PGM Ultima Ratio
Encyclopedia
The PGM Ultima Ratio is a French
-designed and manufactured sniper rifle
. It uses the 7.62x51 mm NATO cartridge and can, depending on the (barrel) variant, be chambered for several other cartridges. The PGM Ultima Ratio is intended to fulfill an anti-personnel role and is produced by PGM Précision
of France. Its main commercial competitors/equivalents on the high-end factory sniper rifle market are the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
and Sako TRG
product lines. All of these rifles are similar in performance.
The name of the rifle is a Latin expression and means "the last resort (as force)" and derives from the expression ultima ratio regum (the final argument of kings, i.e., war) that King Louis XIV of France
had engraved on his cannons.
Like its larger brothers - the PGM Hecate II
(chambered in .50 BMG
) and PGM 338 (chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum) - the PGM Ultima Ratio is structured around a central rigid metal girder chassis, giving it a skeletal "barebones" appearance to minimize weight and simplify maintenance.
The receiver
is made from a high quality 7075
aircraft-grade aluminum alloy
, while the steel
bolt has three lugs that lock into a barrel
extension. It also has overpressure vent holes allowing high-pressure gases a channel of escape in the rare event of a cartridge case head failure.
The match grade barrel is mounted fully floated and can be easily exchanged in the field with the help of a 5 mm hex key
.
There are several barrel configurations available. The Intervention barrel sports heating dispersion ribs along its length and an integrated glued on muzzle brake
to reduce recoil
, jump and flash. The Commando I and Commando II barrels are fluted
and can have integrated or detachable muzzle brakes. If the barrels are threaded for a detachable muzzle brake they can also be fitted with a detachable suppressor
. The Integral Silencieux barrel has an integrated suppressor.
The 7.62x51mm NATO and .300 Savage
barrel
s feature a 305 mm (1:12 in) right-hand twist rate
. The twist rate for the other standard chamberings are; 7mm-08 Remington 241 mm (9.5 in), .260 Remington
229 mm (9 in) and 6.5x47mm Lapua
203 mm (8 in)
The Intervention barrels are available in all the chamberings mentioned above. The Commando I and II barrels are available in 7.62x51mm NATO and 7mm-08 Remington, whilst the Integral Silencieux barrels are available in 7.62x51mm NATO and .300 Savage.
The furniture (pistol grip and forearm) is made from a polymer
material and is mounted to the frame. The buttstock
is made from metal and has an adjustable shoulder pad for comfortable aiming and minimizing the effects of recoil
on the operator. It is also adjustable for the length of pull and height, and in case of the folding stock variant can be folded to the left side of the receiver to reduce the overall dimensions of the rifle and make it more portable. An adjustable rear folding ground spike under the stock helps to keep the rifle in a stable position for extended periods of time and is most effective when coupled with the folding bipod
support under the rifle barrel. A pistol grip
is used for comfortable wielding of the weapon, especially during prolonged periods of time during which the operator must be immediately ready to open fire.
The Ultima Ratio has a fully adjustable two-stage trigger featuring an adjustable trigger pull weight of 10 N (2.2 lbf) to 16 N (3.6 lbf) that can be adjusted by an armourer and a fast lock time.
The PGM Ultima Ratio is fitted with a Picatinny rail
so that it may be equipped with a wide range of commercial and NATO-standard optical sights, lights, night vision equipment and other tactical accessories. It also has an optional set of emergency iron sight
s to be used in case of the failure of the primary sight.
In order to preserve an optimal shooting comfort, the factory advises to avoid firing without the muzzle brake or silencer
attached.
The PGM Ultima Ratio can consistently achieve an accuracy of about 0.5 MOA
with match-grade ammunition when employed by a qualified marksman.
The rifle can be used with a single row 5-round or double row 10-round box magazine.
