MOSCOW, May 30. /TASS/. Russia’s 12.7mm heavy sniper rifle OSV-96 will be upgraded to get a new cartridge and become a precision gun, a representative of the Shipunov Instrument-Making Design Bureau (the rifle’s developer) told TASS on Wednesday.

Today the rifle is less accurate than other guns developed by the Shipunov Instrument-Making Design Bureau, for example, the MTs-116M sniper rifle, he said.

"Work is underway to upgrade the OSV-96 to increase the accuracy of fire and the density of hits. Now we are at the stage of R&D work, which will be followed by experimental and design work and a cycle of trials. We expect the rifle’s upgrade to be completed in 2020," the design bureau’s representative said.

A new sniper cartridge is planned to be developed as part of the OSV-96 rifle’s modernization, he added.

The OSV-96 is a Russian large-caliber sniper rifle designed to destroy enemy manpower and military hardware at large distances. The rifle is chambered for the powerful 12.7x107mm cartridge (used both for machine guns and specialized sniper rifles). According to the rifle’s producer, its accuracy range is 1,800 m. The rifle is fed by a 5-round magazine. The OSV-96 is in service with the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service of Russia.