Beautiful build. His heroic actions were instrumental in saving the lives of several Marines. In 1967 Gunny Carlos Hathcock set the record for the longest. 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. "White Feather" as he was called by the North Vietnamese . Keep an eye on the CMP Auction Site. He was the only child of Carlos and Agnes Hathcock. Although suffering from severe burns to his face, trunk, and arms and legs, Staff Sergeant Hathcock assisted the injured Marines in exiting the burning vehicle and moving to a place of relative safety. The Model 70 Standard Rifles were fitted with Winchester medium-heavy target barrels in modified stocks and the Unertl telescopic sights. Despite its excellence as a precision rifle, the Model 70 was never fully embraced by the U.S. military as a standardized sniper arm. IIRC, Remington did this with some of their rifles at one time. The late Marine sniper set the record in 1967 with a M-2 .50 caliber Browning machine gun.. Gunnery Sgt. And, yes, I am extremely fortunate to have the most wonderful private range at my disposal. During the closing stages of the war, the M1903A1/Unertl was replaced by the semi-automatic Garand M1C sniper rifle, which was soon followed by the M1D. The anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts have a blue-brown patina that is typical of these WWII production mounts. Sgt. Carlos Hathcock receiving the Silver Star for his actions in Vietnam. The rifle has no Marine or U.S. property marks on any component. After his service in Vietnam, Hathcock helped establish the USMCs Scout Sniper School at Quantico, Virginia, and he continued to pass along his hard-won knowledge to both military and law enforcement marksmen in the years that followed. Rewards put on U.S. snipers by the PAVN typically ranged from $8 to $2,000. The U.S. Army fielded some World War II-vintage M1903A4 bolt-actions but relied primarily on the semi-automatic M1C Garand. Chief Warrant Officer Estimated Price: $ 15,000 - $ 25,000 Price Realized: Details Outstanding, Rare and Well Documented Winchester Model 70 U.S.M.C. As with Kraig's rifle above, it would have been clip-slotted and while original Win70 Target rifles came with either a Std, heavy or bull barrel, one would assume the rifles sent overseas were former target rifles that had been reworked by the 'Team armorers with new barrels. This is debatable. This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. The serial number, "48213" is roll-stamped on the right side of the receiver below the rear sight base. It is an odd scope by todays standards. Known as Van Orden rifles, these model 70 sniper rifles were at last procured under the watchful eye of Brigadier General George Van Orden. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. The second lot of rifles used by Land and his teams in Vietnam were also Winchester Model 70 target guns in .30-06 Sprg. Hathcock died on February 22, 1999, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, aged 56, from complications resulting from multiple sclerosis. 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. Van Ordens rifles also enjoyed some measure of success on the target range, as Marine Col. Walter Walsh won the 1952 National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, with one of the Van Orden Snipers.. .30-06 Winchester Model 70 National Match Rifles equipped with a medium heavy barrel for use during the 1955 National Matches. The recipient of the memo replied on Feb. 7, 1955: The total number of weapons required for the 1955 Matches is 204. It has been confirmed that the U.S. Army purchased in excess of 200 Model 70 rifles between 1954 and 1959, mainly from Van Ordens firm. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.. The matte black LR/T weighs 19.5 ounces and is 13.5 inches in overall length. 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. Carlos Hathcock with his Winchester Model 70 rifle. The rifle most associated with Carlos Hathcock is the Winchester model 70 sniper rifle with an 8X-power Unertl scope. Carlos Hathcock died on February 23, 1999, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from complications resulting from multiple sclerosis. This rifle has all of the characteristics of the Marine Model 70 sniper rifles issued in Vietnam c. 1966. A list of modern browsers is below; simply click an icon to go to the browsers download page. . These rifles were subsequently used for recreation and target shooting. Before any official action was taken, the Marine Corps ordered 373 Model 70s chambered in .30-06 Sprg. Regarding, his tools of trade, Hathcock, normally operated with the Winchester Model 70, 30-06 Caliber rifle along with an 8 power scope. What type of rifle did Carlos Hathcock use? You know it's funny how just a simple duplex reticle, like what you find in most scopes can be a real help in ranging and holding. All it would take is an '06 reamer if one was inclined. Hathcocks primary set-up was a Model 70 (pre-64), 30-06 target rifle with a heavy barrel, and Unertle 8x scope. Oval Winchester "W/P" proof marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel and receiver. 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. I'm not. Adopting the Winchester Model 70 as the ideal Marine sniper rifle was a concept that had been floated by the Corps tactical marksmanship experts as far back as the early 1940s. 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. Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. 