| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Squad Designated Marksman Rifle | |
| Origin: | United States |
| Type: | Designated marksman rifle |
| Designer: | United States Army Marksmanship Unit |
| Service: | 2004–2020 |
| Wars: | War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War |
| Cartridge: | 5.56×45mm NATO |
| Action: | Gas-operated (direct impingement) |
| Velocity: | 3050ft/s |
| Range: | 600m (2,000feet) |
| Weight: | 10lb with optic & fully loaded 30-round magazine |
| Length: | 39.5inches |
| Part Length: | 20inches |
| Feed: | 20- or 30-round detachable STANAG magazine |
The Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R[1]) is an American designated marksman rifle used by the United States Army. It is essentially a heavily modified M16 rifle designed to provide U.S. Army designated marksmen greater accuracy and firepower at longer ranges, increasing an infantry squad's effective range to up to 600 meters.[2]
The SDM-R is similar in development and role to the SEAL Recon Rifle and Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle (SPR), designed and produced for the United States Navy SEALs and the United States Special Operations Command respectively.
The SDM-R was replaced by the M110A1 SDMR, expected to enter service in the 2020s. In this role, the M110A1 retains the "Squad Designated Marksman Rifle" name.[3]
The addition of an embedded marksman at the platoon or squad level has historically been a continuing process in the U.S. military. The United States Marine Corps (USMC) experimented with this during Project Metropolis, before creating the "Squad Advanced Marksman" (SAM) role along with the Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle (SAM-R) specifically for this purpose.[4]
The 3rd Infantry Division followed suit in implementing a training program to have one marksman per squad, the Squad Designated Marksman (SDM), and developing a rifle, the Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R). The SDM is an integral part of the squad and serves as a rifleman first and designated marksman second. The SDM is not meant to be a squad sniper who engages the enemy with precision fire at long ranges, but instead is trained to directly support the squad with well-aimed shots at ranges slightly beyond the normal engagement distances for riflemen.
Much like the U.S. Marine Corps SAM-R, the 3rd Infantry division SDM-R was an accurized M16 rifle built in-house by the United States Army Marksmanship Unit with 240 rifles provided for deployment in Iraq.[5] The rifle was informally known as "the AMU rifle".
The SAM-R has since been replaced in U.S. Army service, mostly due to the performance of match grade 5.56 NATO ammo in the DMR role.[1] Its slated replacement was the Heckler & Koch HK417-based M110A1 SDMR,[6] expected to enter service in the early 2020s.[7]
The National Guard Marksmanship Training Center of the Arkansas Army National Guard conducts the fourteen-day-long Squad Designated Marksman Course at Camp Joseph T. Robinson. Soldiers fire over 1500-rounds from the M16A4 rifle under the close supervision of course cadre.[8] Another is done in Fort Benning, Georgia.[9]
Task Force Small Arms Readiness Group (TF SARG) conducts the week-long SDM course at the SARG academy at Camp Bullis, Texas.[10] Many of the instructors are President's 100 recipients.
The 82nd Airborne Division examined an alternate version, based on the M4 carbine. The barrel was to have been an 18inches long fluted Douglas barrel with 1:8 twist. A mid-length gas system was to be used, along with the Daniel Defense M4Rail 9.0 handguard. This effort never went beyond the staffing process.