carlos hathcock model 70 rifle
If I don't get those bastards, then they're gonna kill a lot of these kids dressed up like Marines. Despite its excellence as a precision rifle, the Model 70 was never fully embraced by the U.S. military as a standardized sniper arm. The anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts have a blue-brown patina that is typical of these WWII production mounts. Carlos used a Winchester Model 70 .30-06 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets, also used an 8-power Unertl scope. Without them, it can be extremely tough to hold for the effects. I told a gunny, 'Bring [him] back here.' On May 29, 1942, eager to do their part in the war effort, Winchester shipped 373 model 70 standard .30-06 rifles to the US Marine Corps. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. The most well known Marine sniper of the Vietnam war has become a modern legend. The "Rifle, 7.62mm Sniper, M40," adopted April 7, 1966, was to serve as the foundation for USMC sniper rifles for the following four decades. And it was as a sniper rifle the Model 70 ultimately earned its stripes. The Model 70 was largely based on theModel 54, and is today still highly regarded by shooters and is often called The Riflemans Rifle. The sniper system shoots theM72 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets (.30-06). Hathcock used the M40 during the Vietnam War and is credited with numerous kills, including a record-setting 2,500-meter shot. We should give February to Chris Kyle's favorite weapon, The Barrett M99 and Carlos Hathcock's Winchester Model 70 Sniper Rifle being as they both went on to the main rally point in February . The rifle chosen was the Winchester Model 70. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. For these reasons, we regularly get inquiries about building "tribute" and "replica"USMC Sniper rifles. Hathcock is the subject of a number of books including: Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. I think the GSgt used the 10x but the 20x looks just like it. It was in this way the Winchester model 70 found its way into unauthorized sniper duty during the WWII, primarily in the Pacific Theater. 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. [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. There are no internal adjustments to zero these old style Unertls. It would be hard to find a better example of this classic Marine sniper rifle from the Vietnam War. George H. Hurt of the 3rd Marine Divisions newly formed sniper school at Da Nang, Vietnam, checked the 8X Unertl scope mounted on a Winchester Model 70. 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. Clapp is, of course, an American Rifleman field editor today.To subscribe to the magazine,visit theNRA membership page here and selectAmerican Rifleman as your member magazine. The Korean War was the last conflict in which the World War II-vintage bolt-action M1903A1/Unertl sniper rifle was employed. If I was you, I might look up this guy on ebay and write him and see if he has anymore of these barrels. This is an example of a very rare post-64 "U.S. PROPERTY" marked Winchester model 70 target rifle that was manufactured in 1967, that is fitted with an even rarer "USMC PROPERTY" marked Lyman Super Targetspot rifle scope. Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. [16], Hathcock stated in interviews that he killed a female Viet Cong platoon leader called "the Apache woman," with a reputation for torturing captive U.S. Marines, around the firebase at Hill 55. That's the way I look at it. There are currently no customer product questions on this lot. Wow. Interestingly, Hathcock won that prestigious trophy with a Winchester Model 70. 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. The barrel, receiver, bolt handle, cocking piece trigger guard, and buttplate have the Winchester charcoal blue finish. The rifle retains nearly 95% of the original blue finish with very minor handling wear. I just passed down my Win 70 .30-'06 Featherweight to the next generation. But on several occasions, he turned to the M2 .50-caliber machine gun for longer . Unofficially and by his own estimates, Hathcock believed he killed between 300 and 400. [44] Turner Saddlery similarly honored Hathcock by producing a line of leather rifle slings based on his design. Winchester requested the Marines evaluate the rifles generally for suitability of use in combat, and specifically for use as sniper rifles. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. It is a Model 70 National Match version made before 1940. Using this rifle, we shot at increments of 100 yards, all the way out to 1,000 to test our modern-day sniper skills. This is an original military issue Remington M40 sniper rifle brought back from Vietnam by a Marine officer, who later had it signed by Carlos "White Feather" Hathcock in 1992 at a Former Marine Association event. 