carlos hathcock model 70 rifle
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. Great project. 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. He lived in a rural area with his grandmother as his parents had separated. He had dreamed of being a U.S. Marine his whole life and enlisted in 1959 at just 17 years old. Although suffering from severe burns to his face, trunk, and arms and legs, Staff Sergeant Hathcock assisted the injured Marines in exiting the burning vehicle and moving to a place of relative safety. Pre-'64 Winchester Model 70 Rifle: Accurate, Reliable Classic [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. The metal was reblued as required. 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. I had a few of those hanging around. Before deploying to South Vietnam, Hathcock had won shooting championships, including matches at Camp Perry and the Wimbledon Cup. If I was you, I might look up this guy on ebay and write him and see if he has anymore of these barrels. The Unertl Scope used during that time didnt have the glass clarification that we have become so accustomed to. His heroic actions were instrumental in saving the lives of several Marines. He also used on occasion a Remington M40, basically a Remington ADL Varmint 308 rifle that was produced specially for the USMC in 1965 or so. Hathcock took possession of the dead sniper's rifle, hoping to bring it home as a "trophy", but after he turned it in and tagged it, it was stolen from the armory. [23][failed verification] This effort took four days and three nights without sleep and with constant inch-by-inch crawling. 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 . If one was to follow the change of power procedures described above, it gives an incredible latitude to the scopes use. 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.. The rifle has no Marine or U.S. property marks on any component. *A USMC sniper uses his Unertl scope to search for enemy snipers in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam, circa 1967. The checkered panels are sharp; wear is limited to scattered visible sling hardware marks near the buttplate and upper sling swivel. A look at a Vietnam-era Marine Winchester Model 70 target rifle with Using this rifle, we shot at increments of 100 yards, all the way out to 1,000 to test our modern-day sniper skills. After ensuring his escape route was in place, he took his shot. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the . This US Sniper Crawled for 3 Days of Open Field, Killed NVA General After World War II, George Van Orden, who had authored the Marine Corps Equipment Board report in 1941 recommending adoption of the Model 70 as a sniper rifle, started a firearms business named Evaluators, Ltd. Van Orden (who had subsequently been promoted to colonel and, later, brigadier general), eventually concentrated on marketing the Van Orden Sniper, which was a Winchester Model 70 customized to the specifications of his customers.Van Orden was successful in selling the arms to many clients, including the U.S. Coast Guard, which purchased 10 of the rifles in June 1954. Hathcock's Scope? | Northwest Firearms With this rifle, Carlos describes killing 7 more Viet Cong soldiers and shared the 8th VC with McAbee. He set up on a hill close to the treeline, 700 yards from where his target would be. The slings are embossed with Hathcock's signature. With complete disregard for his own safety and while suffering excruciating pain from his burns, he bravely ran back through the flames and exploding ammunition to ensure that no Marines had been left behind in the burning vehicle. It was advertised as missing parts. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. [2] Jo gave birth to a son, whom they named Carlos Norman Hathcock III. who placed a bounty on him during the Vietnam War ) used primarily a Pre-64 Winchester M. It is undesirable to inject another rifle into the supply system, and if another rifle is injected into the supply system, it is necessary to inject non-standard ammunition for this rifle into the supply system in order to exploit fully any gain in accuracy. [22] As the general exited his encampment, Hathcock fired a single shot that struck the general in the chest, killing him. The rifles associated with American Snipers in Vietnam are. Are you at 6 or are you at 5.75 or 6.25? The Military Model 70: A Forgotten Sniper Rifle This is an excellent example of a Winchester Model 70 rifle in Vietnam Marine sniper configuration with scarce and very desirable WWII Unertl "U.S.MC.-SNIPER" telescopic sight and correct anodized aluminum target mounts. The U.S. Army fielded some World War II-vintage M1903A4 bolt-actions but relied primarily on the semi-automatic M1C Garand. 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. This recommendation made its way up the chain of command. Hathcock's first round disabled the bicycle, the second struck the enemy soldier in the chest. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. 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 report concluded that the best rifle/scope combination for use by U.S. Marine snipers was the Winchester Model 70 topped with an 8X target scope made by the Unertl Co. 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. An Official Journal Of The NRA | Long-Range Warriors: The USMC M40 Rifles To this end, Winchester sent a letter to the U.S. Marine Corps Quartermaster on July 20, 1942, indicating it had 1,944 Model 70 .30 Government 06 Rifles on hand, which we can offer you subject to prior sale., Most of these rifles had 24" barrels, but there were 105 with 20" barrels. 