With the butt of the Ashbury International Group’s Asymmetric Warrior ASW338 locked firmly in my shoulder, I announced “on target” to my spotter. With a press of the button on the rangefinder’s data cable, the computer got the target’s range, angle, azimuth and computed the firing solution. “One thousand four hundred and sixty meters, 14.1 mils up, 0.4 left, stand-by for wind.” I dialed in the corrections and settled back on target. “Wind, 1.7 left.” I shifted my feet and hips a fraction to get the 1.5 mil hash mark just off the left edge of the target.

I completed my exhalation, pressed the trigger, and announced the break, “1.7 left, center.” The muzzle blast was muted by the suppressor, and the recoil dampened so well I easily remained on the target and saw the impact along with my spotter. “Hit, 7 o’clock, a few inches out of center.” I complimented my spotter on the wind call and paused to admire a system that could deliver a first-round hit on a man-size silhouette at 9/10th of a mile.

The ASW338 is a new military-grade sniper weapon system in .338 Lapua Mag. I need to stress the word “system,” since the rifle itself is only one of the components. The complete system includes day/night optics, rangefinders, computers, software and much more.

Ashbury International Group is not well known outside military procurement circles. They are not a gun company and are better described as a value-added equipment source. The company has over 20 years of experience in systems integration and training for military units. AIG is currently a prime contractor for the Marines, Army, SOCOM and DHS, delivering a variety of electro-optical devices and sniper-support equipment. The ASW338 system is a collaborative effort designed to give the sniper dramatically increased capabilities, in a package nearly identical in size and weight to the existing M40A3/M24 rifle series.