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. Probably overthinking this but I like to use the "stops" at each end of the power range in this application. He had dreamed of being a U.S. Marine his whole life and enlisted in 1959 at just 17 years old. A Lyman micrometer sight base is mounted on the left side of the receiver. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.. Marines like Carlos Hathcock proved the rifle was quite accurate and very effective. Weaponry. Adelbert F. Waldron III stacked up 113 enemies using the XM21 system. Initially his preferred rifle was a pre 1964 (Winchester quality after this time declined) Model 70 Winchester M40 bolt action in 30-06 (he preferred the 30-06 over the, then, current 7.62x51 Nato . 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. Rewards put on U.S. snipers by the PAVN typically ranged from $8 to $2,000. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the . It's my job. It was the Marines who pressed the Winchester Model 70 into service as a sniper rifle in Vietnam. In a book I'm reading about on Carlos Hathcock, there are some pictures of him with his rifle. Buffalo,. He purchased a Winchester Model 70 and fitted it with a Unertl 10 power telescopic sight to test his theories. Van Orden would go on to author a report recommending adoption of the Model 70 for sniper use. Carlos Hathcock, the most celebrated US sniper in history, preferred the model 70 over a host of other rifles at his disposal, using it extensively in combat during the Vietnam war, and in Wimbledon matches at Camp Perry in the years that followed. The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs and it is a development of the earlier Winchester Model 54, itself based on a Mauser 98-type action. It was advertised as missing parts. Beautiful build. 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. 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. Carlos Hathcock accepting the Wimbledon Cup after winning the NRA National Matches. The stock is nicely figured American walnut with checkered forearm and pistol grip and has the Winchester semi-gloss varnish finish. Ultimately neither of these proposed rifles was ultimately adopted. In one of his more renowned stories, Carlos Hathcock killed an enemy sniper through the enemy's own rifle scope. Nicknamed The White Feather for the small plume he wore on his boonie cap, Hathcocks incredible marksmanship skills soon struck fear in the hearts of the enemy, so much so that the Viet Cong reportedly placed a bounty of $30,000 on his head. His previous skill as a marksman had won him a variety of matches and trophies at places like Camp Perry in Ohio. 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. As part of his legacy, the gun was donated to the National Museum of the . . Considered a real one but again even a cheap ($450.00) modern scope I feel is better than an original 60's era scope. Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Remarkably, a few remain in service to this day. The M72 173 grain .30-06 was something that I could familiarize myself with as it is fairly similar to the M118LR. It is an odd scope by today's standards. When I first saw the pic I assumed it was a short action. He set up on a hill close to the treeline, 700 yards from where his target would be. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70.30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. 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. Carlos Hathcock, in Vietnam (left) and receiving the Silver Star (right). Carlos Hathcock's sniper rifle! 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 Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action, sporting rifle that can be used for hunting or shooting. Calvin Lloyd, wrote a 72-page report titled Equipment for the American Sniper, which discussed the various types of rifles and telescopic sights available at the time. 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]. [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. A handful of the original USMC model 70 riflessurvive to this day, and 76 years later hold enormous collector interest. [17] However, scholars such as Jerry Lembcke have cast doubt on Hathcock's account and questioned the existence of "Apache". 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.. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. 