like the barrels and as per Mil-Spec, all LMT bolts are proof tested and them magnetic particle inspected.

The lower receiver has many enhancements as well.  The stock is the LMT SOPMOD stock and is the stock assembly purchased by USSOCOM and the U.S. Navy for the M4A1 carbines and the MK18 CQB weapons.  The stock is triangular in shape and very smooth.  There are two removable sling mounting points on the stock as well as a cut-out for a standard GI silent sling.  There are two battery compartments that are water resistant tubes placed inside of the stock and there is a removable rubber butt plate as well.  The receiver extension is also designed by LMT and has six positions as opposed to the standard M4 which has 4 positions.  The provided pistol grip is the Ergo Grip that is extremely comfortable and with the finger grooves is comfortable and makes the rifle stable in the shooting hand in adverse conditions.  Also provided on the lower receiver is the Ergo Grip Gapper.  This little spacer covers the gap in-between the front of the pistol grip and the trigger guard.  LMT’s proprietary ambidextrous selector lever is also provided.  This is not just good for left handed shooters but can be just as useful to right handed shooters as well given the tactical situation.  Tangodown rail covers were provided on the rails.

The rifle was outfitted with the new EOTech XPS2-2 two dot reticle holographic sight.  Extremely compact, this sight uses a single 123 battery and has a battery life is 500 to 600 hours.  This sight only requires 2.75 inches of rail space.  Along with the sight is the EOTech Generation II 3X magnifier.  This comes with a Samson Quickflip tilting mount attached to an A.R.M.S. throw lever mount.  When disengaged, the magnifier sits to the right side of the rifle: when engaged for long range shooting it flips back.

Also provided was the LMT Rebar cutter. Due to troops in the Middle East blasting walls and rebar getting n their way of going through, Lewis designed this rebar cutter that mounts over the flash suppressor. The cutter is placed over the rebar, a round is fired and it cuts through the rebar.

Also attached to the rifle was the Insight Tech M3X tactical light with pressure pad activation that was mounted in a Tangodown vertical foregrip.  By just removing a spacer, the pressure pad sits in the grip.  The grip also is hollow allowing for additional storage.

The magazines chosen for the rifle are the Magpul PMag, one of the finest magazines available anywhere in the world for the Black Rifle.  This magazine is a significant reliability enhancement to any member of this family of weapons.  The constant curve design allows the shot column to sit in its natural shape and increase feed reliability.

The ammunition for this test was provided by Silver State Armory (SSA).  SSA is known for manufacturing some of the highest quality duty and match ammunition in the industry at competitive pricing.  Silver State Armory just moved to a state-of-the-art facility in Packwood, Washington where they have a 100 meter underground range and the facility meets United States Department of Defense requirements to manufacture military contract ammunition.  They manufacture their own brass.  All SSA ammunition is loaded with custom blends of powder geared towards the specific loading.  They offer several loadings in 5.56mm, 7.62mm NATO, 6.8SPC and .499 LWRC.  They are also one of the only ammunition manufacturers in the United States to manufacture armor piercing rifle ammunition in 5.56mm, 7.62mm NATO and 6.8SPC.

More than 300 rounds of SSA 5.56mm 55gr FMJ rounds were fired through the MRP for function testing and no malfunctions were encountered.  There were 200 rounds of SSA 5.56mm 77 grain OTM cartridges fired as well.  Groups at 100 yards kept around 1.75 inch groups consistently with the FMJ rounds.  All in all, this barrel has had more than 500 rounds through it and as it has broken in the groups had tightened up.  First groups fired with the SSA 5.56mm 77 grain OTM were consistent at 1.75 inches.  The last groups fired with this ammunition were printing consistently at 1 MOA.