Factory accessories are: PGM sound-suppressor, ergonomic wooden grip, wooden furniture, kit consisting of a long Picatinny rail
and side Picatinny rails, PGM telescopic sight mounts, PGM back-up iron sights, transport case with formed foam and a carrying sling.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-designed and manufactured sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
. It uses the 7.62x51 mm NATO cartridge and can, depending on the (barrel) variant, be chambered for several other cartridges. The PGM Ultima Ratio is intended to fulfill an anti-personnel role and is produced by PGM Précision
PGM Precision
PGM Precision is a French company manufacturing high-precision rifles for military and law enforcement usages. It is the official supplier to the French Armed Forces.Models include:* PGM Hecate II...
of France. Its main commercial competitors/equivalents on the high-end factory sniper rifle market are the Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a family of bolt-action sniper rifles designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International...
and Sako TRG
Sako TRG
Sako TRG-22/42 sniper rifles were developed by the Finnish firearm manufacturer SAKO of Riihimäki. The TRG-22 is designed to fire standard .308 Winchester ammunition, while the TRG-42 is designed to fire more powerful .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition and therefore has a...
product lines. All of these rifles are similar in performance.
The name of the rifle is a Latin expression and means "the last resort (as force)" and derives from the expression ultima ratio regum (the final argument of kings, i.e., war) that King Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
had engraved on his cannons.
Design details
The Ultima Ratio system is almost unique in being a purpose-designed sniper rifle, rather than an accurised version of an existing, general-purpose rifle.Like its larger brothers - the PGM Hecate II
PGM Hecate II
The Hecate II is the standard heavy sniper rifle of the French Army, sometimes known as the FR-12,7 .It is manufactured by PGM Précision of France...
(chambered in .50 BMG
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
) and PGM 338 (chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum) - the PGM Ultima Ratio is structured around a central rigid metal girder chassis, giving it a skeletal "barebones" appearance to minimize weight and simplify maintenance.
The receiver
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
is made from a high quality 7075
7075 aluminum
Aluminium alloy 7075 is an aluminium alloy, with zinc as the primary alloying element. It is strong, with a strength comparable to many steels, and has good fatigue strength and average machinability, but has less resistance to corrosion than many other Al alloys...
aircraft-grade aluminum alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
, while the steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
bolt has three lugs that lock into a barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
extension. It also has overpressure vent holes allowing high-pressure gases a channel of escape in the rare event of a cartridge case head failure.
The match grade barrel is mounted fully floated and can be easily exchanged in the field with the help of a 5 mm hex key
Hex key
A hex key, Allen key, or Allen wrench is a tool of hexagonal cross-section used to drive bolts and screws that have a hexagonal socket in the head .- Nomenclature :...
.
There are several barrel configurations available. The Intervention barrel sports heating dispersion ribs along its length and an integrated glued on muzzle brake
Muzzle brake
Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators are devices that are fitted to the muzzle of a firearm or cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire...
to reduce recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
, jump and flash. The Commando I and Commando II barrels are fluted
Fluting (firearms)
In firearms terminology, fluting refers to the removal of material from a cylindrical surface, usually creating grooves. This is most often the barrel of a rifle, though it may also refer to the cylinder of a revolver or the bolt of a bolt action rifle....
and can have integrated or detachable muzzle brakes. If the barrels are threaded for a detachable muzzle brake they can also be fitted with a detachable suppressor
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
. The Integral Silencieux barrel has an integrated suppressor.
The 7.62x51mm NATO and .300 Savage
.300 Savage
The .300 Savage cartridge is a rimless, .30 caliber rifle cartridge developed by the Savage Arms Company in 1920. It was designed to replace the less powerful .303 Savage in their popular Savage Model 99 lever-action rifle...
barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
s feature a 305 mm (1:12 in) right-hand twist rate
Rifling
Rifling is the process of making helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis...
. The twist rate for the other standard chamberings are; 7mm-08 Remington 241 mm (9.5 in), .260 Remington
.260 Remington
The .260 Remington cartridge was introduced by Remington in 1997. Many wildcat cartridges based on the .308 Winchester case had existed for years before Remington standardized this round...
