However, where the USMC procurement brass failed to see the merits of the Model 70, the Marine Corpsmarksmendid not. The medium-heavy target barrel is a post war replacement. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. [34] After the war, a friend showed Hathcock a passage written by Ernest Hemingway: "Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and like it, never really care for anything else thereafter." Click here for more information. Remarkably, a few remain in service to this day. Two months later the Marine Corps replied to Winchester in a memo which stated: Based on the Marine Corps response, the door appeared closed to the Model 70 ever seeing use by the US military during WWII. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. The rifle is pillar bedded and barrel free-floated in its original stock. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. The rifles associated with American Snipers in Vietnam are. I did all the other work. Hathcock was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on May 20, 1942. On May 20th, 1959, at 17 years of age, Carlos N. Hathcock II fulfilled his childhood dream by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. The most well known Marine sniper of the Vietnam war has become a modern legend. It was the Marines who pressed the Winchester Model 70 into service as a sniper rifle in Vietnam. While the Colt Model 601 was the first AR-15 to be mass-produced, there were several design variations that came before during the platform's development. Carlos Hathcock passed away on 22 nd February 1999 in Virginia from the disease that had forced retirement . And they did see duty. The Model 70 was largely based on the Model 54, and is today still highly regarded by shooters and is often called "The Rifleman's Rifle.". In the early 1940s, says a Marine Corps spokesman, we were advised that a Unertl 8X scope on the Winchester Model 70 was the best sniping combination, but the 03 was available in quantity, so we used it.The Model 70 rifles sent to Vietnam for use as sniping arms were from the stocks originally procured for Marine Corps match use, chiefly from George Van Orden. Some of the stocks were fiberglass bedded. [31] He would have received only 50 percent of his final pay grade had he retired after 20 years. Thus, the Model 70 remained in the militarys inventory, albeit as a match rifle, until the escalation of the war in Vietnam, which resulted in a renewed emphasis on accurate sniper rifles. Nice! On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. The U.S. Army fielded some World War II-vintage M1903A4 bolt-actions but relied primarily on the semi-automatic M1C Garand. The stock is in very fine condition. Hathcock used for much of his time in Vietnam. Very nice work. He would go into the woods with his dog and pretend to be a soldier and hunt imaginary Japanese soldiers with the old Mauser his father, Carlos Norman Hathcock (19191985), brought back from World War II. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. As noted BuffaloWinter's rifle is mostly what Gunny Hathcock wanted in a rifle. What type of rifle did Carlos Hathcock use? Carlos Hathcock with his Winchester Model 70 rifle. Are you at 6 or are you at 5.75 or 6.25? Introduced in 1936 as an improvement on the Model 54, the Model 70 soon set the standard for commercial bolt-action rifles. First rate article outlining the service of the Model 70. The rifle is in excellent condition showing only . On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. Pre-'64 Winchester Model 70 Specs MANUFACTURER: Winchester Repeating Arms TYPE: Bolt-action repeater CALIBER: .270 Winchester MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 5 rounds BARREL: 24 in. "[41][42] A sniper range named for Hathcock is at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. I think the GSgt used the 10x but the 20x looks just like it. Land, Jr., who served in the . His primary rifle was one of the Corps Winchester Model 70 target rifles, chambered in 30-06 and topped with an 8-power Unertl target scope in an externally adjustable mount. The only problem was the fact that this scope reticle did not have something that all snipers use with modern-day sniper scopes, Mil Dots. The Model 70's suitability as a sniping rifle during the Vietnam War should be unquestioned, as the most famous and revered sniper of the war, Carlos Hathcock, used the rifle with. Founded by Frank Galli in 2000, Snipers Hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. Being medically discharged, he received 100 percent disability pay. Can't recall if they were 264 or 7mm Rem mag offhand. They are a little tedious to adjust but have very clear glass and a very fine cross hair recticle. Unofficially and by his own estimates, Hathcock believed he killed between 300 and 400. [3], During the Vietnam War, Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills of People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong personnel. One of the distant places where Americas commitment would come to be tested was in South Vietnam. The Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock Award is presented annually by the National Defense Industrial Association "to recognize an individual who has made significant contributions in operational employment and tactics of small arms weapons systems which have impacted the readiness and capabilities of the U.S. military or law enforcement. We at Winchester Repeating Arms wish to take this opportunity to salute all those who have answered our nations call to serve. Additionally, the simplicity of the model 70 action permitted it to be completely field stripped in a matter of minutes, and the unmatched adjustability of the model 70 triggeralso contributed to the model 70's popularity. He used a M2 .50 Cal Browning machine gun mounting a telescopic sight at a range of 2,500 yd, taking down a single Vietcong guerrilla. