"He got that right," Hathcock said. The rifle had a likeness of Hathcock's signature and his "white feather logo" marked on the receiver. The US government eventually purchased additional model 70s andofficially sanctioned them for combat duty. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy drew a clear line in the sand in his inaugural address. The metal was reblued as required. It was supplied with a Redfield 3x9 mounted with Redfield base/rings. [22] As the general exited his encampment, Hathcock fired a single shot that struck the general in the chest, killing him. You sir have your shit together. [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. 30-06 caliber rifle equipped with an 8-power Unertl scope, was the deadliest sniper in Marine Corps history, but that title belongs to Mawhinney. On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. The stock were fitted with 1 1/2-inch sling swivels. The stock is nicely figured American walnut with checkered forearm and pistol grip and has the Winchester semi-gloss varnish finish. 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. 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. It was in this way the Winchester model 70 found its way into unauthorized sniper duty during the WWII, primarily in the Pacific Theater. The bolt body is polished bright and electro-penciled with the rifle serial number "48213". Carlos N. Hathcock II, who won the Wimbledon. Very nice rifle. On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. The legendary Carlos Norman Hatchock II learned to shoot with this gun. Hathcock was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on May 20, 1942. While recovering, Hathcock received the Purple Heart. Lots of posts I haven't come back to as of late. An unknown number of additional Model 70s were eventually purchased for military use - both standard rifles and the marksman style target 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. [38] He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia. These rifles were subsequently used for recreation and target shooting. The scarcity of these rifles mean few of us will ever get a chance to own one. He set up on a hill close to the treeline, 700 yards from where his target would be. But I guess I was wrong. [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. During the Vietnam War, Marine Corps Veteran Carlos Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills of North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong personnel. Hathcock held the record for the highest bounty and killed every known Vietnamese marksman who sought him to try to collect it. It may not display this or other websites correctly. And they did see duty. Carlos Norman Hathcock II (20 May 1942 - 23 February 1999) was a United States Marine Corps sniper with a service record of 93 confirmed kills. He purchased a Winchester Model 70 and fitted it with a Unertl 10 power telescopic sight to test his theories. By the end of his first deployment Hathcock's life was worth $30,000 to the North Vietnamese . Keep an eye on the CMP Auction Site. You will find the sale page with further details if you click here. In an eloquent eulogy to Hathcock inThe Washington Post, staff writer Stephen Hunter said it best. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. SIGHTS: Folding rear, bead front WEIGHT, EMPTY: 9.5 lbs. He was the only child of Carlos and Agnes Hathcock. The USMC was still using the Model 70s as both target rifle for international match competition and pseudo-sniper rifle work . 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. It is a Model 70 National Match version made before 1940. NRA photo. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt action sporting rifle. If I don't get those bastards, then they're gonna kill a lot of these kids dressed up like Marines. They were mothballed after NRA changed match rules to limit service personnel to shooting service rifles. Not what he was able to get the Marine Corps to adopt. 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. [23][failed verification] This effort took four days and three nights without sleep and with constant inch-by-inch crawling. The stock is in very fine condition. It is an odd scope by todays standards. Nearly 30 years later, he received a Silver Star for this action. [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. 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. Support Veteran Journalism , Editors note: Carlos Hathcock Born this day, May 20, 1942. 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. In 2016, an armorer with the Pennsylvania National Guard contacted us regarding a .308 target rifle used by their competitive match shooters. They are a little tedious to adjust but have very clear glass and a very fine cross hair recticle. That is without having to go with the points on a special reticle. Born in 1942, Hathcock enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on May 20, 1959the very day he turned 17. He fell into a state of depression when he was forced out of the Marines because he felt as if the service had kicked him out. 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Carlos Hathcock (D. Kevin Elliott) The sun lay low in the Vietnamese sky. [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. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. 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. Receiver is engraved with likeness of Carlos Hathcock's signature, along with the White Feather logo. It was the performance of these Snipers in Vietnam that secured the sniper concept as a permanent fixture in the United States military. 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. The Model 70s also drew the attention of USMC snipers and their chief sponsor - Brigadier General George Van Orden. 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. You can Cerakote the stainless barrela good artist can pretty much replicate any finish. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. Born in 1942, Hathcock enlisted in the Marine Corps on May 20, 1959--the very day he turned 17. 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. The sniper, known only as the "Cobra," had already killed several Marines and was believed to have been sent specifically to kill Hathcock. The ranging peice was plastic and many distort over the years. This rifle has all of the characteristics of the Marine Model 70 sniper rifles issued in Vietnam c. 1966. The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs and it is a development of the earlier Winchester Model 54. The value of these rifles mean that even if we did own one, we'd probably be reluctant to shoot it. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. Winchester Model 70 It was long thought that Hathcock, armed with his Winchester Model 70 . Scope used by Carlos Hathcock. I am hoping to have one built myself someday. 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. 