SOCOM GEAR
CHEYTAC M-200
INTERVENTION
The real-steel Intervention holds the world record for
the best distance grouping – but how good is the airsoft
counterpart? Ratty finds out with Socom Gear’s M-200
Introduction
There are many reasons that certain rifles
and pistols become famous, such as length
of service (Colt 1911) or their use at a
certain moment in time (MP5 at the Iranian
Embassy siege), and more recently for their
use in film or TV (Uzi 9mm). The same goes
for sniper rifles too.
In recent years, due to on-going conflicts,
advances in technology and munitions
have seen some revolutionary rifles being
adopted by various forces. While the British
forces have been issued such rifles as
the L96 and more recently the AW.338,
American forces have adopted large calibre
rifles such as the Barrett .50cal, originally
designed as an anti-materiel sniper system.
But there is a rifle that was overlooked
by the masses until its appearance in
Hollywood blockbuster The Shooter – the
068
March 2012
CheyTac M-200 Intervention. Since then
there have been a few airsoft CheyTacs to
suit most budgets. For those of you who
want realism then Socom Gear’s 8mm gas
version must be high on your ‘wanted’ list!
The Real Deal
CheyTac LLC (short for Cheyenne Tactical)
is one of a handful of companies that
has designed both rifle and ammunition
in-house. Its basis is that the design of
many military small arms and cartridges
in service today are over 5 0 years old. The
evolution of new military field tactics has
been hampered by a lack of parallel small
arms and cartridge designs. Working with
both the American military and Homeland
Security, CheyTac USA has developed (and
is continuing to develop) weaponry, support
systems and tactics that have been adopted
and will serve as a core to their field
operations.
The basis of the Chey Tac Long Range
Rifle System is the M-200 Intervention rifle,
and the CheyTac cartridges that go with it.
The rifle itself is a seven-shot bolt-action,
heavy-duty take-down sniper rifle. Available
in either .408 or .375 (both CheyTac’s own
designed rounds), it was originally conceived
and designed specifically as a long distance
(up to 2,500yd/2,300m) anti-personnel
sniper rifle. From its original conception
as simply a rifle, the CheyTac Intervention
has developed into a total system package
comprising of rifle, cartridge and Advanced
Ballistic Computer (ABC).
Unlike other heavy sniper rifles, the
Intervention is entirely maintainable