As we learned in a recent TFB article, Accuarcy International (AI) is one of the leading suppliers of sniper rifles to various armed forces. We have no statistics, perhaps no one has, but the brand seems to be the preferred or at least a very popular choice.

According to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, the rifles were bought under a EUR1.3 million (USD1.4 million) contract with AI. Deliveries of the AXMC will continue during the year into the next.

Lithuania chose to procure a rifle chambered in 8.6×70 mm (.338 Lapua Magnum), which is interesting as a it seems to be a trend to go with larger calibers than the traditional 7.62×51 mm NATO (.308 Winchester).

From the previous TFB article, we also learned that Schmidt & Bender (and Leupold for the US) was the preferred brand for optics.

It is therefore a bit of a surprise that the optic is from Kahles.They make terrific sights, so it’s not a bad choice although there are no details which model. I would guess it’s most likely a Kahles 624i 6-24x56i, with a suitable reticle.

It would be interesting to know why they chose Kahles over Schmidt & Bender. (Especially for me, as I’m just about to do the opposite choice for my Ruger Precision Rifle.)

Below: AI AXMC with aHensoldt 3,5-26×56 and KH-S mount, with side mounted red dot.

The sniper rifles will also have a Night Vision attachment, but there are no details nor any information which mount they chose. If I had to guess, they would use AI’s own mounts.

From AI’s product page, here’s the description of the rifle:

“The Accuracy International AXMC rifle is the flagship multi-caliber rifle in the AI line. As such, you can expect superiority in features, including:

Full-length NATO STANAG 4694/Mil Std 1913 rail for accessories, optics, night vision equipment, and more. Aerospace-grade aluminum with corrosion-resistant protective coating. Rail is inclined 20MOA for .308 Win and 30MOA for magnum calibers.

While the top foreend rail is full-length (and matched to the angle of the action rail), the foreend of the AXMC is an octagonal tube featuring AI’s patented KeySlot mounting system. This foreend is easily removed with the 4mm hex wrench stored in the cheekpiece.

QD flush cup sling attachments are located on the main chassis and removable/repositionable attachment points are located on rail sections attached to foreend.

QuickLoc barrel release system allows for barrel removal and refit in under one minute using only the 4mm hex wrench included in cheekpiece.

Chassis folding stock reduces overall rifle length by 260mm (~10″).

Cheekpiece is configurable for lateral and height adjustments, and also stores a 4mm hex wrench for rifle disassembly.

Butt pad features a friction-locking mechanism for easy, tool-less height and angle adjustment. Rifle length of pull can be adjusted by 40mm without tools or accessories, and even more with the addition of optional 10mm or 20mm spacers (not included)

Pistol grip is replaceable in minutes and can utilize different backstraps.

3-position safety is based on the design of the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare (AW) battle-proven system.

Two-stage trigger with adjustable shoe

Includes 10-round low-friction magazine.”

Link to Accuracy International’s product page for AXMC.

Link to AI AXMC datasheet.

As I was reading the AXMC user manual I discovered this. I’m about to break in two rifles (or not, as I prefer shooting before cleaning) so I’m just going to leave that right there… I see a lot of “ifs”.