The rifle most associated with Carlos Hathcock is the Winchester model 70 sniper rifle with an 8X-power Unertl scope. [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. Gunny Hathcock's venerable Winchester could certainly tell a tale or two. His longest confirmed kill was 2500 yards. They were intended primarily as match rifles and were not procured for use as sniper rifles. 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 . NRA photo. Winchester Model 70 "standard Rifle" manufactured in 1941 with medium-heavy target barrel and "U.S.M.C.-SNIPER" Unertl telescopic sight. Adelbert F. Waldron III stacked up 113 enemies using the XM21 system. This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. 134,606 views Dec 6, 2020 Winchester Model 70 (.30-06) rifle review in Hindi. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. These rifles were subsequently used for recreation and target shooting. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. NRA Secretary Edward J. 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. [22] As the general exited his encampment, Hathcock fired a single shot that struck the general in the chest, killing him. Confrontations with North Vietnamese snipers, NRA.org/NRA National Shooting Program/ NRA National Trophies/Wimbledon Cup, Navy and Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, Marine Corps Rifle Expert Marksmanship Badge, Marine Corps Pistol Expert Marksmanship Badge, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, List of historically notable United States Marines, "Marine Corps Sets Sights on More Precise Shooting", "The Story of Legendary Sniper Carlos Hathcock", "Etica ed estetica del cecchino nella narrativa di Nicolai Lilin", "Carlos Hathcock: Famous Marine Corps Sniper", "Ultimate Marine (Hathcock vs Mawhinney)", "Valor Awards for Carlos N. Hathcock, II", "A Quiet Man Uniquely Qualified To Stalk And Kill", "Marine Corps Distinguished Shooters Association Board of Governors", "2015 Marine Corps League Enlisted Awards Announcement", "Review: Springfield Armory's M-25 Whitefeather", "Range complex named after famous Vietnam sniper", Longest confirmed combat sniper-shot kill, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_Hathcock&oldid=1142492093, United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War, Military personnel from Little Rock, Arkansas, United States Marine Corps non-commissioned officers, Articles with dead external links from November 2016, Articles with permanently dead external links, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from February 2019, Articles with failed verification from February 2019, Articles with self-published sources from December 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Hathcock's duel with Cobra was mentioned in the History Channel, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 18:11. I'm not. If one was to follow the change of power procedures described above, it gives an incredible latitude to the scopes use. 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. Decorations. JavaScript is disabled. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. One of the distant places where Americas commitment would come to be tested was in South Vietnam. And it was as a sniper rifle the Model 70 ultimately earned its stripes. 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 was one of several individuals to utilize the M2 Browning machine gun in the sniping role. Hathcock's first round disabled the bicycle, the second struck the enemy soldier in the chest. They were running about $800 for a nice one with rings a few years ago. Born on May 20, 1942, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Hathcock took to the sport of shooting at a very young age. The second lot of rifles used by Land and his teams in Vietnam were also Winchester Model 70 target guns in .30-06 Sprg. He set up on a hill close to the treeline, 700 yards from where his target would be. The serial number, "48213" is roll-stamped on the right side of the receiver below the rear sight base. 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. Land, Jr., who served in the . 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. [38] He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia. His heroic actions were instrumental in saving the lives of several Marines. Answer (1 of 3): If my reading comprehension is still intact; going by memory I seem to recall reading that Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock ( I.E. . Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. 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. There are no internal adjustments to zero these old style Unertls. In 2016, an armorer with the Pennsylvania National Guard contacted us regarding a .308 target rifle used by their competitive match shooters. Unless you plan to go humping through the boonies, the fragile nature of the old optic is not much of an issue. It was in this way the Winchester model 70 found its way into unauthorized sniper duty during the WWII, primarily in the Pacific Theater. Buffalo,. 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. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. The rifle has no Marine or U.S. property marks on any component. In 1967, Hathcock set the record for the longest sniper kill. My Hathcock tribute. Nice! You can pick up a replica of the Unertl Scope online for an MSRP of around $550.00. Throughout its life, the Model 70 has been offered in . [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. 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. I had a few of those hanging around. 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. I appreciate those pics, the rifle and the background. This success led to the adoption of the .50 BMG cartridge as a viable sniper round. Who has the most kills in the Vietnam War? He copied Hemingway's words on a piece of paper. For this operation, Carlos selected a .30-06 Winchester Model 70 mounting a Lyman 8X telescope that McAbee had fine-tuned. Carlos Hathcock died on February 23, 1999, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from complications resulting from multiple sclerosis. While most early model 70 sniper rifles were standard rifles, modified by the Marines for sniper use, this would not be the case for subsequent Winchester rifles coming into US military service. During his entire career as a sniper, Carlos Hathcock used a U. S. Marines version of a Unertl precision riflescope. That is the pic. Regarding, his tools of trade, Hathcock, normally operated with the Winchester Model 70, 30-06 Caliber rifle along with an 8 power scope. Hathcock used the M40 during the Vietnam War and is credited with numerous kills, including a record-setting 2,500-meter shot. 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 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. 