This looks like it’s the Army’s new Compact Semi-Auto Sniper System. (Photo: Army Times/H&K)
Heckler & Koch has confirmed that the Army is selecting a modified version of their G28 rifle to be their new compact sniper rifle. The Army has been searching for a new Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System, or CSASS, since 2012.
The CSASS will be built on the G28 chassis, a designated marksman’s version of the HK417. The rifle is chambered for 7.62 NATO and uses a short-stroke gas piston operation system.
“The HK CSASS rifle is a substantial upgrade over the Army’s current sniper rifles, enhancing accuracy and reliability while providing for a handier, more compact arm,” said Heckler & Koch USA president Wayne Weber, reports the Army Times.
Heckler & Koch will reconfigure the rifle specifically to meet the Army’s requirements. Heckler & Koch has not released all the specific details of the configuration but we know that it has a shorter barrel and collapsible stock to bring the overall length down to 36 inches long. That includes the suppressor which appears to be an OSS design. The scope is a Schmidt & Bender design, although this may not represent the final CSASS configuration.
The other known requirement is for the package to weigh no more than 9 pounds unloaded without accessories. The contract calls for 3,643 rifles starting with an immediate delivery of 30 guns.
The contract is worth up to $44.5 million, or about $12,000 per rifle system. That is for the rifle and all the accessories. The package includes the scope and scope rings, suppressor and muzzle device, match trigger and quick-detachable bipod. Heckler & Koch will also provide spare parts and support as part of the contract.
See Also: Army Picks H&K for Sniper Rifle, Marines Go Back to Cleaning Rods
The Army’s issued their request for a new semi-automatic sniper rifle just 5 years after putting the Knight’s Armament M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System, or SASS, into service. The short-lived SASS proved the effectiveness of a medium-range semi-automatic sniper rifle in today’s conflicts.
Unfortunately, rumors of problems hounded the SASS shortly after users began to field the rifle. According to some reports the rifles were subject to wear and began to develop accuracy problems as a result.
The Army selected Heckler & Koch to update their SASS rifles last year. Many saw this as a sign that H&K was locked in for the CSASS contract.
Another reason to move toward the CSASS is that it doesn’t stick out when used within other units. The CSASS is only marginally larger than an M4 carbine, making marksmen harder to target by other marksmen. And of course the lower weight over the SASS is a clear benefit.
“The Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System (CSASS) competition was driven by evolving requirements pioneered by KAC products in use by today’s warfighter,” said Knights Armament in a statement. “Government competition drives industry innovation. Industry’s common goal is getting the best product to the warfighter as quickly as possible. Knight’s Armament Company congratulates the winner of the CSASS program.”
Can someone tell me what is considered medium-range for a sniper / rifle? Just would like to know.
Opinions change as often as the weather but allow me to give you mine. Back in the “rice paddy” days of the sixties 600 yds might have been med range. With crap ammo (ball, not 173 gr) and rack 14’s you would have had to have some luck as well as skill to “target” someone. Still better than a carbine or M16
A true sniper (not a designated rifleman) is not there to target just anyone he sees, even if enemy. High value targets are what he is there for, and you do not give up your position to shoot some poor schumck just because you can. You are better than that or you would not get past the profilers.
So, that is the reason you do not stand next to the guy with the radio, do not salute in the AO, do not dress/look different than your men. To do so is like hanging a target on you.
Perhaps twisted, but it was not considered “sportsman like” to target under 800 yds. You do/did not engage in “fire fights” so targets of opportunity were pretty much out of your venue.
Some of the “equipment” fielded then was beyond belief, at times almost a joke, and your personal nightmare.
I just wonder how many actual warfighters are in this large “discussion”
From another article ….”H&K will produce a maximum of 3,643 rifles over 24 months, as well as spare parts and depot support, at a max contract value of $44.5 million.” The above article is misleading and poorly written. $12,215.21 is the max per firearm with support, parts and the depot.
We have TONS of 308 ammo so it is cost effective to stay with that caliber. Special forces etc will have different rifles and ammo.
The US Army? The German Army? The Indian Army?
This is another designated marksman rifle. Not a sniper rifle. A Remington 700 is a sniper rifle. Remember those? It has that old thingy you move with your hand to load? They were pretty accurate and never broke or wore out. Besides, if Tom Berenger and Jude Law taught us anything, its that you fire ONCE, then move. You don’t sit there and empty three mags. Also, they may not be using snipers right if they are worried about them having the same looking rifle as reg infantry.