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. A one of a kind rifle! He hunted at that early age with a .22-caliber J. C. Higgins single-shot rifle. His previous skill as a marksman had won him a variety of matches and trophies at places like Camp Perry in Ohio. Carlos N. Hathcock II, who won the Wimbledon. The optics are clear. Composite stock of course. The checkered panels are sharp; wear is limited to scattered visible sling hardware marks near the buttplate and upper sling swivel. As with Kraig's rifle above, it would have been clip-slotted and while original Win70 Target rifles came with either a Std, heavy or bull barrel, one would assume the rifles sent overseas were former target rifles that had been reworked by the 'Team armorers with new barrels. Scope not included. In some cases, Douglas barrels were fitted to the Winchester actions to attain optimum accuracy. The rifles inherent accuracy was ideally suited as a sniping rifle. His longest confirmed kill was 2500 yards. Some of the stocks were fiberglass bedded. This one is mine. Any pictures I have seen, the stocks used overseas were more like hunting stocks. Hathcock himself estimated that he had killed between 300 and 400 enemy personnel during the Vietnam War. I had a chance to take a trip back in time recently and shot the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 using an 8-powerUnertl scope, the same set up that the famous Carlos Hathcock used while he was in Vietnam. On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. Just under 1200 yards of room if I stretch it and hills in every direction for natures perfect back stop! who placed a bounty on him during the Vietnam War ) used primarily a Pre-64 Winchester M. The rifle is pillar bedded and barrel free-floated in its original stock. It was the performance of these Snipers in Vietnam that secured the sniper concept as a permanent fixture in the United States military. NRA photo. Born on May 20, 1942, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Hathcock took to the sport of shooting at a very young age. 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. In an eloquent eulogy to Hathcock inThe Washington Post, staff writer Stephen Hunter said it best. Wiley Clapp in 1965. So if you are looking to own the first two Model 70's ever made then these are of interest to . "It was the hunt, not the killing. Winchester Model 70 It was long thought that Hathcock, armed with his Winchester Model 70 . [32], Hathcock provided sniper instruction to police departments and select military units, such as SEAL Team Six. They were running about $800 for a nice one with rings a few years ago. [31] He would have received only 50 percent of his final pay grade had he retired after 20 years. Oval Winchester "W/P" proof marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel and receiver. 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. These relatively few Model 70 rifles soon became favored for their lighter weight, refined handling, and superior accuracy compared to the Springfield rifle. It appears that you are accessing the Winchester Website from outside North America. *A USMC sniper uses his Unertl scope to search for enemy snipers in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam, circa 1967. They were intended primarily as match rifles and were not procured for use as sniper rifles. Carlos Hathcock (D. Kevin Elliott) The sun lay low in the Vietnamese sky. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. [20] During a volunteer mission days before the end of his first deployment, he crawled over 1,500 yards of field to shoot a PAVN general.[who? Thanks. In an effort to meet every model 70 owner's needs, we are pleased to offer rifle parts which span this broad spectrum of conditions. Typically enemy soldiers were paid anywhere from $8 to $2,000 for taking down an American sniper. You are using an out of date browser. This is a pretty cool thread. 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. Many of these were subsequently rebuilt between circa 1956 and 1963, primarily at the Marine Corps Match Rebuild Shop in Albany, Ga. . 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. "[35], Hathcock's son, Carlos Hathcock III, later enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps;[36] he retired from the Marine Corps as a Gunnery Sergeant after following in his father's footsteps as a shooter and became a member of the Board of Governors of the Marine Corps Distinguished Shooters Association.[37]. Item Number: R30701. Your rifle is seriously motivating me to start a new project build .metal and wood just feel so nice together. Carlos Hathcock typically used the Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle chambered for use with 30-06 ammunition along with an eight-power Unertl scope. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. The precision and reliability of the model 70's controlled-round-feed action meant a cartridge could be slowly and quietly chambered with a single hand - something which was more difficult with a push-feed action. Hathcock passed away in 1999 at the age of 57. In 1967 Gunny Carlos Hathcock set the record for the longest. [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." Although the model 70 was never officially approved for combat service during WWII, a number of Model 70s made their way into combat with USMC snipers. [5], The PAVN placed a bounty of US $30,000 on Hathcock's life for killing so many of its soldiers. 