Initial M110 examples were delivered to US Army elements operating in Afghanistan in 2008 and results proved the weapon sound. The M110 was used operationally by the storied 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan. The 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge gave excellent penetrative capabilities at ranges beyond that of the standard 5.56mm assault rifles found in the US Army and the repeat-fire, semi-automatic function allowed for quick-reaction/quick-strike abilities not found with the M24 SWS. Use of accurized optics only helped in making the M110 a feared weapon amongst insurgents. Should the marksman himself become engaged or trapped by an advancing insurgent force, he could quickly turn his M110 into a dedicated semi-automatic assault rifle and fight his way through to safety - a feature not inherent in the bolt-action M24 SWS series. Additionally, with no bolt handle to manage, the marksman need only keep his eye trained on a subject and his finger near the trigger.
Despite its showing, the US Army never relinquished use of their large stock of M24 SWS weapons. Instead, the M110 was adopted alongside the type it was meant to replace, meaning that the proven bolt-action rifle was granted an extended stay on the modern battlefield. Considering the rise of the Designated Marksman at the squad-level since, this has proven a sound adjustment. The US Marine Corps has also found favor in the newer M110 and is featuring these alongside their older 1960s-era M40 family bolt-action rifles with the intent to replace the similar Stoner Mk 11 (SR-25) and M39 "Enhanced Marksman Rifle" (EMR) series in inventory with the M110.
Long term usage of the M110 has led the US Army to request a more compact and lightened version of the M110 to be issued to its designated spotters. The primary shooter will then be afforded the in-development .300 Winchester Magnum-chambered "XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle (ESR)" which is intended to formally replace the M24 SWS family, a mission the M110 failed to accomplish. The XM2010 has seen limited service with US Army forces in Afghanistan since March of 2011.
UPDATE: On April 2nd, 2012, the US DoD announced a procurement contract for the M110 SASS from the Knights Armament Company totaling $24,909,740 (contract W15QKN-12-D-0029). The contract is expected to be completed in full by March 21st, 2017.
It was announced on April 1st, 2016 that the M110 was to be replaced by the competing Heckler & Koch "Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System" (CSASS) - the primary reason cited by the U.S. Army being the need for a more compact, shorter, reliable, and lighter sniping platform for use by Designated Marksmen. Over 3,600 rifles are expected to be procured by the service. The CSASS is based on the existing HK G28 model chambered in 7.62mm NATO - which is the HK 417 in Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) form.
The M110 is currently in service with the likes of Argentina (federal police), Armenia (special forces), Colombia (Army), Greece (special forces), Iraq (special forces), Mexico (special forces), Poland (special forces), Senegal (Army) and Turkey (special forces) as well as the United States.
October 2018 - The USMC has allocated funds in the 2019 budget to procure up to 116 M110A1 Compact Semi-Automatic System Systems (CSASSs) to succeed the original M110 models.
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