M25 Sniper Weapon System

The M25 Sniper Weapon System is a joint venture precision rifle built for the U.S. Army Special Forces and later adopted by the U.S. Navy SEALs. It was originally developed by the 10th Special Forces Group, based at Fort Devens, Mass., to fulfill a requirement for a sniper rifle based on a match grade M14 that satisfied the requirements of the Army Special Forces. SOCOM called the rifle the "Light Sniper Rifle", and it is also known as the "Sniper Security System" and "Product Improved M21". The commercial version has been named "White Feather" in honor of Carlos Hathcock, the U.S. Marine Corps sniper who became famous during the Vietnam War. (The enemy called him "White Feather" because he wore a white feather on his hat to taunt enemy troops hoping to collect a large bounty for his death or capture offered by the enemy.) The M25 is not a replacement rifle for the M24 Sniper Weapon System; it was designed to fill a specific need for accurate fire beyond the range of a standard-issue carbine and has been used from the Persian Gulf War onwards as the designated marksman's rifle (DMR). As the DMR, the M25 gives either the sniper's spotter or a squad-level marksman a long-range rifle that can be fired at a faster rate than a sniper's bolt-action rifle.