carlos hathcock model 70 rifle

However, where the USMC procurement brass failed to see the merits of the Model 70, the Marine Corpsmarksmendid not. Winchester requested the Marines evaluate the rifles generally for suitability of use in combat, and specifically for use as sniper rifles. Those rifles were in the Winchester Marksman stocks with their wide forends and deep grips. Probably overthinking this but I like to use the "stops" at each end of the power range in this application. It is a Model 70 National Match version made before 1940. Chief Warrant Officer It appears that you are accessing the Winchester Website from outside North America. These relatively few Model 70 rifles soon became favored for their lighter weight, refined handling, and superior accuracy compared to the Springfield rifle. It is an odd scope by todays standards. Lots of posts I haven't come back to as of late. [4] In the Vietnam War, kills had to be confirmed by the sniper's spotter and a third party, who had to be an officer. While the war in Vietnam ushered in a number of new technologies, particularly the widespread use of helicopters and night vision equipment, much of the equipment had been tried and tested on the battlefields of earlier wars. 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. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. The stock is nicely figured American walnut with checkered forearm and pistol grip and has the Winchester semi-gloss varnish finish. The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs and it is a development of the earlier Winchester Model 54. JavaScript is disabled. Born in 1942, Hathcock enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on May 20, 1959the very day he turned 17. [18][19], Hathcock only once removed the white feather from his bush hat while deployed in Vietnam. A one of a kind rifle! He stayed in the Marine Corps, but his health continued to decline. I am hoping to have one built myself someday. Some of the stocks were fiberglass bedded. Who has the most kills in the Vietnam War? Carlos Hathcock accepting the Wimbledon Cup after winning the NRA National Matches. A 1951 U.S. Marine Corps report on the subject categorically rejected the procurement of any new Model 70 sniper rifles: There is no Marine Corps requirement for a special rifle for use by snipers in the Marine Corps. 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 kill. This one is mine. The 1047 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 .. Carlos Hathcock died on February 23, 1999, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from complications resulting from multiple sclerosis. FollowingWWII, popularity of the model 70 with Marine Corps snipers grew, eventually drawing the attention of other snipers from other branches of the military as well. Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Unertl 8X telescopic sight has a charcoal blue finish and is fitted with anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts on Winchester bases. 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. Not only were we pleased to help supply them with the correct part, but we were more pleased to see this aging model 70 remain in active service, rather than face an inglorious ending as scrap metal. 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. As part of his legacy, the gun was donated to the National Museum of the . In 1967, Hathcock set the record for the longest sniper kill. 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. My Navy Long Range Rifle (that I used at the Interservice Championship Long Range Match to win the 720 pictured above) started life as a Model 721 .300 H&H. It was built up by Crane in .300 Win Mag. By the end of his first deployment Hathcock's life was worth $30,000 to the North Vietnamese . The medium-heavy target barrel is a post war replacement. And thus, with regard to sniper rifles, most of the US military inventory in the mid-1960s consisted of well-worn Model 1903A4 Springfields and M1C and M1D Garands, all of which dated from WWII, or perhaps the Korean War. I think the GSgt used the 10x but the 20x looks just like it. 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. Here are the features to watch out for. The stock is in very fine condition. These Marines were aware of the impact Hathcock's death would have and took it upon themselves to make themselves targets in order to confuse the counter-snipers. When the need arose for more Model 70s the rifles procured by Brig. As I remember from reading Henderson's book many moons ago, GySgt Hathcock deployed to VietNam in the '66-69 time frame. 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. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. 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. Because the M25 is a big, heavy rifle, I wanted to keep scope size and weight to a minimum while still being able to maximize the .308 round. After returning to active duty, Hathcock helped establish the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School at the Marine base in Quantico, Virginia. Leatherwood is etched glass. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. STOCK: Walnut FINISH: Blued barrel and action, oil-finished stock LENGTH OF PULL: 13.8 in. Eventually, there were likely thousands of model 70s in military service, with the exact number unknown. Land, Jr., who served in the . As long as you understood the effects wind had on the projectile and understood the ballistic drop, you could do fine. Winchester Model 70 It was long thought that Hathcock, armed with his Winchester Model 70 . Considered a real one but again even a cheap ($450.00) modern scope I feel is better than an original 60's era scope. There also isn't any internal adjustments to zero. During this depression, his wife Jo nearly left him but decided to stay. On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. Rewards put on U.S. snipers by the PAVN typically ranged from $8 to $2,000. 