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. This is a pretty cool thread. [47] Hathcock carried a Colt M1911A1 pistol as a sidearm.[17]. The legendary Carlos Norman Hatchock II learned to shoot with this gun. In a book I'm reading about on Carlos Hathcock, there are some pictures of him with his rifle. Born in 1942, Hathcock enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on May 20, 1959the very day he turned 17. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70.30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. The rifle retains nearly 95% of the original blue finish with very minor handling wear. It was the performance of these Snipers in Vietnam that secured the sniper concept as a permanent fixture in the United States military. The letter, signed by Winchesters Edwin Pugsley, concluded: It occurs to us that the Marine Corps may be interested in an additional quantity of [these] rifles at this time and shall be glad to submit quotation if you will advise us what styles and quantities you may be interested in.About a week after this letter, the Marine Corps firmly closed the door on the acquisition of any additional Model 70 rifles. The second lot of rifles used by Land and his teams in Vietnam were also Winchester Model 70 target guns in .30-06 Sprg. In November 1965, USMC Gy/Sgt. The serial number of this rifle, "48213" falls within the serial number range of Marine WWII Model 70 rifles listed on pages 49-50 of Death from Afar Volume 1" by Chandler & Chandler but is not included on the list. He had dreamed of being a U.S. Marine his whole life and enlisted in 1959 at just 17 years old. [5], The PAVN placed a bounty of US $30,000 on Hathcock's life for killing so many of its soldiers. Leatherwood is etched glass. Hathcocks primary set-up was a Model 70 (pre-64), 30-06 target rifle with a heavy barrel, and Unertle 8x scope. They were intended primarily as match rifles and were not procured for use as sniper rifles. Throughout its life, the Model 70 has been offered in . Springfield Armory's M-21 and M-25 are the highest quality precision rifles built on the M-14action. While recovering, Hathcock received the Purple Heart. The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock, II (MCSN: 1873109), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Sniper, Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division, in connection with military operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam on 16 September 1969. The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better-known as the M1903 Springfield, has become one of the most popular U.S. military small arms to collect. Eventually, there were likely thousands of model 70s in military service, with the exact number unknown. The WWII U.S.M.C. There are currently no customer product questions on this lot. Those rifles were in the Winchester Marksman stocks with their wide forends and deep grips. Enjoy the photos and let us know if there's a special model 70 project we can take on for you! The ranging peice was plastic and many distort over the years. While the USMC used the Model 70 to greatest advantage during this period, a limited number were also employed by Army personnel for sniping, and Model 70s with silencers mounted on them were utilized for covert operations in Southeast Asia.James O. E. Norells article A Century Of USMC Sniper Rifles (August 2007, p. 44) related some interesting information by retired USMC Maj. Edward J.Jim Land, Jr., regarding the Model 70 rifles that were used by the Marines in Vietnam circa 1966: Land first scrounged 12 Model 70 sporting rifles that had been procured by Special Services for deer hunting at Camp Pendleton. The reward was never collected. But it's a total rebuild. The U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1C is sufficiently accurate for use by snipers in the Marine Corps.Despite this rebuff, the Marine Corps report went on to state that [the] Model 70 Winchester is the most accurate American made, Caliber .30 on the market.During this same period, the U.S. Army also considered procurement of a modified Model 70 for sniping use as reflected in a memo from the chief of ordnance dated Oct. 30, 1951, which states in part: Any further consideration of the Model 70 by the Army was rejected. Sniper historian Peter R. Senich reported: [A]ccording to firsthand accounts, a fair number of unauthorized telescope-equipped personal and Marine Corps property Model 70s brought the reality of war to Japanese combat personnel during the early stages of World War II in the South Pacific. The U.S. Army also procured a limited number of Model 70 rifles during World War II, but little is known about their subsequent utilization, and it appears they saw virtually no actual use.The end of World War II essentially spelled the end of the bolt-action as a front-line U.S. military service rifle, but its inherent accuracy was too important an attribute to totally abandon, and bolt guns enjoyed a new lease on life as sniping rifles. [30] Hathcock and the seven marines he pulled from the vehicle were evacuated by helicopter to hospital ship USSRepose, then to a naval hospital in Tokyo, and ultimately to the burn center at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Unertl 8X telescopic sight has a charcoal blue finish and is fitted with anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts on Winchester bases. Carlos Norman Hathcock II (20 May 1942 - 23 February 23 1999) was a United States Marine Corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Carlos Hathcock died on February 23, 1999, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from complications resulting from multiple sclerosis. