Sweden’s Life Guards have put the Sako PSG 23 through its first sniper course with the regiment. In its 12 October course update, Livgardet shared photographs of the rifle on the range, including a shooter behind the Sako with a second soldier at a spotting scope. It’s a useful look at the Swedish service rifle about a year after its formal handover.
PSG 23 is short for Prickskyttegevär 23. Underneath the Swedish designation is the Finnish-built Sako TRG M10. Sweden’s defence materiel agency handed the rifle to the Armed Forces at Kvarn in October 2025. At the time, the Army described training units on the new equipment as its next step. The Life Guards’ photographs show what that looks like beyond the handover display.
Two chamberings for the Swedish PSG 23
The PSG 23 takes over a role held by the 7.62 mm PSG 90. Sweden specified two chamberings for the Sako, 8.6×70 mm, better known as .338 Lapua Magnum, and 7.62×51 mm NATO. The .338 gives Sweden the longer-range capability it wanted. The 7.62 has a different job. The Armed Forces’ own magazine, Försvarets forum, explains that units can use the smaller cartridge for training, reducing expense and wear on the magnum barrels while retaining the same stock, trigger and sight layout.
The magazines differ as well. The Swedish kit includes eight-round magazines for the .338 and ten-round magazines for the 7.62. Both chamberings belong to the service specification. The photographs show the receiver and magazine clearly, but don’t identify which cartridge the soldiers used that day.
I’ve had a look over an M10 at a defence expo, and the stock geometry was familiar from my own TRG 22 A1. The adjustable cheekpiece and folding stock are easy to pick out on the Swedish rifle. Where the M10 goes its own way is the ability to use both chamberings in that same chassis. There’s more on that distinction in my TRG M10 and TRG 22 A1 comparison.
The optic in the course photos
The Life Guards list a Hensoldt 3.5-26×56 for the PSG 23. In the close-up, you can see the scope mounted above the action and a short rail above the scope tube. The long rail on the rifle itself is part of the Swedish specification. It leaves room in front of the day scope for additional optics as equipment changes over the life of the rifle.
The spotter’s scope in the wider photograph is a separate optic on its own tripod. That frame puts the size of the setup in perspective. Försvarets forum lists a 689 mm barrel and a rifle weight of about 6.3 kg before accessories. That figure doesn’t include the Hensoldt, the bipod or the rest of the equipment the pair have on the range.
The older rifles still have a place in Sweden’s plans. The Armed Forces says the PSG 90B will progressively move to the Home Guard as the Sako reaches other units.
PRECISIONRIFLE