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). Throughout its life, the Model 70 has been offered in . WEIGHT, EMPTY: 9.5 lbs. Land later recruited Marines who had set their own records in sharpshooting; he quickly found Hathcock, who had won the Wimbledon Cup, the most prestigious prize for long-range shooting, at Camp Perry in 1965. [22] Hathcock said he was almost stepped on as he lay camouflaged with grass and vegetation in a meadow shortly after sunset. JavaScript is disabled. They were running about $800 for a nice one with rings a few years ago. Before 1.02, the M70 Tundra was named the Winchester Model 70. "[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 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. 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. Carlos Hathcock . It was the performance of these Snipers in Vietnam that secured the sniper concept as a permanent fixture in the United States military. Click here for more information. From an early age, he was fond of firearms. 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. Note the long rear ring with the clip-slot cut in. . Hathcock used the M40 during the Vietnam War and is credited with numerous kills, including a record-setting 2,500-meter shot. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. It was in this way the Winchester model 70 found its way into unauthorized sniper duty during the WWII, primarily in the Pacific Theater. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. [20] During a volunteer mission days before the end of his first deployment, he crawled over 1,500 yards of field to shoot a PAVN general.[who? 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. It was supplied with a Redfield 3x9 mounted with Redfield base/rings. Remarkably, a few remain in service to this day. That is without having to go with the points on a special reticle. I was out yesterday trying to test a few loads at 400 yards but the wind quickly picked up to about 30 gusting 40mph and it was quickly becoming a waste of powder. 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. 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. He managed to achieve an astounding kill record of 93 - including an impressive shot through an enemy sniper's scope, but it was with the M2 that he was able to take out a Vietcong soldier pushing a bicycle loaded with ammunition at . 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. 134,606 views Dec 6, 2020 Winchester Model 70 (.30-06) rifle review in Hindi. Carlos Hathcock, in Vietnam (left) and receiving the Silver Star (right). 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. He set up on a hill close to the treeline, 700 yards from where his target would be. But it's a total rebuild. [5], The PAVN placed a bounty of US $30,000 on Hathcock's life for killing so many of its soldiers. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. 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. Not what he was able to get the Marine Corps to adopt. 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. The fact that the guys using this rifle shot at distances exceeding 800 yards (1000+) on human sized targets, is a great accomplishment in itself. The Unertl Scope used during that time didnt have the glass clarification that we have become so accustomed to. 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. Nicknamed The White Feather for the small plume he wore on his boonie cap, Hathcocks incredible marksmanship skills soon struck fear in the hearts of the enemy, so much so that the Viet Cong reportedly placed a bounty of $30,000 on his head. In two tours in the 1960s, he wandered through the big bad bush in the Republic of South Vietnam, and with a rifle made by Winchester, a heart made by God and a discipline made by the Marine Corps, he stalked and killed 93 of his countrys enemies.. Being medically discharged, he received 100 percent disability pay. 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. 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. While the war in Vietnam ushered in a number of new technologies, particularly the widespread use of helicopters and night vision equipment, much of the equipment had been tried and tested on the battlefields of earlier wars. 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. Land told Hathcock to "put another round in her." Hathcock fired again and her body convulsed. The late Marine sniper set the record in 1967 with a M-2 .50 caliber Browning machine gun.. This one is mine. Steam rose from the damp jungle mulch. But I guess I was wrong. The Model 70 was originally manufactured by the . The Riflemans Rifle, fitted with an 8X Unertl, was used by the military in long-range competition, then eventually by Marines in Vietnam. This recommendation made its way up the chain of command. 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. As long as you understood the effects wind had on the projectile and understood the ballistic drop, you could do fine. You can pick up a replica of the Unertl Scope online for an MSRP of around $550.00. 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. 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. 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. 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. What should the discerning collector look for in a potential buy? Due to the extreme injuries he suffered in Vietnam, he was in nearly constant pain, but continued to dedicate himself to teaching snipers. Ultimately neither of these proposed rifles was ultimately adopted. 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. 