Sniper rifle
From Lexicanum
A sniper rifle is a long-barreled, rifle weapon, mainly used for assassination. They are characteristically long ranged and highly accurate and generally use solid bullets, but some lasguns are lengthened to allow them to be used in a sniper role. There are several differences between the solid slug rifles and the long-las, that being while the long-las is an instant hit weapon and therefore has pinpoint accuracy, it will reveal the sniper's position when fired, which a solid slug rifle would not do if equipped with a suppressor as they usually are. Most weapons have specialist sights added on to enable them to pick out specific targets such as officers.
The Long Las variant of the standard pattern Las Gun is a very potent weapon though. Using highly charged power packs called "Hot Shots" they can take the head off an enemy with one clean shot. A well known user of the Long Las is Master Sniper Hlaine "Mad" Larkin of the Tanith First and Only.
Sniper rifles are used by snipers and groups of them can hold back enemy forces many times their number, pinning them in cover while others advance across the battlefield.
Both Imperial and Eldar forces use sniper rifles to great effect.
High-powered customized sniper rifles are the prized weapon of Vindicare Temple assassins, and are feared by troops for their deadly ability to take down even the most heavily armoured infantry with a single shot. Most rifles use high-caliber rounds with an extreme amount of gunpowder grains to penetrate armour (and enemy skulls) to great effect.
