Indian Army to Replace Dragunov SPD Sniper Rifle with Sako TRG 42

Indian Army has been using Russian Dragunov SPD Sniper Rifle for the last 4 decades. It has performed well across several operations carried out by Indian Army be it Kargil War, or raid across North East India on terrorists in Myanmar or in PoK in Surgical Strikes carried out after Uri Attack. However, after long service now Indian Army is all set to replace with Sako TRG 42 sniper rifle, a variant of the standard Sako TRG sniper rifle that can fire .338 Lapua Magnum cartriges. The Sako TRG 42 is a firearm for serious long-range competitions that can be equipped with a vast array of accessories to meet the most demanding requirements.

What is Sako TRG 42 Sniper Rifle

The TRG 42 in 300 Win Mag or .338 Lapua Mag is a true long-range precision rifle meant to hit targets at 1500 metres distance unlike Dragunov SPD sniper rifles that have maximum range of 1200 metres. The Sako TRG or Finnish or "Tarkkuuskivääri Riihimäki G-sarja", "Riihimäki Precision Rifle G-series" is a bolt-action sniper rifle line designed and manufactured by Finland firearms manufacturer SAKO of Riihimäki. It is the successor to the SAKO TR-6 target rifle, and thus the letter G within the rifle's name is meant to represent number 7 (since G is the seventh letter in alphabetical order). The TRG-21 and TRG-22 (A1) are designed to fire standard .308 Winchester (7.62×51mm NATO) sized cartridges, while the TRG-41 and TRG-42 (A1) are designed to fire more powerful and dimensionally larger .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62×67mm) and .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm) cartridges. These sniper rifles are available with olive drab green, desert tan/coyote brown, dark earth or black stocks, and are also available with a folding stock.

The sniper rifles are normally fitted with muzzle brakes to reduce recoil, jump and flash. The Sako factory TRG muzzle brakes vent sideways and are detachable. TRG sniper rifle are outfitted with a Zeiss or Schmidt & Bender PM II telescopic sight with fixed power of magnification or with variable magnification. Variable telescopic sights can be used if the operator wants more flexibility to shoot at varying ranges, or when a wide field of view is required.

To make the TRG system more suitable for military use, Sako upgraded and improved the TRG-21/41 design in the late 1990s. Some TRG accessories like the muzzle brake and bipod (that lets the rifle swivel or "hang" near its bore axis offering a more stable shooting position with large and heavy aiming optics mounted) were also improved. This resulted in the TRG-22/42 rifle system introduced in 1999. In 2013 the TRG system was further upgraded and improved based on customer requirements. The upgrades consist of mounting improved recoil pads to reduce felt recoil, a newly constructed bolt release and a new fully adjustable two-stage trigger mechanism that features a new more ergonomic ambidextrous safety lever, and a trigger guard milled from aluminium for more positive magazine attachment.

Further the bolt handle and its attachment to the bolt body were ruggedised. These general 2013 upgrades are backwards compatible with older TRG sniper rifles. Exclusive for the .338 Lapua Magnum chambered TRG-42 model a new bolt featuring double plunger ejectors was introduced in 2013 to improve the ejection reliability of dimensionally large and heavy .338 Lapua Magnum rifle cases.

TRG-22 A1 and TRG-42 A1

In 2018 Sako introduced the TRG-22 A1 and TRG-42 A1 models. The TRG A1 models have a Sako TRG M10 Sniper Weapon System alike stock, featuring an aluminium middle chassis frame, side-folding quick adjustable buttstock, and a fore-end with the M-LOK rail interface system that allows for direct accessory attachment onto "negative space" (hollow slot) mounting points. The chassis frame is offered in Tungsten Gray, Olive Drab Green, Graphite Black and Coyote BrownCerakote finishes. The top of the receiver was designed with a built-in 30-MOA Picatinny rail. The TRG A1 models do not offer the user configurable multi calibre modular system of the Sako TRG M10 Sniper Weapon System. The bolts of the TRG A1 models all feature double plunger ejectors introduced earlier for the .338 Lapua Magnum TRG-42 and the TRG-22 A1 model expands the chambering palette with 6.5mm Creedmoor.

Features

The 1204 mm long TRG 42 system weighing 5.1 kgs is a cold-hammer forged receiver and barrel, providing maximum strength for minimum weight as well as excellent resistance to wear. The action has a hex style profile on top with a smaller closed ejection port. Actions with an ejection port make it more difficult to reach in with a finger to discreetly eject brass when desired, but it does allow for additional strength in the action. The "resistance free" bolt has three massive lugs and requires a 60-degree bolt rotation and a 98 mm (3.86 in) bolt throw for the short and 118 mm (4.65 in) bolt throw for the long bolt-action.

These features are ideal during multiple firings that require rapid projectile placement on the target. The bolt handle is the appropriate length and sports a large synthetic bulbous knob that provides a firm, positive grip. On top of the receiver a 17 mm (0.67 in) integral dovetail rail with shape connection drillings for one or more recoil lugs provides for fixing mounting components to accommodate different types of optical or electro-optical sights. Folding iron sights can be obtained for secondary or emergency use. The receiver's large bedding surface is mated to an aluminium alloy-bedding block by three screws for maximum stability. This combination ensures an unusually high degree of stability.

a. Ammunition Feeding

The detachable box magazine to carry .338 Lapua Magnum cartriges is based on a centre feeding mechanism for maximum reliability as well as precise positioning of the cartridge into the chamber. The cartridges can also be loaded individually directly into the chamber.

b. Barrel

The 690 mm long free-floating, heavy, chrome moly barrels (offers a longer accuracy life than stainless steel barrels) of TRG 42 are available for cartridge chamberings at different length, groove cutting and rifling twist rate optimised for their respective chambering and intended ammunition. The .260 Remington, .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum chamberings are available with barrels of common length for sniper rifles and relatively short 510 mm (20.08 in) long barrels. On special order TRG sniper rifles can also be supplied with stainless steel barrels. Two types of flash eliminator/muzzle brakes are available as an accessory with one being threaded to accommodate a sound-suppressor.