I rather take a national match m-14 American made, over the h/k. The m-14 match is true tested over decades, a rue killing weapon a thing of beauty too see it work”
OK we ARE STILL trying to find the MAGIC Sniper Rifle! But although the M 14 was a GREAT Combat rifle when I carried in the USMC and a MIA dressed out got us through Iraq and Afghanistan that was only until the SASS AR 10 was to be issued!!! I bought a H&K SR9TC as a LEO, loved the rifle BUT the WEIGHT was Killer! Traded the H&K for the first AR 10 SASS and was never SORRY! Last word is MY SIG 716 with an ACOG will do the job to 800 yds. without a $12000 price tag.
A match m- 14 is perfection. A true reliable killing weapon, and American made”
Fake news or alternate facts.
$12,000.00 per rifle? It’s starting to look like the 1980’s Army when they were buying gold-hammers and $800 toilet seats.
The USAF was buying the specially made custom toilet seats for aircraft and hammers that had to meet government specs. Can we move on and leave the Army out of it.?
Didn’t the Pentagon get the message to buy American from Trump? Are you really going to tell me Daniel Defense or Noveske couldn’t provide a similar product for less than 12K per unit.
@ Fusedspine33, I totally agree with you. Not one American firearm designer could meet the needs of our American fighting force? The hell you say!!
I think you underestimate the time it takes for the Army (or any branch of government) to select a provider for anything. If they have just made the decision to select H&K the process has probably been going on since well back into the previous administration. It might be interesting to see if/how the previous Secretary of the Army might have influenced the process.
Aren’t HKs now made in Columbus GA? That’s in America…..for now.
BINGO Fuesedspine33! Own a Daniel Defense DDm4 and I imagine with all the extras and half the price you’d get 100% of the accuracy and reliability of the H&K.
The old Knights M110 was around the same price as this new gun, back in 2007. Rifle, Scope, Sound Suppressor, Bipod, Hard Case, Accessories and Parts. $12k is reasonable. Sorry Bubba.
The G28, M27 and H&K 416 are being sought and pushed by SOCOM/Marines. The trigger pullers want new and better weapons and won’t wait for “Big Army” to act.
Detachment Delta was instrumental in getting the HK416 built and fielded, as they needed a more reliable platform for use with sound suppressors. Big Army didn’t need/want suppressors, so the M4 was retained.
Let’s be honest here, the “New” H&K rifles are simply Eugene Stoner’s AR10/AR15 design combined with the gas system of the Eugene Stoner’s designed AR180. H&K makes great products, but any patents they hold for these rifles are bogus.
Look at the never ending pistol trials, 10 years+. Nothing wrong with the Sig P320, mine is great. Right before the “winning” pistol was announced, SOCOM had authorized the Glock 19, great choice, but the reason was the same, warfighters were tired of waiting for the perfumed princeses to pick a new hand gun.
The U.S needs a new rifle. The M4/M16 work, but we can and should do better. These 1950’s designs can be improved upon, especially regarding reliability and ease and cost of manufacture. The solution is not to adopt a gun designed in the 1920’s, M1 Garland/M14.
No new calibers are going to be fielded until a new rifle/machine gun is chosen. Unless the new weapons use caseless (doubtful) or telescoped ammunition (likely), expect 5.56 and 7.62 to serve until the year 2050, as it will take the Army that long to conduct the 30 required trials.
They will be made in the US, buy American workers. As far as the HK not an original US based company…..to bad, this was a competition, all US companies that wanted to be involved and compete did, and they lost, shame on them. This is an awesome platform that will serve our War Fighters well.
Does H&K currently have a plant in the US to manufacture this rifle ?
In Columbus, GA.
Look how fat Colt got on Gvt Contracts . Then they became lean . Pork Barrel Contracts .
Any Gvt. purchaser , using our Tax dollars should be required , yes , required to read President Trumps book Art of the Deal .
Just going to sit back and wait for the various “Well my $500 AR shoots sub-moa…” , “No AR is worth $12k” . and the “HK, because you suck and we hate you..” comments from people that have no clue how these contracts or requirements work. Meanwhile, I remember the $22.5 million Colt contract for the M45A1 in which somewhere between 4-12k units would be produced. Depending on how many were actually delivered which I thought was just above 4k, that’s a price ranging from $1875 (if all 12k were actually delivered)-$5625 per pistol. And people are on here complaining about a $12k price tag per rifle…
The $12,000 per gun is a bit bogus since Heckler & Koch will also provide spare parts and support as part of the contract. In other words they don’t get paid any additional for the spare parts and support, that comes out of the $4.5M overall contract. So the $12,000 per gun would include not just the gun and accessories, but the additional spare parts and support.
