carlos hathcock model 70 rifle

[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. It is a Model 70 National Match version made before 1940. On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. Beautiful build. These later rifles only added to the popularity of the model 70 among US snipers. It was supplied with a Redfield 3x9 mounted with Redfield base/rings. Just 55 days short of the 20 years that would have made him eligible for regular retirement pay, he received a permanent disability separation. Remarkably, a few remain in service to this day. All Rights Reserved. I appreciate those pics, the rifle and the background. The M40 (wood stock R700 & Redfield) was around but he was VERY familiar with the M70 target rifle as part of the USMC Rifle Team. This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. Hathcock used for much of his time in Vietnam. The rifle retains the original style sporter stock with checkered pistol grip and forearm and steel checkered buttplate. It was the Marines who pressed the Winchester Model 70 into service as a sniper rifle in Vietnam. 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. The rifle had a likeness of Hathcock's signature and his "white feather logo" marked on the receiver. Here are the features to watch out for. JavaScript is disabled. These marines were unwilling to leave their preferred rifle at home and carry the approved, but less accurate Springfield M1903 into battle. SIGHTS: Folding rear, bead front 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. 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. 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. All of the markings are crisp. 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. Carlos Norman Hathcock II (May 20, 1942 February 22, 1999) was a United States Marine Corps (USMC) sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. Scope not included. The late Marine sniper set the record in 1967 with a M-2 .50 caliber Browning machine gun.. 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 WWII U.S.M.C. The scarcity of these rifles mean few of us will ever get a chance to own one. One of the perennially popular Winchester firearms of the 20th century is the Model 70 bolt-action rifle. Hathcocks primary set-up was a Model 70 (pre-64), 30-06 target rifle with a heavy barrel, and Unertle 8x scope. The Unertl telescopic sight is in excellent condition. The barrel, receiver, bolt handle, cocking piece trigger guard, and buttplate have the Winchester charcoal blue finish. On September 16, 1969, Hathcock's career as a sniper came to a sudden end along Highway 1, north of Landing Zone Baldy, when the LVTP-5 he was riding on struck an anti-tank mine. [2] Jo gave birth to a son, whom they named Carlos Norman Hathcock III. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. [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. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. 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.. His longest confirmed kill was 2500 yards. 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! 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. As a sniper of a modern era, I am truly amazed at what the guys were able to do using what they had at the time. Hathcock was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on May 20, 1942. There are currently no customer product questions on this lot. Introduced in 1936 as an improvement on the Model 54, the Model 70 soon set the standard for commercial bolt-action rifles. After ensuring his escape route was in place, he took his shot. At that point Jim told Carlos to take her down. The machine work, barrel channel and bedding were completed in our shop. Carlos Hathcock, used the rifle with remarkable effectiveness. 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 . 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. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. 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]. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Land, Jr., who served in the . But if you go by the books, everything seems right on it. 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. The bolt body is polished bright and electro-penciled with the rifle serial number "48213". 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. Are you at 6 or are you at 5.75 or 6.25? 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. Legendary USMC sniper Carlos Hathcock learned how to shoot on a Stevens Model 15-A. The late Marine sniper set the record in 1967 with a M-2 .50 caliber Browning machine gun.. 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. Marines like Carlos Hathcock proved the rifle was quite accurate and very effective. 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. Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives. He and other Marines who were riding on top of the vehicle were sprayed with flaming gasoline caused by the explosion. Nice! Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. 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 rifle most associated with Carlos Hathcock is the Winchester model 70 sniper rifle with an 8X-power Unertl scope. A one of a kind rifle! From the 1970's, illustrating the Monte Carlo style stocks used in this era. Some of the snipers now in Vietnam were not yet born when the telescopic sights they use were employed in a different war. Tribute rifles have the general appearance and build spec of the original Marine rifles, where replica rifles attempt to be correct to the original rifles in every way, including a serial number which falls into the correct date range. 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. Can't recall if they were 264 or 7mm Rem mag offhand. Gunny Hathcock's venerable Winchester could certainly tell a tale or two. Carlos Hathcock, in Vietnam (left) and receiving the Silver Star (right). 50,690. If you decide that you wanted an original Unertl, they are out there and available. Before 1.02, the M70 Tundra was named the Winchester Model 70. Keep an eye on the CMP Auction Site. 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. Born on May 20, 1942, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Hathcock took to the sport of shooting at a very young age. 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. What many people don't realize is that the Unertl scope back in the day doesn't have glass amplification. 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. I'm not. Unless you plan to go humping through the boonies, the fragile nature of the old optic is not much of an issue. The Winchester Model 70 represented perhaps the epitome of the bolt-action sporting rifle. sniper kill. The slings are embossed with Hathcock's signature. Composite stock of course. It is an odd scope by today's standards. 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. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. The U.S. Army fielded some World War II-vintage M1903A4 bolt-actions but relied primarily on the semi-automatic M1C Garand. I told a gunny, 'Bring [him] back here.' Much as I described with the duplex, the mildot gives a lot of points to hold off of without ever having to change powers. Btn., 7th Marines, under young Marine Capt. "[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. In November 1965, USMC Gy/Sgt. It would be hard to find a better example of this classic Marine sniper rifle from the Vietnam War. This recommendation made its way up the chain of command. Probably overthinking this but I like to use the "stops" at each end of the power range in this application. Unertl 8X telescopic sight has a charcoal blue finish and is fitted with anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts on Winchester bases. Your browser is out of date and may not be able to properly display our website. Some of the stocks were fiberglass bedded. He did however adapt according to the conditions and once even used the M2 Browning machine gun! I had a few of those hanging around. Hathcock passed away in 1999 at the age of 57. Before deploying to South Vietnam, Hathcock had won shooting championships, including matches at Camp Perry and the Wimbledon Cup. 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 . 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. 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. 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. Manufactured in a wide variety of configurations and calibers, it was a favorite of many hunters, shooters and gun enthusiasts. 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. 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. "[20] Hathcock said in a book written about his career as a sniper: "I like shooting, and I love hunting. [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." 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. 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. Instead of running for the sniper, the soldiers . There are no internal adjustments to zero these old style Unertls. Just under 1200 yards of room if I stretch it and hills in every direction for natures perfect back stop! The second lot of rifles used by Land and his teams in Vietnam were also Winchester Model 70 target guns in .30-06 Sprg. For this operation, Carlos selected a .30-06 Winchester Model 70 mounting a Lyman 8X telescope that McAbee had fine-tuned. Estimated Price: $ 15,000 - $ 25,000 Price Realized: Details Outstanding, Rare and Well Documented Winchester Model 70 U.S.M.C. Carlos Hathcock receiving the Silver Star for his actions in Vietnam. Typically enemy soldiers were paid anywhere from $8 to $2,000 for taking down an American sniper. The medium-heavy target barrel is a post war replacement. Snipers Hide is a community of Snipers of all kinds, focusing on long range shooting, accuracy, and ballistics. He purchased a Winchester Model 70 and fitted it with a Unertl 10 power telescopic sight to test his theories.