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. Without them, it can be extremely tough to hold for the effects. 50,690. It has been determined that the increased accuracy of the Model 70 Winchester is insufficient to justify its introduction into an already overburdened supply system., Although adoption of the Model 70 as a sniping arm by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army remained elusive, the rifle did enjoy some measure of quasi-military popularity throughout the mid- to late-1950s. 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.. [5], The PAVN placed a bounty of US $30,000 on Hathcock's life for killing so many of its soldiers. I was out yesterday trying to test a few loads at 400 yards but the wind quickly picked up to about 30 gusting 40mph and it was quickly becoming a waste of powder. One of the perennially popular Winchester firearms of the 20th century is the Model 70 bolt-action rifle. The US government eventually purchased additional model 70s andofficially sanctioned them for combat duty. What many people don't realize is that the Unertl scope back in the day doesn't have glass amplification. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the M2 Browning machine gun, on which he mounted an 8X Unertl scope, using a bracket made by metalworkers of the SeaBees . The most notable person to use the Model 70 was legendary sniper Carlos Hathcock in Vietnam, his rifle was chambered in .30-06 Sprinfield and his rifle is on display at the Quantico, Virginia Marine Corps Sniper Museum. The Riflemans Rifle, fitted with an 8X Unertl, was used by the military in long-range competition, then eventually by Marines in Vietnam. 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. His previous skill as a marksman had won him a variety of matches and trophies at places like Camp Perry in Ohio. The LR/T front focal offers an elevation range of 65-MOA and a windage range of 65-MOA. Douglas still produces the same barrel they supplied to the Marines in the early 1940s, which makes easy work of getting one key aspect of this build exactlyright. The scarcity of these rifles mean few of us will ever get a chance to own one. 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. In two tours in the 1960s, he wandered through the big bad bush in the Republic of South Vietnam, and with a rifle made by Winchester, a heart made by God and a discipline made by the Marine Corps, he stalked and killed 93 of his countrys enemies.. One of the distant places where Americas commitment would come to be tested was in South Vietnam. His ability as a marksman was soon recognized by the instructors on the rifle range at Camp Pendleton where he was undergoing recruit training. [2] Hathcock married Josephine "Jo" Bryan (ne Broughton; 19302016) on the date of the Marine Corps birthday, November 10, 1962. But I guess I was wrong. [2] Jo gave birth to a son, whom they named Carlos Norman Hathcock III. The Model 70 Standard Rifles were fitted with Winchester medium-heavy target barrels in modified stocks and the Unertl telescopic sights. Hathcock was an excellent sharpshooter by then, winning the Wimbledon Cup shooting championship in . SIGHTS: Folding rear, bead front What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? Some of the snipers now in Vietnam were not yet born when the telescopic sights they use were employed in a different war. By his courage, aggressive leadership, and total devotion to duty in the face of extreme personal danger, Staff Sergeant Hathcock reflected great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.[29]. The bolt body is polished bright and electro-penciled with the rifle serial number "48213". For these reasons, we regularly get inquiries about building "tribute" and "replica"USMC Sniper rifles. 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. The reward was never collected. Carlos Hathcock passed away on 22 nd February 1999 in Virginia from the disease that had forced retirement . Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. What type of rifle did Carlos Hathcock use? Agree sandwarrior there was a thread on old old hide many moons ago regarding this. Carlos N. Hathcock II, who won the Wimbledon. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. that had been originally purchased [as] across-the course bolt guns for the National Matches. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. The rifles associated with American Snipers in Vietnam are. US Army Ordnance (Retired), Please note, comments must be approved before they are published, These rifles are not considered suitable for use as sniper rifles. The rifle most associated with Carlos Hathcock is the Winchester model 70 sniper rifle with an 8X-power Unertl scope. Hathcock was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on May 20, 1942. This was confirmed in McGuires article: The rifle team of the 3rd Marine Division had been using the Model 70 with the heavy barrel and the heavy Marksman stock. Remarkably, a few remain in service to this day. Carlos Hathcock's sniper rifle! Officially, Carlos Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills. He set up on a hill close to the treeline, 700 yards from where his target would be. Hathcock dreamed of being a Marine throughout his childhood, and so on May 20, 1959, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. The rifle retains nearly 95% of the original blue finish with very minor handling wear. And they did see duty. Pre-'64 Winchester Model 70 Specs MANUFACTURER: Winchester Repeating Arms TYPE: Bolt-action repeater CALIBER: .270 Winchester MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 5 rounds BARREL: 24 in. As a sniper of a modern era, I am truly amazed at what the guys were able to do using what they had at the time. This effort was ultimately unsuccessful from a military procurement standpoint, but cemented the Model 70's place in USMC sniper history. "WINCHESTER/-TRADE