I think I figured out the issue with the sniper rifles penetration. After looking online and in the .iwd files, it seems as though they are listed as projectile weapons and not bullet weapons. It seems as though this was a change made to allow very long range shooting on dedicated sniper maps/servers. It seems like this might be a simple fix (change weaponType/projectile to weaponType/bullet) in the applicable gun files in the .idw? I dont know how to test this change, but I am fairly sure the projectile is the cause of the 0 penetration on the snipers and suspect its also what is causing the massive recoil/other issues.
On a related note, I have to agree that most people seem to dislike the changes to the sway and sights of the crossbow. My main issue with the crossbow whether it goes back the way it was or not is that it makes the sniper class useless. One way to fix this (after the sniper rifle issues are fixed) would be to reduce the penetration of the crossbow so that it is no longer effective through walls, keep the new arrow count and maybe reduce the magnification. Another would be to simply add a comparable secondary weapon for use with the sniper rifles. Replacing one of the deagles with something like an UZI or the double barrel shotty from the other MW2 with a low bullet load out would work well i think. Oh, and however you decide to keep the sway/sights on the crossbow, I think the sniper rifles should be kept as well.
Whatever is decided, thanks for all the time/work you put into this and every other mod rugger.