One of those accessories is a scope, possibly a S&B. The one in the photo looks like a 5-20×50 PM II Ultra Short. Even a government contract will be paying a couple grand or more per for those.
It is not a 12,000$ rifle. It’s a 5000$ rifle with a 5000$ high end scope and other accessories. Your m14 or m1a1 doesn’t even come close to what they need/want.
I’m just shocked that they stuck with the old .308. There are several modern caliber choices that provide better long range accuracy. Should had upgraded caliber choice before spending such 💰
Your first para is spot on.
But, respectfully, I don’t get your complaint about the caliber chosen. What caliber would you choose? See, that’s a debate and a test that would rage endlessly. But if you think .308 is wrong, you must have a better alternative based on your own better experience.
You MUST understand the battlefield logistics involved of getting unique ammo into the hands of just a very few shooters, and how hard that is especially when the shaite hits the fan. All things considered, .308 is just fine and is interchangeable with other weapons’ ammo when all hell breaks loose.
What a joke. It’s an AR10 with a pistol barrel to make that weight. Add all the accessories and you got a 15-pound Pig.
Probably takes the 308 down to 2300 fps. Plenty of companies here in the USA that could build it as well as HK.
What part of “competition” do you not understand? Plenty could – only one did!
@Rick Are you just a HK fan or an employee? Have they released the test results, How close were the rivals in terms of performance. Trumps buy American should mean just that, even if we need to tweak designs and work/invest in American companies growth and improvement.
Well said again Fusedespine33!
I used the SR-25 never had an issue with engagements at almost 1000 yds. You had to clean the system and shooting 7.62 linked would cause wear. Soldiers do stupid stuff. Use M118 and the SR-25 will do it’s job. I guess paying more for an non-US weapon is smart. Not!!!!!!
Trump needs to renegotiate the price. That is about $6000 more than it is worth especially with that quantity. As far as “sticking out” it’s got a scope don’t you think any rifle with a scope is going to “stick out”. A dumbass statement. Buy American!
I too would like to see the system made here in the U.S. I know we supply half the universe in armaments, but it still feels wrong. $12,000 even MIL-SPEC with a full accompaniment of spare everything is WAY expensive. I’m a plumber/part time gun smith and my 800 yard 5.56 SDMR AR cost me $700 in USA parts, and is sub-MOA…..and I am not a good shot!
I am a big fan of the semi-auto .308 idea though. I think it is past time the venerable bolt systems got retired. I build ,and love bolt guns, but given a choice, the 1/2″ group size you give up is not worth it IMO….the awesome .50 cal is showing that.
Have fun, G.
My civilian BAR in 300 Winchester mag is my most accurate rifle right off the shelf. Xlnt sniper rifle although a bit heavy, but that helps with the recoil, also a bit long, detachable magazine fed so large capacity magazines would not be a problem. Jon
$12000 gust of wind miss! wrong ammo miss $12000 ?
There is better choices. But the .308 has more sniper kills than any other caliber. A good sniper knows how to adjust windage and elevation.
In the military the same rifle is hand out to every one . It is the shooter that makes a difference .In combat and the sniper’s rifle gets damaged does he just set on the bench for the rest of the game .
I guess we know where our $600B a year goes for our poor, poor, poor under-funded imperial military.
Couldn’t we make a straight shooting barrel and well cut chamber? Everything else that hangs from that is just an accessory anyway.
God forbid the government should buy from a American built,American owned company! Trump should have cut the military budget until the leadership gets the point. and i know HK has plants in American but the money ends up in a Liberal shit hole country!
Spewed like somebody who hasn’t been there, or someone who doesn’t understand the meaning of ‘liberal’. Germany is much more conservative than the USA. Maybe you’re thinking of France…
Germany is NOT more conservative than the US (at least not yet) let alone MUCH more conservative. Obviously you haven’t lived there long enough.
I want the best for our military men and women but this seems like a sweetheart deal and I feel like We The People are being raked over the coals of the industrial military complex called NATO.
$12k is for the entire deployment package which includes the suppressor, hardcase, softcase, several mags, nylon gear, cleaning kits and scope at a minimum. S&B scopes are $5k alone. $12k is less than the KAC M110 and the Mk11 Mod 0 package. Look up the M110 deployment kit to get an idea of what will be included with these. $5-$6k for a precision rifle and equal $$ on glass is not uncommon.
Thank you, Your the first person here that get’s it. I’ve carried/used M-24, M-107, and the M-110. The M-110 had lots of problems. If this was a fair, head to head compition and HK won….then so be it!
$12000 per setup – Although I love the hell out of ALL HK products . . . when it comes to the specialized world of our American Snipers and the intricate work they do to support their individual teams, I vote for my tax paying dollars, to give each of them a $12,000 stipend and let them buy whatever equipment they deem perfect for their individual known needs!