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. The value of these rifles mean that even if we did own one, we'd probably be reluctant to shoot it. The Complete History of Winchester Repeating Arms. NRA photo. Sgt. All of the markings are crisp. Typically enemy soldiers were paid anywhere from $8 to $2,000 for taking down an American sniper. 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. This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. Vietnam sniper shot an enemy sniper through the enemy's own scope Americans Don't Need Laws Declaring the "AR-15" the "National Gun" Officially, Carlos Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills. This rifle is illustrated and described on pages 66 and 67 of "The One Round War" by Peter Senich. My Hathcock tribute is based on what he considered the "ideal" rifle as discussed in his authorized biography, "White Feather". This success led to the adoption of the .50 BMG cartridge as a viable sniper round. Note the long rear ring with the clip-slot cut in. Your rifle is seriously motivating me to start a new project build .metal and wood just feel so nice together. These rifles are not considered suitable for use as sniper rifles. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt action sporting rifle. Mil Dots give you an accurate unit of measurement and a way of compensating for gravity and wind drift. In the background is radio operator Jerry Dunomes. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Hathcock used the M40 during the Vietnam War and is credited with numerous kills, including a record-setting 2,500-meter shot. These rifles were subsequently used for recreation and target shooting. The machine work, barrel channel and bedding were completed in our shop. "It was the hunt, not the killing. 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 1999 Shooting Times magazine named the Model 70 the "Bolt-action Rifle of the Century". Many of these were subsequently rebuilt between circa 1956 and 1963, primarily at the Marine Corps Match Rebuild Shop in Albany, Ga. Hathcock used for much of his time in Vietnam. 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. 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]. ][21][22] He was not informed of the details of the mission until he accepted it. Hathcocks primary set-up was a Model 70 (pre-64), 30-06 target rifle with a heavy barrel, and Unertle 8x scope. Winchester 70 300 WIn Mag 3+1 26" Vortex Crossfire II 6-24x50 70 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. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. What many people don't realize is that the Unertl scope back in the day doesn't have glass amplification. 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. I told a gunny, 'Bring [him] back here.' 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 rifle was already being used by Marines snipers in Vietnam. The bolt body is polished bright and electro-penciled with the rifle serial number "48213". that had been originally purchased [as] across-the course bolt guns for the National Matches. Click here for more information. . During trips to Mississippi, he started developing an interest in hunting and long-range shooting. How did Carlos Norman Hathcock die? - TeachersCollegesj When I first saw the pic I assumed it was a short action. Carlos Hathcock with his Winchester Model 70 rifle. There are no internal adjustments to zero these old style Unertls. It was this . Scope used by Carlos Hathcock. 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. 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. Carlos Hathcock, The Marine Sniper Whose Exploits Can Hardly Be Believed Editors note: Carlos Hathcock Born this day, May 20, 1942. . The Army's most accomplished Vietnam War sniper, Sgt. Hathcock held the record for the highest bounty and killed every known Vietnamese marksman who sought him to try to collect it. What caliber rifle did Carlos Hathcock use? - Quora The Winchester Model 70 is a classic bolt action rifle and one of the most popular and well known bolt action rifles in sports shooting history. For this operation, Carlos selected a .30-06 Winchester Model 70 mounting a Lyman 8X telescope that McAbee had fine-tuned. IIRC, Remington did this with some of their rifles at one time. 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 group started running towards Hathcock and Land. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. 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). USMC Sniper Rifles: Hands On History. Keep an eye on the CMP Auction Site. [5], The PAVN placed a bounty of US $30,000 on Hathcock's life for killing so many of its soldiers. The sniper system shoots the M72 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets (.30-06). Carlos Hathcock Method of Sighting in a Rifle | RallyPoint Legendary sniper Carlos Norman Hathcock II shot an enemy sniper through 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. The subject rifles are not considered suitable for general service use for the following reasons: (a) Not sufficiently sturdy;(b) Parts are not interchangeable with M1903 and M1 parts; (c) Replacement parts will be difficult to procure; (d) Not fitted with sling swivels. Unless you plan to go humping through the boonies, the fragile nature of the old optic is not much of an issue. Marines like Carlos Hathcock proved the rifle was quite accurate and very effective. His longest confirmed kill was 2500 yards. Due to the extreme injuries he suffered in Vietnam, he was in nearly constant pain, but continued to dedicate himself to teaching snipers. I have a 53 heavy barreled action that needs the same treatment. You are using an out of date browser. Winchester 70 Rifle 308 | Rock Island Auction April 30 marks the 41st anniversary of the fall of Saigon (since renamed Ho Chi Minh City) and the end of American military involvement in that country. Winchester Model 70 | Military Wiki | Fandom S. Jay Ratliff That's the way I look at it. The rifles inherent accuracy was ideally suited as a sniping rifle. You will find the sale page with further details if you click here. Enjoy the photos and let us know if there's a special model 70 project we can take on for you! 