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. And, yes, I am extremely fortunate to have the most wonderful private range at my disposal. The Model 70 Standard Rifles were fitted with Winchester medium-heavy target barrels in modified stocks and the Unertl telescopic sights. My Hathcock tribute is based on what he considered the "ideal" rifle as discussed in his authorized biography, "White Feather". Composite stock of course. 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 M-25 White Feather is a tribute to Carlos Hathcock who accounted for 93 confirmed enemy kills in Vietnam. During this depression, his wife Jo nearly left him but decided to stay. Your browser is out of date and may not be able to properly display our website. Eventually, there were likely thousands of model 70s in military service, with the exact number unknown. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. "He got that right," Hathcock said. 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). Which honestly looking at the barrels, I think he was probably likely telling the truth. Many of these were subsequently rebuilt between circa 1956 and 1963, primarily at the Marine Corps Match Rebuild Shop in Albany, Ga. The rifles associated with American Snipers in Vietnam are. 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. Steam rose from the damp jungle mulch. Probably overthinking this but I like to use the "stops" at each end of the power range in this application. Hathcock himself estimated that he had killed between 300 and 400 enemy personnel during the Vietnam War. The barrel is a "sendero" profile made by Bartlein and installed by Moon. 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. When I first saw the pic I assumed it was a short action. 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. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. Considered a real one but again even a cheap ($450.00) modern scope I feel is better than an original 60's era scope. 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. Carlos Hathcock (D. Kevin Elliott) The sun lay low in the Vietnamese sky. In addition to sniper rifles, model 70s were used extensively in marksmanship training and in match team shooting. Hathcocks primary set-up was a Model 70 (pre-64), 30-06 target rifle with a heavy barrel, and Unertle 8x scope. The scope tube is roll-stamped: "J. UNERTL/USMC-SNIPER" in two lines above the serial number "2232". In one of his more renowned stories, Carlos Hathcock killed an enemy sniper through the enemy's own rifle scope. In 1936, Winchester introduced the Model 70 bolt-action rifle to the American market. Serial numbers were in the approximate 41,000 to 50,000 range, and the rifles had 24" sporter barrels with leaf sights, sporter-checkered stocks with steel buttplates, 1" sling swivels and leather slings.Shortly after the government acquired these rifles, Winchester reported that all .30 Government 06 Rifles are now frozen under War Production Board Limitation Orders. The company obviously wanted to sell as many of the Model 70s remaining in its inventory as possible. Just under 1200 yards of room if I stretch it and hills in every direction for natures perfect back stop! We at Winchester Repeating Arms wish to take this opportunity to salute all those who have answered our nations call to serve. I think the GSgt used the 10x but the 20x looks just like it. The rifles inherent accuracy was ideally suited as a sniping rifle. In 1966, the Marines determined that the M1C and M1D Garand sniper rifles lacked the accuracy required for operations in Vietnam and modified the available Model 70 target rifles and standard rifles to sniper configuration by fitting them with the 8x Unertl "USMC-SNIPER" telescopic sights mounted on the Springfield M1903A1 sniper rifles during WWII and the Korean Conflict. I was quickly brought back to reality when shooting this system. 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. The left side of the barrel has the standard Winchester legend and trademark followed by: "MODEL 70-30-06 SPRG.-". 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. Wow. Hathcock eventually picked up the hobby of shark fishing, which helped him to overcome his depression. STOCK: Walnut FINISH: Blued barrel and action, oil-finished stock LENGTH OF PULL: 13.8 in. 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. Unofficially and by his own estimates, Hathcock believed he killed between 300 and 400. 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. Previously sold. It was the performance of these Snipers in Vietnam that secured the sniper concept as a permanent fixture in the United States military. [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." Using this rifle, we shot at increments of 100 yards, all the way out to 1,000 to test our modern-day sniper skills. He stayed in the Marine Corps, but his health continued to decline. On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. He and other Marines who were riding on top of the vehicle were sprayed with flaming gasoline caused by the explosion. It may not display this or other websites correctly. This is a pretty cool thread. While visiting relatives in Mississippi, he took to shooting and hunting at an early age, partly out of necessity to help feed his poor family. George Van Orden and Chief Gy/Sgt. To avoid contributing to the prolific problem of counterfeit rare model 70s,we decline to build replica model 70s of any kind. From 100 -500 yards, things were fairly easy to compensate. [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. The Army's most accomplished Vietnam War sniper, Sgt. 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. The company made its humble start in 1963in Gussago, Italywhen Giuseppe Pietta made a commitment to produce guns as authentic and true-to-original as possible. 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 most well known Marine sniper of the Vietnam war has become a modern legend. And they did see duty. 134,606 views Dec 6, 2020 Winchester Model 70 (.30-06) rifle review in Hindi. The Korean War was the last conflict in which the World War II-vintage bolt-action M1903A1/Unertl sniper rifle was employed. I just passed down my Win 70 .30-'06 Featherweight to the next generation. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs and it is a development of the earlier Winchester Model 54. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: . A marksman model 70 still in active use with the PA National Guard. The Unertl telescopic sight is in excellent condition. It would be hard to find a better example of this classic Marine sniper rifle from 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. [23][22] He missed the Marine Corps, however, and returned to Vietnam in 1969, where he took command of a platoon of snipers.[10]. These later rifles were delivered to the US military already modified to be sniper rifles, including a heavy barrel and accurized stock. 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. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. 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