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The price is set at USD$1,750,000.00. The serial number, "48213" is roll-stamped on the right side of the receiver below the rear sight base. It was in this way the Winchester model 70 found its way into unauthorized sniper duty during the WWII, primarily in the Pacific Theater. AFAIK, Crane only made two of these on the 721 action. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the U.S. Marine Corps. They are a little tedious to adjust but have very clear glass and a very fine cross hair recticle. This was standard issue on his Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle, and he even used the same scope on the .50 cal. There also isn't any internal adjustments to zero. These relatively few Model 70 rifles soon became favored for their lighter weight, refined handling, and superior accuracy compared to the Springfield rifle. 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. 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. Through the PX system in Okinawa, Lands NCOs bought mounts, rings and scopes. Oval Winchester "W/P" proof marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel and receiver. Snipers often did not have a third party present, making confirmation difficult, especially if the target was behind enemy lines, as was usually the case. The rifle had a likeness of Hathcock's signature and his "white feather logo" marked on the receiver. Wiley Clapp in 1965. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. Those rifles were in the Winchester Marksman stocks with their wide forends and deep grips. The stock is nicely figured American walnut with checkered forearm and pistol grip and has the Winchester semi-gloss varnish finish. Adelbert F. Waldron III stacked up 113 enemies using the XM21 system. Agree sandwarrior there was a thread on old old hide many moons ago regarding this. Steam rose from the damp jungle mulch. Most of the Model 70 sniper rifles issued by the Marines to snipers in the early stage of the Vietnam War were pre-war or early WWII production Model 70 .30-06 Standard Rifles purchased during WWII. He sold quite a few, and claims they came from a USMC armorer. He grew up in Wynne, Arkansas, living with his grandmother for the first 12 years of his life after his parents separated. The rifle is pillar bedded and barrel free-floated in its original stock. Moscow Should Prepare For Probable US Nuclear Aggression: Reports Russian Military Journal, Destroying American Monster Abrams: Pro-Russian Group Release A How-To Video, Dr. Mary E. 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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. 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. The Army's most accomplished Vietnam War sniper, Sgt. A one of a kind rifle! A handful of the original USMC model 70 riflessurvive to this day, and 76 years later hold enormous collector interest. It is used by not only sportsmen, but military and police snipers as well. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. If you get a chance, test it out for yourself. May also want to read this American Rifleman article: Thank you! 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! 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.". This rifle came to us as a standard sporter rifle, with a Douglas barrel blank. 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". [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. Carlos Hathcock passed away on 22 nd February 1999 in Virginia from the disease that had forced retirement . 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. 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 . Considered a real one but again even a cheap ($450.00) modern scope I feel is better than an original 60's era scope. 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. SIGHTS: Folding rear, bead front Some of the stocks were fiberglass bedded. [3], During the Vietnam War, Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills of People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong personnel. The rifle would of course have to be chambered in the 458 x 1.5 Barnes cartridge. Staff Sergeant Hathcock was riding on an Assault Amphibious Vehicle which ran over and detonated an enemy anti-tank mine, disabling the vehicle which was immediately engulfed in flames. [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. This rifle is illustrated and described on pages 66 and 67 of "The One Round War" by Peter Senich. But it's a total rebuild. This recommendation made its way up the chain of command. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. 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. Before any official action was taken, the Marine Corps ordered 373 Model 70s chambered in .30-06 Sprg. The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs and it is a development of the earlier Winchester Model 54. 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. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. who placed a bounty on him during the Vietnam War ) used primarily a Pre-64 Winchester M. I appreciate those pics, the rifle and the background. 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. The late Marine sniper set the record in 1967 with a M-2 .50 caliber Browning machine gun.. His previous skill as a marksman had won him a variety of matches and trophies at places like Camp Perry in Ohio. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. I had always thought that long tube scopes were originally used a long time ago and were more or less obsolete. Hathcock himself estimated that he had killed between 300 and 400 enemy personnel during the Vietnam War. It was this . [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. The bolt body is polished bright and electro-penciled with the rifle serial number "48213". A memo dated July 29, 1942, stated in part: Subject: Rifles, Winchester, Model 70, .30 Government 06. Hathcock dreamed of being a Marine throughout his childhood, and so on May 20, 1959, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Unertl 8X telescopic sight has a charcoal blue finish and is fitted with anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts on Winchester bases. While recovering, Hathcock received the Purple Heart. The Riflemans Rifle, fitted with an 8X Unertl, was used by the military in long-range competition, then eventually by Marines in Vietnam. From the 1970's, illustrating the Monte Carlo style stocks used in this era. This is a pretty cool thread. 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. 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. 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. To avoid contributing to the prolific problem of counterfeit rare model 70s,we decline to build replica model 70s of any kind. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. Nice! Sgt. Born in 1942, Hathcock enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on May 20, 1959the very day he turned 17. 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. A sniper from the 1st Cavalry Division is shown in March 1951 with an M1D Garand, complete with an M81 or M82 riflescope in a Griffin & Howe mount. It is an odd scope by todays standards. The M72 173 grain .30-06 was something that I could familiarize myself with as it is fairly similar to the M118LR. 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. NRA Secretary Edward J. S. Jay Ratliff 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. On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! Excellent. [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. This is debatable. 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. A Lyman micrometer sight base is mounted on the left side of the receiver. [10], One of Hathcock's most famous accomplishments was shooting an enemy sniper through the enemy's own rifle scope, hitting him in the eye and killing him. He set up on a hill close to the treeline, 700 yards from where his target would be. On 10 July 1969, Carlos Hathcock and Ron McAbee were providing security for convoys along Western Route 4. The rifle most associated with Carlos Hathcock is the Winchester model 70 sniper rifle with an 8X-power Unertl scope. Born on May 20, 1942, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Hathcock took to the sport of shooting at a very young age. 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. He and other Marines who were riding on top of the vehicle were sprayed with flaming gasoline caused by the explosion. I did all the other work. Thanks. JavaScript is disabled. All Rights Reserved. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. I hope you don't mind but I was able to move my eyes beyond and it looks like you are fortunate to enjoy some beautiful shooting area if perhaps a bit cold. The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Staff Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock, II (MCSN: 1873109), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Sniper, Seventh Marines, FIRST Marine Division, in connection with military operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam on 16 September 1969. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. The rifle retains nearly 95% of the original blue finish with very minor handling wear. "[20] Hathcock said in a book written about his career as a sniper: "I like shooting, and I love hunting. He lived in a rural area with his grandmother as his parents had separated. [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. [22] As the general exited his encampment, Hathcock fired a single shot that struck the general in the chest, killing him. Carlos held the record for the longest kill for 35 years. He purchased a Winchester Model 70 and fitted it with a Unertl 10 power telescopic sight to test his theories. While the causes and conduct of that war remain a subject of great debate, an interesting aspect of the conflict is the use of the Winchester Model 70 as a precision rifle by the US forces, especially by the US Marine Corps snipers.
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