Thanks to Creedmoor Sports for sponsoring this video, and providing a couple of fine shooting mats to experiment with. Check them out for all your long range competition needs!
The Ultima Ratio was the rifle that created PGM Precision as a company. It originated with a tender for a new sniper rifle by RAID (Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion), a French Police intervention unit formed in 1985. They initially used Steyr SSG-69 rifles, but wanted something better. Six companies entered rifles for consideration in 1989/1990, and the two finalists were Accuracy International and a guy from Savoy named Gilles Payen.
Payen’s rifle won the trials thanks to its accuracy, its resilience against heat issues (thanks to the massive finned barrel) and Payen being French. He was allegedly more responsive to RAID requests for changes, and let’s be honest – the elite French police are going to prefer a French-designed and French-made rifle if they can get one that meets the requirements.
Payen was a good designer and shooter, but he did not have any real production capacity, so he partnered with brothers Roland and Alain Gonnet and François Morier to form the company PGM Precision. They delivered the 20 rifles for RAID in 1991, and displayed the rifle at that year’s MILIPOL exposition. It proved popular, and the company has expanded from there.
Naturally Ian wants to show us his new toy and let us envy him — and who among us wouldn’t do the same? — but now can we have a good old-fashioned FW video? With mucho many closeups, disassembly tricks, and every last little screw? And, seeing that it’s essentially a bench rifle, maybe a few 5-round groups?
Did the engineer design it with the famous “French single drop” test in mind?
I guess we’ll take your word for it being a laser beam and not doubting that it is just couldnt tell in the video.
Be interesting to see how that fat barrel performs “further” out… Better than a thinner one, I assume. I mean if it is that good, its not “That heavy” quick detach barrel AI have some other fucker lug it etc; if it is so good. If… It might be eh, it’s just nobody could be arsed lugging it etc.
It’s lighter than a stack of radio batteries or anti tank missiles etc, one would presume.
Test it.
Is there a Union of “Almagated Snipers wheel tappers & designated marksmen.” lazy fuckers, get that fat barrel on your back.
Good to see you PDB
😛