'Magic Bullet': Russian Gunsmith Tests Hypersonic Sniper Rounds

Hypersonic sniper rounds capable of reaching speeds of over 1,500 meters per second (m/s) are now being tested in Russia, Vladislav Lobaev, founder and head of the Lobaev Arms, a Russian private weapons manufacturer, has told RIA Novosti.

"Lobaev Arms has resumed development and has already begun testing potentially hypersonic munitions," Lobaev said.

He explained that the ammo is still called "potentially hypersonic," since today it travels "on the verge" of hypersonic speed.

"We can produce it in a nearly hypersonic version or actually go hypersonic. We will make this decision based on the test results, when the mass of the serial product is determined. Hyper sound starts at a speed of over 1,500 m/s (above 5 Mach), while a high-speed sniper bullet is a bullet flying at a speed of 900 m/s," the Russian gunsmith explained.

Lobaev first made headlines in September 2018, when he set a goal of developing small arms ammunition with a velocity of 2,000 m/s. He explained at the time that such rounds are needed for high-precision sniper weapons, which provide a higher range "grazing fire." Grazing fire is a term used in military science that means "fire approximately parallel to the ground." Lobaev noted that new ammo would no longer be filled with gunpowder, but with detonating chemicals of a special composition.

Arms exhibition "ORЁLEXPO" in Moscow

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Why would a sniper need high-speed or hypersonic rounds? The crux of the matter is that snipers need to take into account a heap of external ballistics factors, such as range to the target, wind direction, wind velocity, altitude and elevation, and even air density and temperature to maximize accuracy. However, a high-speed or hypersonic bullet minimizes the impact of external factors and gives the target less time to evade destruction.

Speaking to Russian journalists on Tuesday, Lobaev explained that the company had previously suspended the hypersonic ammo project due to the need to increase mass production of existing weapons under state defense procurement plans. However, today the work on hypersonic munitions has resumed, as the Ukrainian military has begun to use new 10x100 mm caliber munitions on the battlefield.

"The enemy uses this caliber at ranges outside the range of the Cheytac caliber rifles [10.3x77 mm – Sputnik], that is, at a distance of 2.4-2.6 kilometers. These rounds are dangerous since they could penetrate any personal armor protection at a range of 1.7-1.8 kilometers without using an armor-piercing bullet," Lobaev said.

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This challenge gave Lobaev Arms an opportunity to develop its bold hypersonic ammo project. Once achieving the speed of 1,500-2,000 m/s, Lobaev's rounds will be unmatched among modern small firearms ammunition.

Apart from developing innovative munitions, Lobaev Arms creates a wide range of large-caliber, high-precision, and long-range weapons. Previously, the company had never supplied its rifles to the Russian Army, working instead for export and the civilian market. Russia's special military operation has changed that: today the Russian military and the nation's other security forces have become the company's main customers.

Production of sniper rifles at the weapons company Lobaev Arms

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Back in October 2022, Vladislav Lobaev told RIA Novosti that the company's production volume had increased several times during the special military operation.

"In our 'top' we always have rifles of caliber 338 Lapua Magnum, and the Cheytakov caliber is also in great demand; two such rifles, Sumrak [Twilight] and Sevastopol, are regularly purchased from us," the gun-maker said at the time. "The Sumrak has proven very effective; to be honest, we did not expect such interest in [this sniper rifle], because we always had plans for another rifle in this caliber – the Sevastopol: it can be folded and, accordingly, it's portable and light. Nevertheless, the Sumrak showed its best characteristics; thanks to this rifle, one of our soldiers received the title of Hero of Russia."

Exercises of snipers of the "Espaniola" battalion in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)

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Russia's special military operation has become a booster for the nation's defense industry. The intensity of the conflict is almost unmatched in modern history. Thus, Russia's gunsmiths have not only improved some of the nation's existing arms, but created new ones and laid the groundwork for the production of one-of-the-kind innovative weapons systems.