The .300 Winchester Magnum chambering also has a non-traditional 280 mm (1 in 11 inch) or 36.7 calibres right-hand twist rate. Due to the .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge dimension, it is a long TRG-41/TRG-42 bolt-action chambering. For the .338 Lapua Magnum chambering a non-traditional 305 mm (1 in 12 inch) or 36.4 calibres right-hand twist rate was selected to optimise the rifle for firing 16.2 gram (250 grain) .338-calibre very-low-drag bullets. As of 2009, .338 Lapua Magnum barrels can also be supplied with a 254 mm (1 in 10 inch) or 30.3 calibres twist rate optimised to stabilise longer, heavier very-low-drag bullets like the Sierra HPBT MatchKing and Lapua Scenar .338-calibre 19.44 gram (300 grain) bullets. The traditional 254 mm (1 in 10 inch) has since become the standard twist rate for the .338 Lapua Magnum chambering. Due to the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge dimensions it is a long TRG-41/TRG-42 bolt-action chambering.

c. Trigger

The two-stage trigger mechanism displays an adjustable trigger pull weight of 1 to 2.5 kgf (2.2 to 5.5 lbf) and can be adjusted for length, horizontal and vertical pitch. The advantage of these features is to prevent trigger movement in an inappropriate direction that would cause the rifle to move off target. Trigger travel is short with no noticeable over-travel. The trigger mechanism can be removed without additional disassembling of the rifle. The firing pin travel is 6.5 mm (0.26 in). The trigger guard is dimensioned to allow easy access with gloved fingers.

d. Safety

The safety lever is in front of the trigger inside of the trigger guard and can be operated without producing mechanical noise. The two-position safety locks the trigger mechanism, locks the bolt in closed position and blocks the firing pin. The safety is on when it is in its rearmost position. It is off when it is pushed to its most forward position. When the weapon is cocked the firing pin protrudes 1.6 mm (0.06 in) from the rear of the bolt-action, making it possible to feel if the weapon is ready to fire or not in poor visibility.

e. Stock

The standard TRG stock design is designed to conform to both UIT and CISM regulations. Sako offers black, green, desert tan or dark earth coloured stock variants and the green, desert tan or dark earth stock variants are 0.2 kg (0.4 lb) heavier than the black variants. In 2011 Sako also began offering stocks in several styles of digital camouflage. The base of the ergonomic injection-moulded polyurethane forestock is made of aluminium and encompasses the bedding block with the bedding block serving as a point of attachment for a bipod. The polyurethane buttstock with its pistol grip and integrated aluminium skeleton to add strength, is designed for right- and left-handed shooters.

The rear of the buttstock possesses a series of spacer and angle plates to regulate the length of pull and curvature adjustments that can be tailored for the individual shooter. The buttplate is adjustable for both height and pitch. Finally, the cheek-piece is adjustable for both height and pitch as well.

The stock features two steel sling swivel attachment sockets positioned at the right and left rear sides of the buttstock. Forward sling attachment is achieved by inserting and fixing a metal sling mount into a metal rail which runs under the forestock or forend. This forward sling attachment point can be (re)positioned along the length of the rail for right- or left-handed use and is fixed with a screw. The factory carrying/shooting sling itself features quick mountable and detachable metal swivels. The swivels are mounted by pushing them into an attachment socket and detached by pushing integrated buttons in the swivels and pulling them out of the attachment sockets.

A folding skeleton type buttstock designed for right- and left-handed shooters is also available. The folding stock is 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) heavier than the non-folding green, desert tan or dark earth stock variants and is hinged behind the pistol grip; it folds to the left side and locks into position. When folded, the rifle becomes 250 mm (9.84 in) shorter. The steel parts of the folding stock are manganese phosphatised and the polyurethane parts are coloured olive drab or desert tan. The rear of the buttstock is adjustable for length of pull and height. The cheek-piece and rear support are also adjustable for height.

These adjustment options allow shooters of various sizes and shapes to tailor the TRG folding stock to their personal preferences, which is an uncommon feature for folding stocks. The pistol grip body has a steel loop for a hook type military sling swivel. Sako TRG folding stock rifles are supplied with a Picatinny rail for mounting aiming optics. The folding stock was later redesigned with the most conspicuous change being a bigger "foot" with an external lever/hinge support system monopod instead of the vertical moving small "spike" found on the earlier folding stock.

f. Accessories

Sako accessories for the TRG 42 system includes an auxiliary iron sights for emergency use, a muzzle brake/flash-hider, a match sight mounting set, a telescopic sight mounting sets, a STANAG 2324 (Picatinny rail), an accessory ITRS tri-rail (top) and accessory rail (bottom) TRG forestock, a night sight adapter, a sound suppressor, a muzzle thread protector, various slings and swivels, cleaning kits, soft case, and a heavy-duty transit case. TRG-specific bipods lock into an attachment point in the aluminium bedding block at the end of the forestock. The latest bipod version is one of a few rifle bipods that lets the rifle swivel or "hang" just above its bore axis offering a more stable shooting position with large and heavy aiming optics mounted. It has a narrower leg angle due to complaints that the previous version interfered with some night vision systems mounted forward of the telescopic sight. Further versions of accessories are the ITRS tri-rail NV attachment point with an optional extended aluminium bedding block. This extended bedding block also features an optional STANAG 2324 Picatinny rail in the bottom of the block.

Hope Indian Army makes use of Sako TRG 42 sniper rifles in best way in future for various special operations.