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. These later rifles were delivered to the US military already modified to be sniper rifles, including a heavy barrel and accurized stock. 134,606 views Dec 6, 2020 Winchester Model 70 (.30-06) rifle review in Hindi. The checkered panels are sharp; wear is limited to scattered visible sling hardware marks near the buttplate and upper sling swivel. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. I'm not. 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. Includes 10 round box magazine standard plus extra 5 round magazine, and hard case. I appreciate those pics, the rifle and the background. That's the way I look at it. They were running about $800 for a nice one with rings a few years ago. Land told Hathcock to "put another round in her." Hathcock fired again and her body convulsed. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. It is used by not only sportsmen, but military and police snipers as well. It's my job. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. The rifle retains the original style sporter stock with checkered pistol grip and forearm and steel checkered buttplate. Item Number: R30701. All of the markings are crisp. [31] He would have received only 50 percent of his final pay grade had he retired after 20 years. Despite its excellence as a precision rifle, the Model 70 was never fully embraced by the U.S. military as a standardized sniper arm. Rewards put on U.S. snipers by the PAVN typically ranged from $8 to $2,000. 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. [23][22] He missed the Marine Corps, however, and returned to Vietnam in 1969, where he took command of a platoon of snipers.[10]. Model 70 sniper rifles were used by US Marine snipers continuously from WWII, through the Vietnam War. 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 And, yes, I am extremely fortunate to have the most wonderful private range at my disposal. 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. This effort was ultimately unsuccessful from a military procurement standpoint, but cemented the Model 70's place in USMC sniper history. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. 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. 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. And it was as a sniper rifle the Model 70 ultimately earned its stripes. As was the case during World War II, the Marine Corps considered procuring some Winchester Model 70 rifles for sniping use in Korea, but these results were the same as before. Can't recall if they were 264 or 7mm Rem mag offhand. Hathcock eventually picked up the hobby of shark fishing, which helped him to overcome his depression. Being medically discharged, he received 100 percent disability pay. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. During this depression, his wife Jo nearly left him but decided to stay. 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. 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. 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. The only sound in the sweltering stillness was the buzzing of flies and gnats as. He went on about five [operations] one time before I could get a fix on him. The second lot of rifles used by Land and his teams in Vietnam were also Winchester Model 70 target guns in .30-06 Sprg. But I never did enjoy killing anybody. Previously sold. 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. My Hathcock tribute is based on what he considered the "ideal" rifle as discussed in his authorized biography, "White Feather". First rate article outlining the service of the Model 70. The rifle was already being used by Marines snipers in Vietnam. The Unertl Scope used during that time didnt have the glass clarification that we have become so accustomed to. The Army's most accomplished Vietnam War sniper, Sgt. Winchester Model 70 "standard Rifle" manufactured in 1941 with medium-heavy target barrel and "U.S.M.C.-SNIPER" Unertl telescopic sight. Using this rifle, we shot at increments of 100 yards, all the way out to 1,000 to test our modern-day sniper skills. [2] Hathcock married Josephine "Jo" Bryan (ne Broughton; 19302016) on the date of the Marine Corps birthday, November 10, 1962. 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. Chief Warrant Officer But if you go by the books, everything seems right on it. There also isn't any internal adjustments to zero. [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. You are correct in that stainless cannot be blued as it is. 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]. All it would take is an '06 reamer if one was inclined. 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. 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. However, where the USMC procurement brass failed to see the merits of the Model 70, the Marine Corpsmarksmendid not. Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. After ensuring his escape route was in place, he took his shot. This is yet another example of the truism that a great civilian firearm does not always equate to a great military rifle. I told a gunny, 'Bring [him] back here.' The Model 70 Standard Rifles were fitted with Winchester medium-heavy target barrels in modified stocks and the Unertl telescopic sights. I have a 53 heavy barreled action that needs the same treatment. 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. The Model 70 was largely based on theModel 54, and is today still highly regarded by shooters and is often called The Riflemans Rifle. The sniper system shoots theM72 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets (.30-06). Initially his preferred rifle was a pre 1964 (Winchester quality after this time declined) Model 70 Winchester M40 bolt action in 30-06 (he preferred the 30-06 over the, then, current 7.62x51 Nato . The barrel, receiver, bolt handle, cocking piece trigger guard, and buttplate have the Winchester charcoal blue finish. sniper kill. In a book I'm reading about on Carlos Hathcock, there are some pictures of him with his rifle. [32], Hathcock provided sniper instruction to police departments and select military units, such as SEAL Team Six. Beautiful build. Founded by Frank Galli in 2000, Snipers Hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action, sporting rifle that can be used for hunting or shooting. That is the pic. 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. [47] Hathcock carried a Colt M1911A1 pistol as a sidearm.[17]. This is debatable. NRA Secretary Edward J. Carlos held the record for the longest kill for 35 years. These two historic Winchester Model 70 rifles bearing serial numbers "1" and "2" are now being offered for sale by Sportsman's Legacy. [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. He also used on occasion a Remington M40, basically a Remington ADL Varmint 308 rifle that was produced specially for the USMC in 1965 or so.
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