Snipers are usually escorted by a spotter, who is equipped with an accurate assault rifle, SMG is not really suitable for such role.
If you need a logical explanation (for what is likely a mistake from the artist), I say Verniy does not take the role of a sniper, but a designated marksman (the original role of the Dragunov rifle, before it also became an unofficial sniper rifle).
Also, not tagging the rifle, could be either the Dragunov or the PSL, though the former is both far more known and is a Russian made gun, making it a more likely candidate.
Snipers are usually escorted by a spotter, who is equipped with an accurate assault rifle, SMG is not really suitable for such role.
If you need a logical explanation (for what is likely a mistake from the artist), I say Verniy does not take the role of a sniper, but a designated marksman (the original role of the Dragunov rifle, before it also became an unofficial sniper rifle).
Also, not tagging the rifle, could be either the Dragunov or the PSL, though the former is both far more known and is a Russian made gun, making it a more likely candidate.
Edit: wording
what's the difference between being a sniper and a marksman?
what's the difference between being a sniper and a marksman?
A sniper heals you, but a marksman just makes you more comfortable while you die. No, wait, that's doctors and medics.
Anyway, here. In Soviet doctrine the two roles were basically the same thing (or at least called by the same name), so in Verniy's case maybe there's no real distinction.
In US doctrine (tl;dr version of zgryphon's link):
- A sniper is usually defined as sniping from long distance, generally above 500m out to beyond 1000m (even up to 2500m, as needed), plus they typically act independently with a spotter in a two-man sniper team. Their primary role is recon, with attacking targets of opportunity as their secondary role.
- A Designated Marksman is usually attached to an infantry squad with a high-power assault rifle, capable of selective fire. His job is to protect the squad against long-range attacks and taking out targets of opportunity they encounter, but not as an independent combat element. Their role is very much like a regular infantry, but with the ability to "touch" the enemy combatants from much longer range more accurately than his squadmates can. Typical engagement range is 300-600m, though they can engage enemy combatants as far out as 1000m.
A russian camping instead of rushing B with a P90, i think we should add "error" tag here
Well, your name shows why you don't know that there are also Russians who sit still for like 2 whole hours just to shoot people peeking their head out of tanks. #H&G
what's the difference between being a sniper and a marksman?
A Sniper use a rifle that he has gathered DOPE (Data On Previous Engagement) of. Essentially every shot he fires in practice is logged and recorded in a book that goes nearly everywhere the rifle goes. From there he can get a fine perspective of the rifle and ammo combination's external ballistics. Among other things, a sniper also tends to be a master of field craft with focus on information gathering.
In contrast a Designated Marksman plays a similar role of a sniper but serves a support force multiplier in a fireteam (See the soviets employment of the SVD). While the marksman has a scoped rifle, they are limited in range because they do not gather DOPE and rather rely on the factory predicted external ballistics. They will pretty much never touch the turrets (dials) on their optic since most of their adjustments are holdovers (using the hashmarks on the reticle). The DM is a volume of fire type of support compared to a sniper, providing accurate but potentially suppressing fire on a distant enemy without the weight cost of a full blown light machine gun. The DM is not a specially trained unit, but more like someone whose role is defined by their equipment. For all purposes, the DM is an experimental role for the US and has only risen in the past decade or so. Wither it remains to stay depends entirely on the environments and type of enemy we encounter in the near future.
The difference is more application and prior setup (training and calibration) than anything else. Any sniper can pickup any "sniper rifle" (so long as it has the data book) and use it to full potential. However, a sniper will not be able to use a DMR to it's full potential without first developing it's external ballistics. A DM will not be able to do the surveillance jobs such as forward observation (which requires independent operation) as well as a sniper.
dan-boralis said:
Snipers are usually escorted by a spotter, who is equipped with an accurate assault rifle, SMG is not really suitable for such role.
In the traditional sense, the spotter is supposed to provide support to the sniper, but in recent decades, both the spotter and sniper have been carrying precision rifles. The reason being is that in urban environments, there are multiple directions that need to be covered at short ranges, so the mathematical and spotting support of the spotter is not as needed vs covering more angles for area denial.
A M16 is the frequent choice since it tends to be as light as a SMG while still having higher firepower, but some have used a SMG for reasons of better suppression. Snipers also normally carry an M16 by default now (sometimes completely replacing a M24 or M110 weapons system) due to the relatively short ranges and to simplify logistics. Things are further complicated when you look at the organization of foreign forces, and law enforcement snipers. Snipers teams can be employed in a very wide variety of roles since essentially they are just a person who has mastered all the normal skills of the infantryman. Depending on the requirements, the relationship between spotter and sniper can be radically different and even opposite between teams.
For the most part, snipers in the original military sense operate with the same rule as scouts. You failed if you had to use your rifle. The focus is more information gathering and recording movement than area denial (a role that would be better played with DM). Generally support will carry a whole bunch of smoke generators and an indirect weapon like grenades (since rifle fire attracts rifle fire) to break contact in an emergency.
In the law enforcement sense, snipers stick with our popular perception. One shot one kill, the spotter providing calculation and monitoring environmental conditions and/or orders to execute or stand down.
Also, not tagging the rifle, could be either the Dragunov or the PSL, though the former is both far more known and is a Russian made gun, making it a more likely candidate.
Yeah, pretty sure it's an SVD. The upper handguard on a PSL is a separate part that doesn't go as far forward as the lower one, whereas on an SVD it's all one piece.