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. Hathcock Model 70 Project | Sniper's Hide Forum 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. This Marine Was The 'American Sniper' Of The Vietnam War 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. As was the case during World War II, the Marine Corps considered procuring some Winchester Model 70 rifles for sniping use in Korea, but these results were the same as before. It is an odd scope by today's standards. He was the only child of Carlos and Agnes Hathcock. 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. During his entire career as a sniper, Carlos Hathcock used a U. S. Marines version of a Unertl precision riflescope. Carlos hathcocks rifle | Long Range Hunting Forum 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. 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. Those rifles were in the Winchester Marksman stocks with their wide forends and deep grips. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. 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. Adelbert F. Waldron III stacked up 113 enemies using the XM21 system. The Carlos Hathcock Sniper Rifle! - The Loadout Room The Model 70 Standard Rifles were fitted with Winchester medium-heavy target barrels in modified stocks and the Unertl telescopic sights. The serial number, "48213" is roll-stamped on the right side of the receiver below the rear sight base. I was quickly brought back to reality when shooting this system. But I guess I was wrong. The M-25 White Feather is a tribute to Carlos Hathcock who accounted for 93 confirmed enemy kills in Vietnam. Winchester Model 70 - Wikipedia The author says Carlos used a Model 70 Winchester with a long tube Unertl scope. This is a pretty cool thread. SIGHTS: Folding rear, bead front 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 .. 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. [2] At one point he was nearly bitten by a bamboo viper, but had the presence of mind to avoid moving and giving up his position. It was in this way the Winchester model 70 found its way into unauthorized sniper duty during the WWII, primarily in the Pacific Theater. [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. Ultimately neither of these proposed rifles was ultimately adopted. This is yet another example of the truism that a great civilian firearm does not always equate to a great military rifle. Awesome to hear/see when someone has their shit together. The Unertl telescopic sight is in excellent condition. You are correct in that stainless cannot be blued as it is. 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. Carlos N. Hathcock II, who won the Wimbledon. This one is in 308 and came from the AMU. It was the performance of these Snipers in Vietnam that secured the sniper concept as a permanent fixture in the United States military. Composite stock of course. The Carlos Hathcock Sniper Rifle! - SOFREP Marine Sniper Made Corps' Longest Kill Shot With Machine Gun Im sure with a lot of practice and tons of time behind the rifle, it could become almost second nature, but for the time we had it, it wasnt something to brag about. The left side of the barrel has the standard Winchester legend and trademark followed by: "MODEL 70-30-06 SPRG.-". As noted BuffaloWinter's rifle is mostly what Gunny Hathcock wanted in a rifle. Carlos Hathcock - Interesting stories about famous people, biographies On 10 July 1969, Carlos Hathcock and Ron McAbee were providing security for convoys along Western Route 4. The Story of Legendary Sniper Carlos Hathcock 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting rifle.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". The stock is in very fine condition. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. History: Bill Brophy - Scattered Shots He used an M2 .50 Cal Browning machine gun mounted with a telescopic sight at a range of 2,500yd (2,286m), killing a Vietcong guerrilla. "[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]. 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 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. After his service in Vietnam, Hathcock helped establish the USMCs Scout Sniper School at Quantico, Virginia, and he continued to pass along his hard-won knowledge to both military and law enforcement marksmen 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. [33], Hathcock once said that he survived in his work because of an ability to "get in the bubble", to put himself into a state of "utter, complete, absolute concentration", first with his equipment, then his environment, in which every breeze and every leaf meant something, and finally on his quarry. 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.
carlos hathcock model 70 rifle