The U.S. Army and U.S. Navy have awarded SIG Sauer with a contract to supply Advanced Sniper Rifle (ASR) .300 Norma Mag. and armor-piercing .338 Norma Mag. ammunition. The agreement has a maximum value of $157 million and includes an initial delivery order for 4.5 million cartridges.
“This selection by the U.S. Army to manufacture ASR ammunition reinforces SIG Sauer as the leading manufacturer of modern sniper ammunition for the U.S. Department of Defense, and demonstrates confidence in SIG’s ability to deliver the most precise ammunition in the world,” said Ron Cohen, President and CEO of SIG Sauer.
This latest contract for precision ammunition between SIG Sauer and the U.S. Army consists of two different cartridges. The M1163—a .300 Norma Mag. with a 215-grain bullet—and the M1162, a .338 Norma Mag. with a 300-grain projectile. Early in 2020 SIG Sauer was awarded a $10 million agreement to supply the branch with MK 248 MOD 1 and MOD 0 .300 Win. Mag. cartridges for M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifles.
“Sniper ammunition must be manufactured to the most precise standards,” Cohen said. “This award, combined with our proven success in the MK248 300 WM contract, further demonstrates our most important customer’s confidence in our ability to build and deliver the most precise ammunition.”
The ASR contract is the latest military agreement with SIG Sauer, likely not the last. Earlier this year it won the prestigious Next Generation Squad Weapons competition. Two years ago the company began delivery of MG 338s, .338 Norma Mag.-chambered machine guns, to U.S. Special Operations Command for evaluation.
SIG Sauer Ammunition, including MK248, M1162, M1163 and the new Next Generation Squad Weapons 6.8 mm Common Cartridge, is American made and manufactured at the firm’s state-of-the-art facility in Jacksonville, AR.