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. This rifle is illustrated and described on pages 66 and 67 of "The One Round War" by Peter Senich. They were mothballed after NRA changed match rules to limit service personnel to shooting service rifles. He went on about five [operations] one time before I could get a fix on him. And they did see duty. Founded by Frank Galli in 2000, Snipers Hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. Previously sold. Unless you plan to go humping through the boonies, the fragile nature of the old optic is not much of an issue. Gen. Van Orden, including Smiths championship-winning rifle, were shipped to Vietnam as supplemental equipment.Peter Senich gave additional details regarding the use of the Model 70 sniper rifle in Vietnam in his excellent book The One-Round War: Glass-bedded and accurized by Marine Corps Rifle Team Equipment Armorers (RTE), the Model 70s fired .30-06 M72 match ammunition having a 173-grain, boat-tailed bullet. First rate article outlining the service of the Model 70. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? The Army's most accomplished Vietnam War sniper, Sgt. The Model 70s also drew the attention of USMC snipers and their chief sponsor - Brigadier General George Van Orden. These two historic Winchester Model 70 rifles bearing serial numbers "1" and "2" are now being offered for sale by Sportsman's Legacy. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the Browning M2 machine gun, on which he mounted a 10X Unertl scope, using a bracket of his own design. Decorations. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Wi392204?hash=item465d61a98c:g:VPMAAOSwCGVX~6vg, The Snobbiest Town in The Snobbiest State in the N, https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2011/3/21/the-military-model-70/, Jim Cloward built Winchester Model 70 308 McMillan Urban Camo stock. USMC Sniper Rifles: Hands On History. The rifles associated with American Snipers in Vietnam are. 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. But I never did enjoy killing anybody. 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. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. Carlos Hathcock passed away on 22 nd February 1999 in Virginia from the disease that had forced retirement . . Manufactured in a wide variety of configurations and calibers, it was a favorite of many hunters, shooters and gun enthusiasts. Accurate in every detail, enjoyed reading this. Above, Marine rifleman Dalton Gunderson eyes the enemy through an 8X Unertl scope on top of his Special Services-procured Winchester Model 70 in Vietnam. 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. 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. These later rifles only added to the popularity of the model 70 among US snipers. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. Mil Dots give you an accurate unit of measurement and a way of compensating for gravity and wind drift. Instead of running for the sniper, the soldiers . Land told Hathcock to "put another round in her." Hathcock fired again and her body convulsed. Would you like to visit Winchester International? Again, I would presume the heavy profile (slightly bigger than a varmint profile) was used as a compromise between multiple-round accuracy in the heat and weight, as seen in these pictures. 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. Regarding, his tools of trade, Hathcock, normally operated with the Winchester Model 70, 30-06 Caliber rifle along with an 8 power scope. The Model 70. Not what he was able to get the Marine Corps to adopt. The machine work, barrel channel and bedding were completed in our shop. Carlos held the record for the longest kill for 35 years. In 1975, Hathcock's health began to deteriorate, and he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. However, we are happy to build tribute rifles and were very pleased torecently completea USMC sniper tribute rifle. Very nice work. Hathcock was one of several individuals to utilize the M2 Browning machine gun in the sniping role. 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.. 134,606 views Dec 6, 2020 Winchester Model 70 (.30-06) rifle review in Hindi. 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. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. That is without having to go with the points on a special reticle. [15] Hathcock and John Roland Burke, his spotter, were stalking the enemy sniper in the jungle near Hill 55, the firebase from which Hathcock was operating, southwest of Da Nang. Which honestly looking at the barrels, I think he was probably likely telling the truth. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. These rifles were subsequently used for recreation and target shooting. You are correct in that stainless cannot be blued as it is. Legendary USMC sniper Carlos Hathcock learned how to shoot on a Stevens Model 15-A. Sgt. Can't recall if they were 264 or 7mm Rem mag offhand. Learn more about Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II and the Winchester Model 70s service in Vietnam in these two American Rifleman articles:The Military Model 70.
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carlos hathcock model 70 rifle
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