MARK-" is roll stamped on the left side of the receiver rail. The WWII U.S.M.C. NRA photo. In 1936, Winchester introduced the Model 70 bolt-action rifle to the American market. [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. The success of the Model 70 on the rifle range attracted renewed interest from the U.S. Army as evidenced by a Feb. 2, 1955, memo from the Office of the Chief of Ordnance to the Chief of Army Field Forces, which stated: It is requested that this office be furnished [with] your comments and recommendations relative to procurement of cal. The author says Carlos used a Model 70 Winchester with a long tube Unertl scope. Weaponry. Much as I described with the duplex, the mildot gives a lot of points to hold off of without ever having to change powers. This is debatable. All of the markings are crisp. The Army's most accomplished Vietnam War sniper, Sgt. 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. The rifle was already being used by Marines snipers in Vietnam. I did all the other work. But on several occasions, he turned to the M2 .50-caliber machine gun for longer . 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). The late Marine sniper set the record in 1967 with a M-2 .50 caliber Browning machine gun.. Through the PX system in Okinawa, Lands NCOs bought mounts, rings and scopes. This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. 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. 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. . [24][25][26][27][self-published source], After this mission, Hathcock returned to the United States in 1967. Most of the Model 70 sniper rifles issued by the Marines to snipers in the early stage of the Vietnam War were pre-war or early WWII production Model 70 .30-06 Standard Rifles purchased during WWII. Hathcock used the M40 during the Vietnam War and is credited with numerous kills, including a record-setting 2,500-meter shot. While the causes and conduct of that war remain a subject of great debate, an interesting aspect of the conflict is the use of the Winchester Model 70 as a precision rifle by the US forces, especially by the US Marine Corps snipers. [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. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Carlos Hathcock's sniper rifle! Moscow Should Prepare For Probable US Nuclear Aggression: Reports Russian Military Journal, Destroying American Monster Abrams: Pro-Russian Group Release A How-To Video, Dr. Mary E. 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A few Model 70 sniper rifles saw service in Korea, particularly during the Chosin Reservoir campaign-under difficult winter conditions that rendered other rifles -like the M-1A carbine -ineffective or inoperable. S. Jay Ratliff I had always thought that long tube scopes were originally used a long time ago and were more or less obsolete. During the closing stages of the war, the M1903A1/Unertl was replaced by the semi-automatic Garand M1C sniper rifle, which was soon followed by the M1D. The barrel is a "sendero" profile made by Bartlein and installed by Moon. Likewise, many of the 300-plus Model 70 rifles purchased by the Marine Corps during World War II remained in inventory and, except for the handful diverted for unofficial sniping use, continued to be used by Marine marksmen for match use throughout the 1950s. "It was the hunt, not the killing. For those wondering why the military did not continue using the Model 70 and abandoned it in favor of the Remington Model 700, McGuire gave a cogent synopsis of the reasoning behind this decision: [For Vietnam], the Marines wanted a bolt-action rifle with a medium-heavy barrel and a sporter stock. In a book I'm reading about on Carlos Hathcock, there are some pictures of him with his rifle. A July 1967 American Rifleman article by Frank G. McGuire, SnipersSpecialists in Warfare, reported: The 8X telescopic sight was chosen in World War II when it was teamed with the 03 rifle. 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. First rate article outlining the service of the Model 70. 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! Hathcock's first round disabled the bicycle, the second struck the enemy soldier in the chest. I have a 53 heavy barreled action that needs the same treatment. 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. Nevertheless, Winchester Model 70s teamed with the Unertl scopes were superb sniping arms, certainly better than anything else in the militarys inventory at the time. ][21][22] He was not informed of the details of the mission until he accepted it. Hathcock was one of several individuals to utilize the M2 Browning machine gun in the sniping role. Ultimately neither of these proposed rifles was ultimately adopted. He managed to achieve an astounding kill record of 93 - including an impressive shot through an enemy sniper's scope, but it was with the M2 that he was able to take out a Vietcong soldier pushing a bicycle loaded with ammunition at . The rifles were a special order spec sent from Winchester to Evaluators Limited of Triangle, VA, where they were fully accurized to meet Van Orden's detailed sniper specification. From an early age, he was fond of firearms. Adelbert F. Waldron III stacked up 113 enemies using the XM21 system. 30-06 caliber rifle equipped with an 8-power Unertl scope, was the deadliest sniper in Marine Corps history, but that title belongs to Mawhinney. Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Van Orden had envisioned the Model 70 as the ultimate platform for a highly accurate sniper rifle, but which was light enough to be carried into battle. Carlos held the record for the longest kill for 35 years. For this operation, Carlos selected a .30-06 Winchester Model 70 mounting a Lyman 8X telescope that McAbee had fine-tuned. The rifle is pillar bedded and barrel free-floated in its original stock.

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