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. [44] Turner Saddlery similarly honored Hathcock by producing a line of leather rifle slings based on his design. 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. The metal finishes were done by Ken Pederson ofPederson Arms in Arlington, WA. 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". 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In 1966, Hathcock started his deployment in the Vietnam War as a military policeman and later became a sniper after Captain Edward James Land pushed the Marines into raising snipers in every platoon. The late Marine sniper set the record in 1967 with a M-2 .50 caliber Browning machine gun.. 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. In 2016, an armorer with the Pennsylvania National Guard contacted us regarding a .308 target rifle used by their competitive match shooters. The Unertl telescopic sight is in excellent condition. These two historic Winchester Model 70 rifles bearing serial numbers "1" and "2" are now being offered for sale by Sportsman's Legacy. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. 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. [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." Founded by Frank Galli in 2000, Snipers Hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. Stretching it past 500 and reaching out to 1000, put all of us in a humbling state of mind. [3], During the Vietnam War, Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills of People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong personnel. [10] When Hathcock saw a glint (light reflecting off the enemy sniper's scope) in the bushes, he fired at it, shooting through the scope and killing the sniper. 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. Hathcock himself estimated that he had killed between 300 and 400 enemy personnel during the Vietnam War. 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. In addition to sniper rifles, model 70s were used extensively in marksmanship training and in match team shooting. This listing is for a preowned Winchester 70 bolt action rifle chambered in 300 Win Mag with a 3+1 capacity and a 26" barrel in . The left side of the barrel has the standard Winchester legend and trademark followed by: "MODEL 70-30-06 SPRG.-". "The only difficulty I had with Carlos was that he'd stay out there too long. After ensuring his escape route was in place, he took his shot. 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. The rifle most associated with Carlos Hathcock is the Winchester model 70 sniper rifle with an 8X-power Unertl scope. Throughout its life, the Model 70 has been offered in . If I was you, I might look up this guy on ebay and write him and see if he has anymore of these barrels. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. [38] He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia. 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! One of the perennially popular Winchester firearms of the 20th century is the Model 70 bolt-action rifle. It's my job. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. 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. Accurate in every detail, enjoyed reading this. First rate article outlining the service of the Model 70. 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." The sniper system shoots the M72 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain . 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). 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 stock is nicely figured American walnut with checkered forearm and pistol grip and has the Winchester semi-gloss varnish finish. From an early age, he was fond of firearms. Support Veteran Journalism , Editors note: Carlos Hathcock Born this day, May 20, 1942. NRA photo. 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. I am hoping to have one built myself someday. [18][19], Hathcock only once removed the white feather from his bush hat while deployed in Vietnam. From an early age, he was fond of firearms. However, we are happy to build tribute rifles and were very pleased torecently completea USMC sniper tribute rifle. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. The U.S. Army fielded some World War II-vintage M1903A4 bolt-actions but relied primarily on the semi-automatic M1C Garand. "[40] The Marine Corps League (MCL) sponsors an annual program with 12 award categories, which includes the Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II Award presented "to an enlisted Marine who has made an outstanding contribution to the improvement of marksmanship training. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Carlos Hathcock accepting the Wimbledon Cup after winning the NRA National Matches. Before 1.02, the M70 Tundra was named the Winchester Model 70. The scope has a fine crosshair reticle and is fitted with screw-on steel lens covers. 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. [45] On March 9, 2007, the rifle and pistol complex at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar was officially renamed the Carlos Hathcock Range Complex.[46]. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. Hathcock held the record for the highest bounty and killed every known Vietnamese marksman who sought him to try to collect it. [23][failed verification] This effort took four days and three nights without sleep and with constant inch-by-inch crawling. Rewards put on U.S. snipers by the PAVN typically ranged from $8 to $2,000. Carlos Hathcock's sniper rifle! 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. Head to the range this week with American Rifleman staff as they discuss a trim little repeater from Savage Arms that comes chambered for the .22 WMR cartridge. It was advertised as missing parts. Ultimately neither of these proposed rifles was ultimately adopted. 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. Nearly 30 years later, he received a Silver Star for this action. The stock is in very fine condition. 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. That is without having to go with the points on a special reticle. The metal was reblued as required. 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. NRA Secretary Edward J. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. Hathcock used for much of his time in Vietnam. Marines like Carlos Hathcock proved the rifle was quite accurate and very effective. