Saarim? Sarem? Sarim? A Mauser Sniper by any other name…

How about this Yemeni “Saarim” (also seen as “Sarem”) copy of the 98 Mauser sniper rifle making the rounds in the (attributed) hands of a Houthi rebel, with a very Insurgency Sandstorm/Far Cry 6 vibe. Note the box magazine, pistol grip, garage-made suppressor (which, if nothing else, serves as a flash hider to help with counter-sniper fire), super-high mount (possibly to help overcome the 8mm Mauser’s rainbow ballistics), and relatively low-power optic. For those curious, Sarim / Sarem (صارم) means: brave, resolute, sharp, or a sharp sword, all fitting names for a would-be sniper rifle. As far as I can tell, the type first showed up in a 2017 Hoplite piece by Yuri Lyamin (Craft-produced anti-materiel rifles and light cannon in Yemen). At the time, they appeared to be 8mm 98Ks or Yugoslavian M48s, fitted with 6x24mm POSP optical sights and a wildly optimistic 1,600-meter range. The typical drop of an 8mm Mauser (7.92x57mm) at 1,600 meters is something like 1,360.86 inches (or 113.4…