229 mm (9 in) and 6.5x47mm Lapua
6.5x47mm Lapua
6.5x47mm Lapua is a rifle cartridge that was developed specifically for 300m competition by ammunition maker Nammo Lapua and the Swiss rifle manufacturer Grünig & Elmiger AG in 2005.-Features:The cartridge has many special features including: :...
203 mm (8 in)
The Intervention barrels are available in all the chamberings mentioned above. The Commando I and II barrels are available in 7.62x51mm NATO and 7mm-08 Remington, whilst the Integral Silencieux barrels are available in 7.62x51mm NATO and .300 Savage.
The furniture (pistol grip and forearm) is made from a polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
material and is mounted to the frame. The buttstock
Stock (firearm)
A stock, also known as a buttstock or shoulder stock, is a part of a rifle or other firearm, to which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached, that is held against one's shoulder when firing the gun. Stocks are also found on crossbows though a crossbow stock is more properly referred to as a...
is made from metal and has an adjustable shoulder pad for comfortable aiming and minimizing the effects of recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
on the operator. It is also adjustable for the length of pull and height, and in case of the folding stock variant can be folded to the left side of the receiver to reduce the overall dimensions of the rifle and make it more portable. An adjustable rear folding ground spike under the stock helps to keep the rifle in a stable position for extended periods of time and is most effective when coupled with the folding bipod
Bipod
A bipod is a support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with two legs. It provides significant stability along two axes of motion .-Firearms:...
support under the rifle barrel. A pistol grip
Pistol grip
On a firearm or other tool, the pistol grip is that portion of the mechanism that is held by the hand and orients the hand in a forward, vertical orientation, similar to the position one would take with a conventional pistol such as the M1911....
is used for comfortable wielding of the weapon, especially during prolonged periods of time during which the operator must be immediately ready to open fire.
The Ultima Ratio has a fully adjustable two-stage trigger featuring an adjustable trigger pull weight of 10 N (2.2 lbf) to 16 N (3.6 lbf) that can be adjusted by an armourer and a fast lock time.
The PGM Ultima Ratio is fitted with a Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
so that it may be equipped with a wide range of commercial and NATO-standard optical sights, lights, night vision equipment and other tactical accessories. It also has an optional set of emergency iron sight
Iron sight
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
s to be used in case of the failure of the primary sight.
In order to preserve an optimal shooting comfort, the factory advises to avoid firing without the muzzle brake or silencer
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....
attached.
The PGM Ultima Ratio can consistently achieve an accuracy of about 0.5 MOA
Minute of arc
A minute of arc, arcminute, or minute of angle , is a unit of angular measurement equal to one sixtieth of one degree. In turn, a second of arc or arcsecond is one sixtieth of one minute of arc....
with match-grade ammunition when employed by a qualified marksman.
The rifle can be used with a single row 5-round or double row 10-round box magazine.
Factory accessories are: PGM sound-suppressor, ergonomic wooden grip, wooden furniture, kit consisting of a long Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
and side Picatinny rails, PGM telescopic sight mounts, PGM back-up iron sights, transport case with formed foam and a carrying sling.
Users
- Used by the Israeli special forcesSpecial forcesSpecial forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
units.: Used by the French Military.: Slovenian Armed Forces.
See also
- PGM 338
- PGM Hecate IIPGM Hecate IIThe Hecate II is the standard heavy sniper rifle of the French Army, sometimes known as the FR-12,7 .It is manufactured by PGM Précision of France...
- Brügger & Thomet APR308Brügger & Thomet APR308The APR is family of Swiss sniper rifles designed in 2003 as a further evolution of the French PGM Précision rifles by the Thun-based Brügger & Thomet company.-History:...
a Swiss sniper rifle that was developed based on the PGM sniper rifles.