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The WWII U.S.M.C. This is yet another example of the truism that a great civilian firearm does not always equate to a great military rifle. 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. Oval Winchester "W/P" proof marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel and receiver. To avoid contributing to the prolific problem of counterfeit rare model 70s,we decline to build replica model 70s of any kind. 50,690. Despite its excellence as a precision rifle, the Model 70 was never fully embraced by the U.S. military as a standardized sniper arm. Unertl 8X telescopic sight has a charcoal blue finish and is fitted with anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts on Winchester bases. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. The scope tube is roll-stamped: "J. UNERTL/USMC-SNIPER" in two lines above the serial number "2232". Gunnery Sgt. This effort was ultimately unsuccessful from a military procurement standpoint, but cemented the Model 70's place in USMC sniper history. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. Much as I described with the duplex, the mildot gives a lot of points to hold off of without ever having to change powers. 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. The most well known Marine sniper of the Vietnam war has become a modern legend. This rebuild work varied but generally consisted of replacing the original sporter barrels with heavier 24" or 26" barrels and replacing the stocks as necessary, often with new target stocks procured from Winchester. It was missing a bolt part and the National Guard had designated it for "decommissioning" (a.k.a destruction). The rifle has no Marine or U.S. property marks on any component. Thanks. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. 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. AFAIK, Crane only made two of these on the 721 action. Not what he was able to get the Marine Corps to adopt. 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. 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. George Van Orden and Chief Gy/Sgt. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. Mil Dots give you an accurate unit of measurement and a way of compensating for gravity and wind drift. The value of these rifles mean that even if we did own one, we'd probably be reluctant to shoot it. Before any official action was taken, the Marine Corps ordered 373 Model 70s chambered in .30-06 Sprg. In 1967 Gunny Carlos Hathcock set the record for the longest. Typically enemy soldiers were paid anywhere from $8 to $2,000 for taking down an American sniper. Thats perfect! During his second combat tour in South Vietnam Hathcock braved a wall of flaming fuel to save seven fellow Marines from a burning AMTRAC, suffering severe burns himself during the rescue. During his entire career as a sniper, Carlos Hathcock used a U. S. Marines version of a Unertl precision riflescope. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The group started running towards Hathcock and Land. Winchester requested the Marines evaluate the rifles generally for suitability of use in combat, and specifically for use as sniper rifles. 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. 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". In 1961, President John F. Kennedy drew a clear line in the sand in his inaugural address. "It was the hunt, not the killing. This rifle came to us as a standard sporter rifle, with a Douglas barrel blank. Hathcock was awarded the Silver Star for his heroic action. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. Hathcock generally used a Winchester Model 70, chambered in .30-06 and with a standard 8-power Unertl scope. 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. 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. [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? He did win the Wimbledon Cup with it after all. Your browser is out of date and may not be able to properly display our website. This is debatable. Receiver is engraved with likeness of Carlos Hathcock's signature, along with the White Feather logo. As I remember from reading Henderson's book many moons ago, GySgt Hathcock deployed to VietNam in the '66-69 time frame. He only used the .50 M2 on less than a dozen shots. One of the distant places where Americas commitment would come to be tested was in South Vietnam. This rifle is the same as the Model 70 sniper rifle used by famed Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock near Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, in 1966. It was this . They are fragile and the external rings may or may not offer as fine adjustments for windage and elevation. The checkered panels are sharp; wear is limited to scattered visible sling hardware marks near the buttplate and upper sling swivel. In 1975, Hathcock's health began to deteriorate, and he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Hathcock passed away in 1999 at the age of 57. Can't recall if they were 264 or 7mm Rem mag offhand. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. You sir have your shit together. OVERALL LENGTH: 44.8 in. 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. Springfield Armory's M-21 and M-25 are the highest quality precision rifles built on the M-14action. He was the only child of Carlos and Agnes Hathcock. Winchester Model 70 It was long thought that Hathcock, armed with his Winchester Model 70 . I had always thought that long tube scopes were originally used a long time ago and were more or less obsolete. The USMC was still using the Model 70s as both target rifle for international match competition and pseudo-sniper rifle work . These marines were unwilling to leave their preferred rifle at home and carry the approved, but less accurate Springfield M1903 into battle. The rifle retains the original style sporter stock with checkered pistol grip and forearm and steel checkered buttplate. It had a standard weight barrel as well as a clip guide milled into the receiver bridge so 5-round stripper clips could quickly and easily charge the magazine. Springfield Armory designed a highly accurized version of their M1A Supermatch rifle with a McMillan Stock and match grade barrel and dubbed it the "M-25 White Feather". Hathcock used the M40 during the Vietnam War and is credited with numerous kills, including a record-setting 2,500-meter shot.
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carlos hathcock model 70 rifle