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt action sporting rifle. Carlos Norman Hathcock II (20 May 1942 - 23 February 1999) was a United States Marine Corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. Snipers Hide is a community of Snipers of all kinds, focusing on long range shooting, accuracy, and ballistics. He set up on a hill close to the treeline, 700 yards from where his target would be. Probably overthinking this but I like to use the "stops" at each end of the power range in this application. Regardless, the fact that there were a number of Model 1903 Marine Corps match rifles, along with spare parts, already on-hand resulted in the idea of a standardized Model 70 sniping rifle being doomed from the start.Despite the Marine Corps firm rejection of the Model 70, some of these rifles did, in fact, serve overseas in combat, albeit on an unofficial basis. Hathcock was soon a member of the USMC rifle team, and in 1965 he won the Wimbledon Cup, a 1000-yard individual match fired at the National Matches in Camp Perry, Ohio. All it would take is an '06 reamer if one was inclined. "It was the hunt, not the killing. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. The Marine Corps clearly believed that the existing Model 1903, tuned to match grade, was a superior sniping rifle as compared to the Model 70. A sniper from the 1st Cavalry Division is shown in March 1951 with an M1D Garand, complete with an M81 or M82 riflescope in a Griffin & Howe mount. The Model 70, which was primarily based on the Model 54, is still regarded as one of the best cars ever made. Editors note: Carlos Hathcock Born this day, May 20, 1942. . The Winchester Model 70is abolt-actionsporting/huntingrifle. Support Veteran Journalism , Editors note: Carlos Hathcock Born this day, May 20, 1942. The only downsides are that its in the foothills just on the east side of the Rockies and the Chinook winds can get up to 100mph on bad days! It has an iconic place in American sporting culture and has been held in high regard by shooters since it was introduced in 1936, earning the moniker "The Rifleman's Rifle". These rifles are not considered suitable for use as sniper rifles. One Marine who came from just such a rifle team environment and went to Vietnam, where he used a similar Model 70 for a time was Gunnery Sgt. [6] The Viet Cong and PAVN called Hathcock Lng Trng, translated as "White Feather", because of the white feather he kept in a band on his bush hat. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! Agree sandwarrior there was a thread on old old hide many moons ago regarding this. Note the long rear ring with the clip-slot cut in. Gunnery Sgt. Staff Sergeant Hathcock was riding on an Assault Amphibious Vehicle which ran over and detonated an enemy anti-tank mine, disabling the vehicle which was immediately engulfed in flames. The stock were fitted with 1 1/2-inch sling swivels. You know it's funny how just a simple duplex reticle, like what you find in most scopes can be a real help in ranging and holding. His ability as a marksman was soon recognized by the instructors on the rifle range at Camp Pendleton where he was undergoing recruit training. In 1936, Winchester introduced the Model 70 bolt-action rifle to the American market. This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. Carlos Hathcock, used the rifle with remarkable effectiveness. Lacking a suitable precision rifle for issue, the Corps quickly scoured its stateside arms rooms and soon a small quantity of Model 70 target rifles were in the field in South Vietnam, taking the fight to the enemy. Model 70 sniper rifles were used by US Marine snipers continuously from WWII, through the Vietnam War. These rifles were subsequently used for recreation and target shooting. The only sound in the sweltering stillness was the buzzing of flies and gnats as. Bolt Action Sniper Rifle with Unertl Telescopic Sight Manufacturer: Winchester Model: 70 Type: Rifle Gauge: 30-06 Barrel: 24 inch round Finish: blue Grip: Stock: walnut checkered Item Views: 13427 The Marine Corps utilized Winchester Model 70 rifles in this configuration in 1966 and early 1967 as the primary sniper rifle until the adoption of the Remington Model 700 sniper rifles in mid 1967. George Van Orden and Chief Gy/Sgt. Thats perfect! 