September 27, 2006: The U.S. has had such great success with it's M-24 sniper rifle (and a big increase in sniper training), that it is spending $11.3 million to buy new rifles, plus spare parts and accessories. The M-24 itself costs about $3,500, although a complete "system" (with various scopes) puts the price closer to $10,000. The 15 pound (with scope) weapon is based on the Remington 700 hunting rifle. The bolt action M-24 uses specially made (for accuracy) 7.62mm ammo. Under controlled conditions, the M-24 with its special ammo will put ten rounds within a 12 inch circle at 500 meters. For your average sniper, the rifle is very accurate out to 800 meters (and 1200 meters for a really good shooter.) Although there are a lot of semiautomatic sniper rifles out there, the bolt-action M-24 has been very well received by snipers since it was introduced in 1988. Israel has bought it, as have many police departments. The U.S. Marine Corps uses their own version of it (the M-40, also based on the Remington 700).