carlos hathcock model 70 rifle

These two Garand sniper rifles were the mainstay of the U.S. militarys sniper rifle inventory until the early 1960s when the United States became increasingly involved in the conflict in Southeast Asia.The Springfield M1903A1 rifle fitted with an 8X Unertl scope was the only bolt-action sniping rifle to see any substantive use in the hands of U.S. Marines during the Korean War. You are using an out of date browser. 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. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. I got this guy for $501 delivered to my door. Receiver is engraved with likeness of Carlos Hathcock's signature, along with the White Feather logo. 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 rifle has no Marine or U.S. property marks on any component. He set up on a hill close to the treeline, 700 yards from where his target would be. The following year Hathcock deployed to South Vietnam with the 1st Marine Division, where he was soon assigned sniper duties. It was this . There are currently no customer product questions on this lot. From 100 -500 yards, things were fairly easy to compensate. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. As events transpired, the Model 70s pressed into service as sniping arms, especially during the Vietnam War, were really never meant to be more than a stop-gap or interim measure until a standardized sniper rifle could be procured. Hathcock died on February 22, 1999, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, aged 56, from complications resulting from multiple sclerosis. This rifle is illustrated and described on pages 66 and 67 of "The One Round War" by Peter Senich. 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. I think the GSgt used the 10x but the 20x looks just like it. [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. Hathcock was awarded the Silver Star for his heroic action. The Model 70s began to be replaced by Remington Model 700 rifles, which were later standardized by the Marine Corps as the M40. The Model 70s 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 remarkable effectiveness. And, yes, I am extremely fortunate to have the most wonderful private range at my disposal. Gunnery Sgt. This one is mine. [7][8][9] After a platoon of Vietnamese snipers was sent to hunt down "White Feather", many Marines in the same area donned white feathers to deceive the enemy. Mil Dots give you an accurate unit of measurement and a way of compensating for gravity and wind drift. Excellent. Btn., 7th Marines, under young Marine Capt. In 1936, Winchester introduced the Model 70 bolt-action rifle to the American market. Carlos Hathcock's sniper rifle! 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. for his record shot. Steam rose from the damp jungle mulch. Unertl 8X telescopic sight has a charcoal blue finish and is fitted with anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts on Winchester bases. Carlos Hathcock receiving the Silver Star for his actions in Vietnam. 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. 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. 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. He purchased a Winchester Model 70 and fitted it with a Unertl 10 power telescopic sight to test his theories. During his entire career as a sniper, Carlos Hathcock used a U. S. Marines version of a Unertl precision riflescope. Born in 1942, Hathcock enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 20, 1959--the very day he turned 17. The Unertl Scope used during that time didnt have the glass clarification that we have become so accustomed to. These scopes now used in Vietnam are the same scopes on newer rifles. Carlos used a Winchester Model 70 .30-06 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets, also used an 8-power Unertl scope. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. Using this rifle, we shot at increments of 100 yards, all the way out to 1,000 to test our modern-day sniper skills. 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. The group started running towards Hathcock and Land. Stretching it past 500 and reaching out to 1000, put all of us in a humbling state of mind. The value of these rifles mean that even if we did own one, we'd probably be reluctant to shoot it. "[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]. A memo dated July 29, 1942, stated in part: Subject: Rifles, Winchester, Model 70, .30 Government 06. 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. [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. Many of these were subsequently rebuilt between circa 1956 and 1963, primarily at the Marine Corps Match Rebuild Shop in Albany, Ga. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. It would be hard to find a better example of this classic Marine sniper rifle from the Vietnam War. [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." 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. 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. 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. 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. 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! [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. During trips to Mississippi, he started developing an interest in hunting and long-range shooting. 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. 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. Hathcock used the M40 during the Vietnam War and is credited with numerous kills, including a record-setting 2,500-meter shot. 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. 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. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the . The scarcity of these rifles mean few of us will ever get a chance to own one. S. Jay Ratliff Charles Henderson, in Marine Sniper, his biography of legendary Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock, tells of a 1967 incident when Hathcock, used two shots from a Browning M2 50 caliber machine gun to dispatch a Viet Cong soldier . 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. Carlos held the record for the longest kill for 35 years. 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. In the background is radio operator Jerry Dunomes. The stock were fitted with 1 1/2-inch sling swivels. [31] He would have received only 50 percent of his final pay grade had he retired after 20 years. Carlos Hathcock, in Vietnam (left) and receiving the Silver Star (right). The USMC was still using the Model 70s as both target rifle for international match competition and pseudo-sniper rifle work . The scope has a fine crosshair reticle and is fitted with screw-on steel lens covers. Your rifle is seriously motivating me to start a new project build .metal and wood just feel so nice together. Van Orden would go on to author a report recommending adoption of the Model 70 for sniper use. By the end of his first deployment Hathcock's life was worth $30,000 to the North Vietnamese . 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. In 1975, Hathcock's health began to deteriorate, and he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. "White Feather" as he was called by the North Vietnamese . 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. 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. At that point Jim told Carlos to take her down. The Model 70 was largely based on the Model 54, and is today still highly regarded by shooters and is often called "The. I had a few of those hanging around. Just 55 days short of the 20 years that would have made him eligible for regular retirement pay, he received a permanent disability separation. The reward was never collected. Decorations. In 1967 Gunny Carlos Hathcock set the record for the longest. That is the pic. The Riflemans Rifle, fitted with an 8X Unertl, was used by the military in long-range competition, then eventually by Marines in Vietnam. You can pick up a replica of the Unertl Scope online for an MSRP of around $550.00. If one was to follow the change of power procedures described above, it gives an incredible latitude to the scopes use. 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. 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. 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. The legendary Carlos Norman Hatchock II learned to shoot with this gun. "The only difficulty I had with Carlos was that he'd stay out there too long. Known as Van Orden rifles, these model 70 sniper rifles were at last procured under the watchful eye of Brigadier General George Van Orden. Bolt Action Sniper Rifle with Unertl Telescopic Sight Manufacturer: Winchester Model: 70 Type: Rifle Gauge: 30-06 Barrel: 24 inch round Finish: blue Grip: Stock: walnut checkered Item Views: 13427 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. The M-25 White Feather is a tribute to Carlos Hathcock who accounted for 93 confirmed enemy kills in Vietnam. Both men served in Kilo Co., 3rd. WEIGHT, EMPTY: 9.5 lbs. He did win the Wimbledon Cup with it after all. It's my job. The slings are embossed with Hathcock's signature. 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. 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. Only thing I would add is I forgo the 6X as I dont think its precise. Typically enemy soldiers were paid anywhere from $8 to $2,000 for taking down an American sniper. The Korean War was the last conflict in which the World War II-vintage bolt-action M1903A1/Unertl sniper rifle was employed. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70.30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. It is an odd scope by todays standards. 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. This was standard issue on his Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle, and he even used the same scope on the .50 cal. [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.

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