1942 dated receiver, with a 56 dated WRA barrel, mismatched bolt, all the metal looks like it's been refnished, and the stock has been beat to crap and then heavily sanded. As long as you understood the effects wind had on the projectile and understood the ballistic drop, you could do fine. Van Orden would go on to author a report recommending adoption of the Model 70 for sniper use. The rifle would of course have to be chambered in the 458 x 1.5 Barnes cartridge. But if you go by the books, everything seems right on it. The 1,047 rifles, U.S., caliber .30, M1903, Snipers Equipment on hand at this Depot are believed to be superior to the subject rifle both in accuracy and durability.. Your browser is out of date and may not be able to properly display our website. sniper kill. For these reasons, we regularly get inquiries about building "tribute" and "replica"USMC Sniper rifles. I have a correct 70 in my safe I have wanted to do something with but reluctant to go the Unertl route as I dont think its practical as a shooter but a cool conversation peice. You can pick up a replica of the Unertl Scope online for an MSRP of around $550.00. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. Before deploying to South Vietnam, Hathcock had won shooting championships, including matches at Camp Perry and the Wimbledon Cup. This effort was ultimately unsuccessful from a military procurement standpoint, but cemented the Model 70's place in USMC sniper history. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ [43] In 2002, this record was broken by Canadian snipers (Rob Furlong and Arron Perry) from the third battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry during the War in Afghanistan. The anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts have a blue-brown patina that is typical of these WWII production mounts. The scope tube is roll-stamped: "J. UNERTL/USMC-SNIPER" in two lines above the serial number "2232". All Rights Reserved. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. Built with glass-bedded actions and heavy barrels, and used for long-range target competition, the M70s were capable of great accuracy with the Unertl scopes. that had been originally purchased [as] across-the course bolt guns for the National Matches. Hathcock's career as a sniper has been used as a basis for a variety of fictional snipers, from the "shooting through the scope incident" to the number of kills he made. Both men served in Kilo Co., 3rd. He was honored by having a rifle named after him: a variant of the M21 dubbed the Springfield Armory M25 White Feather, for the nickname "White Feather" given to Hathcock by the North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). I was quickly brought back to reality when shooting this system. This year, H&R announced an expansion of its AR-15 lineup, bringing additional "retro" models to the market, including a 9 mm Luger-chambered Colt SMG clone, an M16A2-styled rifle and the carbine-size 723. Interestingly, Hathcock won that prestigious trophy with a Winchester Model 70. the best known U.S. Marine Corps snipers who used the Winchester Model 70 during the Vietnam War was Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, who used a Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle chambered in .30-06. Its almost like comparing your 1980s television to todays HD plasma flat screen, or VHS to Blue-ray. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. Oval Winchester "W/P" proof marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel and receiver. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Estimated Price: $ 15,000 - $ 25,000 Price Realized: Details Outstanding, Rare and Well Documented Winchester Model 70 U.S.M.C. Only thing I would add is I forgo the 6X as I dont think its precise. If one was to follow the change of power procedures described above, it gives an incredible latitude to the scopes use. In turn, the Winchester factory had submitted a sniper prototype of the Model 70 fitted with a 10-round detachable box magazine to the US Army back in the early 1950s. Decorations. Maj. Land told me that early in the war members of the sniper platoon collected contributions. Accurate in every detail, enjoyed reading this. Hathcock made a number of kills with this weapon in excess of 1,000 yards, including his record for the longest confirmed kill at 2,500 yards (since surpassed). I hope you don't mind but I was able to move my eyes beyond and it looks like you are fortunate to enjoy some beautiful shooting area if perhaps a bit cold. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. He went on about five [operations] one time before I could get a fix on him. When I first saw the pic I assumed it was a short action. I am hoping to have one built myself someday. You are correct in that stainless cannot be blued as it is. The Riflemans Rifle, fitted with an 8X Unertl, was used by the military in long-range competition, then eventually by Marines in Vietnam. The barrel is a "sendero" profile made by Bartlein and installed by Moon. Although never adopted for combat use by the U.S. military, some Model 70 rifles were used as sniping rifles during World War II, Korea and Vietnam.Soon after Pearl Harbor, two members of the U.S. Marine Corps Equipment Board, Capt. The rifle chosen was the Winchester Model 70. There was no real reason to stay with Winchester because the Model 70s used by the Marines were not the latest production models anyway, and no advantage would be gained as far as standardization of equipment was concerned. By the late 1960s, the Winchester Model 70 sniper rifles were in the process of being phased out by the new Remington Model 700s.
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