416/338 U.S. NAVY-HASKINS SNIPER

In 1985 Jim Shultz wrote a “Big Brass Busters” article in “Gung Ho Weapons Handbook” describing the Research Armament Industries Inc. new sniping rifles. One was a .50 Browning, the other chambered in the new .416 /.338 cartridge developed by RAI. The white cardboard cartridge box has in black ink :

         20 EA.
       338 / 416
    LOT RAP  -1-89

Research Armament Prototypes (RAP) used a custom .338 Hornady 250 gr.HPBT Match projectile in these rounds. Initial trials were with renecked .378 Weatherby and then a blown out .378 Weatherby case with belt removed. Work then shifted to using the .416 Rigby. The basic .416 Rigby was redesigned internally (to strengthen it) and this work was done by Bell. There was also a reference article in Tactical Shooter magazine, January 1999. pp. 52-65.

“The model 300 rifle was developed by team lead by J.Haskins in the 1981 and 1982 as a long-range sniper rifle for US military. It was probably one of the first of purposefully designed sniper weapons, not a rework from existing military, hunting or sporting rifle. Model 300 also served as a testbed for development of the new long-range sniping ammunition , initially known as .416-.338 (metric designation 8.58×71 mm), which latter was refined by Finnish company Lapua-Nammo Oy and one day became the now-famous .338 Lapua (8.6x70mm Lapua), a true long-range number. About 1983, US Military issued a contract for some 125 model 300 rifles (along with the same number of Model 500 .50 caliber rifles). Model 300 rifle did not appear in large numbers, but it must be noted as a forerunner of many modern designs of sniper weapons, an also as a “parent” rifle for a .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge.”

The development team of the Model 300 (and Model 500) during the time worked under many “labels” – they began the development as a RAP – Research Armament Prototypes company. Later RAP became RAI – Research Armament Industries. Next, it was purchased by the Daisy Company and became Daisy Defence Systems, and finally it was bought by Iver Johnson. (Modern Firearms)

                         

                         

  

Research Armament Model 300 rifle

Below is an ad for the new cartridge by the Rocky Mountain Cartridge Collectors Association