MKE listed its products for IDEF25 in the exhibition’s official website, KNT-859 semi-automatic sniper rifle chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum among them.
KNT-859 will be a new addition to the MPT family of rifles as a larger brother to the KNT-76 designated marksman rifle. KNT-859, using the same interface, is chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum (8.59x70 mm) ammunition known for its use on bolt-action sniper rifles.
KNT-859 appears to use a 10-round magazine, whereas KNT-76 uses the general issue 20-round magazines also found on MPT-76. This is because .338 Lapua Magnum is a significantly larger round.
Compared to KNT-76, KNT-859 will offer a longer effective range and better armour penetration due to significantly higher muzzle energy and ballistic coefficient of the ammunition used.
The capabilities of .338 Lapua Magnum have already been available to the Turkish personnel through foreign rifles, and lately, MKE’s KN-12 multi-calibre sniper rifle. However, KNT-859, as a semi-automatic rifle, offers less workload on the user with no need for bolt operation.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