That is the best idea i’ve heard yet!
Becuase war isn’t about individuals. Same weapon platform ensures other members can pick up and run the rifle with the same level of familiarity. Also parts interchangeability.
Yuh, going to agree with my fellow posters and fellow disabled vet. WTF indeed. America invented the AR platform and has more solid AR manufacturers than ANY other country. I find it inconceivable that the US Government couldn’t fine ONE American company to fulfill this contract. DoD procurement… “get outta here”.
One more stake in Colt’s heart. The Colt AR platform has been the staple for our military FOR EVER! H&K are quality guns but really? Anything not American made for our military is treason!
Doesn’t really do anything for Colt since they didn’t have the old contract, KAC did.
FNH/FN America builds a a large percentage of M16/M4’s for the military. Built in America. Colt is a poorly run, quality challenged company and has been for years. “Buy American”, I agree, so that means buy a Chevy made in Canada, or a Ford made in Mexico, or a Toyota made in America? In this “global society” there are few companies that don’t span multiple countries.
The H&K may not be our personal choice, but Germany is a reliable source for quality armament, remember the gun for our M1A1 Abrams comes form Germany…
I agree 100 percent with Buck. I am also a VET, Christian Republican right wing and NRA life member. My M 14 was very accurate to 500 meters. With iron sights. Lighten it, tweek it and you have a dependable, accurate rifle.
Oh Please! The M-14 was archaic when it was developed! The FN FAL was better, along with the CETME/G3 series, the M-14 was a revamped Garand, and while the Garand was good, the times had changed drastically.
The M-14 was regressive from the beginning!
Does H&K have a US plant ? I have a hard time believing that Lewis Machine Tool or any number of high end AR manufacturers already in the US could not have done just as good a job. What happen to buy American , hire American ?
$12,000 for one sniper rifle! Who is the moron that approved that purchase? You know that H&K will sell the heck out of this rifle to the civilian sniper gang and I bet it doesn’t go for that amoount at all.
I run a Sig 716 with velocity trigger. Damn fine gun. Now Savage is making the msr long range with 5r rifling and a great trigger. We as Americans need to step back and rethink what is out there. $12m…..Really.
I think that it is outrageous that we have to go to a European rifle for this, All you needed to do was ask the men who have to use these weapons what it is that they would prefer for this job and take some advice from the actual snipers. The M14 was a very reliable rifle while I was in Viet Nam and I preferred it over the m15. I drove a gunship while in Viet Nam and preferred it over the m15 for accuracy and reliability. another very good weapon for snipers would be the
Winchester 300 Magnum. Wake up Army and just because it costs 12,000 doesn’t mean it is any better than an American made weapon.
Try harder American firearms industry! Hard for me to believe that a foreign country can produce a weapon better than we can! I hope that HK at least has a plant here in USA so that Americans can get a job!
WTF? Are you serious? $12,000???? You could not find 1 AMERICAN made rifle?? I call BS!!!! Yet another huge waste of OUR money, the taxpayers. Wow, this is ridiculous as all he%&
Cheap stuff is not good. Good stuff is. It cheap. It’s made in Columbus GA. I paid about the same for my HK. I approve this purchase.
If HK made a phone I would buy that too. Damn applecorrect. You know what the &$?@ I was trying to say.
It’s cheaper than the SASS it replaces. As for origins, they have manufacturing facilities in Columbus, GA. Glock is another example of this and so is SIG both having facilities in Smyrna, GA and Exeter, NH respectively. Hell FN is not “American” in origin either but everyone loves the M240B. Face it, we buy from other countries all the time.
Thats the problem with our leadership!
I agree, crazy price. Why not let Trump negotiate this contract as he did with his new presidential plane…
cant agree more.
So they got to go to a foreign rifle . Should of stuck with the M14. But I guess that is a matter of opinion.
Buck 🇺🇸⚔🇺🇸 100% disabled Vietnam veteran Christian Right wing republican lifetime member NRA and friend to Israel
HK, like many other manufacturers, has a US Factory, else they wouldn’t even be in the competition.
Much respect to the 1st Cav!
The 2 MOA M14 doesn’t compare to the 1/2 MOA modern sporting rifles that are being manufactured today. I think H&K has a manufacturing plant in Columbus, GA, which as you know, is near my beloved Iron Mike.
Israel is one of the most left-wing countries on the planet. Tel-Aviv was voted the most gay-friendly city in the world. US-Israeli dual citizens are pushing every left-wing agenda on us that you can think of.