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. [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. The rifle was already being used by Marines snipers in Vietnam. 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! This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. 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. [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 scope tube is roll-stamped: "J. UNERTL/USMC-SNIPER" in two lines above the serial number "2232". When the need arose for more Model 70s the rifles procured by Brig. During his entire career as a sniper, Carlos Hathcock used a U. S. Marines version of a Unertl precision riflescope. The barrel, receiver, bolt handle, cocking piece trigger guard, and buttplate have the Winchester charcoal blue finish. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action, sporting rifle that can be used for hunting or shooting. Btn., 7th Marines, under young Marine Capt. 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. Through the PX system in Okinawa, Lands NCOs bought mounts, rings and scopes. With this rifle, Carlos describes killing 7 more Viet Cong soldiers and shared the 8th VC with McAbee. Carlos Hathcock typically used the Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle chambered for use with 30-06 ammunition along with an eight-power Unertl scope. He lived in a rural area with his grandmother as his parents had separated. In 1967, Hathcock set the record for the longest sniper kill. Carlos Hathcock, in Vietnam (left) and receiving the Silver Star (right). [17] However, scholars such as Jerry Lembcke have cast doubt on Hathcock's account and questioned the existence of "Apache". 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. [47] Hathcock carried a Colt M1911A1 pistol as a sidearm.[17]. [2] Hathcock married Josephine "Jo" Bryan (ne Broughton; 19302016) on the date of the Marine Corps birthday, November 10, 1962. 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. The ranging peice was plastic and many distort over the years. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the M2 Browning machine gun, on which he mounted an 8X Unertl scope, using a bracket made by metalworkers of the SeaBees . This is the rifle that Gy. An unknown number of additional Model 70s were eventually purchased for military use - both standard rifles and the marksman style target rifles. 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. These marines were unwilling to leave their preferred rifle at home and carry the approved, but less accurate Springfield M1903 into battle. The rifle excelled in USMC sniper trials and target competitions, making it the preferred rifle of most USMC snipers. Scope not included. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: . By the end of his first deployment Hathcock's life was worth $30,000 to the North Vietnamese . 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 . He sold quite a few, and claims they came from a USMC armorer. Buffalo,. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. 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. They are fragile and the external rings may or may not offer as fine adjustments for windage and elevation. sniper kill. The owner had provided us with the stock already featuring a nicely aged appearance, which we maintained in the build. [23][22] He missed the Marine Corps, however, and returned to Vietnam in 1969, where he took command of a platoon of snipers.[10]. 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. The left side of the barrel has the standard Winchester legend and trademark followed by: "MODEL 70-30-06 SPRG.-". Calvin Lloyd, wrote a 72-page report titled Equipment for the American Sniper, which discussed the various types of rifles and telescopic sights available at the time. Unofficially and by his own estimates, Hathcock believed he killed between 300 and 400. Introduced in 1936 as an improvement on the Model 54, the Model 70 soon set the standard for commercial bolt-action rifles. [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 was long thought that Hathcock, armed with his Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle equipped with an 8-power Unertl scope, was the deadliest sniper in Marine Corps history, but that. 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. 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". He hunted at that early age with a .22-caliber J. C. Higgins single-shot rifle. 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. He had dreamed of being a U.S. Marine his whole life and enlisted in 1959 at just 17 years old. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. 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. for his record shot. Founded by Frank Galli in 2000, Snipers Hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. Some of the stocks were fiberglass bedded. Carlos Hathcock accepting the Wimbledon Cup after winning the NRA National Matches. I think the GSgt used the 10x but the 20x looks just like it. 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. 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. These rifles pop up every now and then, not often but they do show up. If I don't get those bastards, then they're gonna kill a lot of these kids dressed up like Marines. Hathcock was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on May 20, 1942. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70.30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. Weaponry. The rifle is a Winchester M70 in 30-06. The M-25 White Feather is a tribute to Carlos Hathcock who accounted for 93 confirmed enemy kills in Vietnam.