On 10 July 1969, Carlos Hathcock and Ron McAbee were providing security for convoys along Western Route 4. Hathcock used for much of his time in Vietnam. 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 . In the background is radio operator Jerry Dunomes. He went on about five [operations] one time before I could get a fix on him. Hathcock remains a legend in the U.S. Marine Corps. Beautiful build. Hathcock eventually picked up the hobby of shark fishing, which helped him to overcome his depression. The Model 70 Standard Rifles were fitted with Winchester medium-heavy target barrels in modified stocks and the Unertl telescopic sights. As noted BuffaloWinter's rifle is mostly what Gunny Hathcock wanted in a rifle. Just under 1200 yards of room if I stretch it and hills in every direction for natures perfect back stop! His heroic actions were instrumental in saving the lives of several Marines. This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. It is an odd scope by todays standards. Carlos Hathcock, in Vietnam (left) and receiving the Silver Star (right). These marines were unwilling to leave their preferred rifle at home and carry the approved, but less accurate Springfield M1903 into battle. "It was the hunt, not the killing. The Korean War was the last conflict in which the World War II-vintage bolt-action M1903A1/Unertl sniper rifle was employed. Hathcocks primary set-up was a Model 70 (pre-64), 30-06 target rifle with a heavy barrel, and Unertle 8x scope. 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 reward was never collected. Composite stock of course. Your rifle is seriously motivating me to start a new project build .metal and wood just feel so nice together. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. 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. You are correct in that stainless cannot be blued as it is. Estimated Price: $ 15,000 - $ 25,000 Price Realized: Details Outstanding, Rare and Well Documented Winchester Model 70 U.S.M.C. As I remember from reading Henderson's book many moons ago, GySgt Hathcock deployed to VietNam in the '66-69 time frame. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. If you get a chance, test it out for yourself. [44] Turner Saddlery similarly honored Hathcock by producing a line of leather rifle slings based on his design. At the direction of Van Orden, USMC armorers began modifying some of thesporter weight rifles, fitting them with heavy Douglas target barrels and Unertl 8X scopes. May also want to read this American Rifleman article: Thank you! 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. His previous skill as a marksman had won him a variety of matches and trophies at places like Camp Perry in Ohio. The stock were fitted with 1 1/2-inch sling swivels. 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). Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. April 30 marks the 41st anniversary of the fall of Saigon (since renamed Ho Chi Minh City) and the end of American military involvement in that country. The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better-known as the M1903 Springfield, has become one of the most popular U.S. military small arms to collect. Model 70 sniper rifles were used by US Marine snipers continuously from WWII, through the Vietnam War. So if you are looking to own the first two Model 70's ever made then these are of interest to . Interestingly, Hathcock won that prestigious trophy with a Winchester Model 70. Not what he was able to get the Marine Corps to adopt. The most well known Marine sniper of the Vietnam war has become a modern legend. Hathcock held the record for the highest bounty and killed every known Vietnamese marksman who sought him to try to collect it. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. 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 1967, Hathcock set the record for the longest sniper kill. Officially, Carlos Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills. Scope used by Carlos Hathcock. He sold quite a few, and claims they came from a USMC armorer. 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. JavaScript is disabled. [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. I was quickly brought back to reality when shooting this system. 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. 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. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action, sporting rifle that can be used for hunting or shooting. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. We want you to receive a part which looks exactly right on your vintage rifle, or is precisely what you need to complete your custom masterpiece. But if you go by the books, everything seems right on it. [38] He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia. You are using an out of date browser. In 1975, Hathcock's health began to deteriorate, and he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Btn., 7th Marines, under young Marine Capt. He had dreamed of being a U.S. Marine his whole life and enlisted in 1959 at just 17 years old. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt action sporting rifle. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70.30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. The checkered panels are sharp; wear is limited to scattered visible sling hardware marks near the buttplate and upper sling swivel. These rifles are not considered suitable for use as sniper rifles. Gunny Hathcock's venerable Winchester could certainly tell a tale or two. Yeah it was, it was missing the an action screw and one that held on the trigger guard. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. What many people don't realize is that the Unertl scope back in the day doesn't have glass amplification. But I guess I was wrong. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the U.S. Marine Corps. There are currently no customer product questions on this lot. 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. I just passed down my Win 70 .30-'06 Featherweight to the next generation. Hathcock used the M40 during the Vietnam War and is credited with numerous kills, including a record-setting 2,500-meter shot. 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. Unertl 8X telescopic sight has a charcoal blue finish and is fitted with anodized aluminum Unertl target mounts on Winchester bases. The late Marine sniper set the record in 1967 with a M-2 .50 caliber Browning machine gun.. [45] On March 9, 2007, the rifle and pistol complex at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar was officially renamed the Carlos Hathcock Range Complex.[46]. The scarcity of these rifles mean few of us will ever get a chance to own one. From 100 -500 yards, things were fairly easy to compensate. I did all the other work. Carlos Hathcock with his Winchester Model 70 rifle. The only problem was the fact that this scope reticle did not have something that all snipers use with modern-day sniper scopes, Mil Dots. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. FOLLO .more .more 2.6K Dislike Share Indian Gunner 26.3K subscribers. The Winchester Model 70 represented perhaps the epitome of the bolt-action sporting rifle. Hathcock was awarded the Silver Star for his heroic action. And, yes, I am extremely fortunate to have the most wonderful private range at my disposal. Hathcock passed away in 1999 at the age of 57. In addition to sniper rifles, model 70s were used extensively in marksmanship training and in match team shooting. 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. Only thing I would add is I forgo the 6X as I dont think its precise. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. For this operation, Carlos selected a .30-06 Winchester Model 70 mounting a Lyman 8X telescope that McAbee had fine-tuned. 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. Probably overthinking this but I like to use the "stops" at each end of the power range in this application. Winchester Model 70 It was long thought that Hathcock, armed with his Winchester Model 70 . The stock is in very fine condition. As long as you understood the effects wind had on the projectile and understood the ballistic drop, you could do fine. The 1047 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 .. It might be possible it's real as it came from a Marine officer who served back then, but I don't know how you could ever prove/authenticate one unless you had a document with the serial number on it. The optics are clear. . .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. Marines like Carlos Hathcock proved the rifle was quite accurate and very effective. If you decide that you wanted an original Unertl, they are out there and available. Introduced in 1936 as an improvement on the Model 54, the Model 70 soon set the standard for commercial bolt-action rifles. 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. The Model 70 was originally manufactured by the . For these reasons, we regularly get inquiries about building "tribute" and "replica"USMC Sniper rifles. He used a M2 .50 Cal Browning machine gun mounting a telescopic sight at a range of 2,500 yd, taking down a single Vietcong guerrilla. Scope not included. One of the perennially popular Winchester firearms of the 20th century is the Model 70 bolt-action rifle. There also isn't any internal adjustments to zero. Hathcock himself estimated that he had killed between 300 and 400 enemy personnel during the Vietnam War. 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. In 2016, an armorer with the Pennsylvania National Guard contacted us regarding a .308 target rifle used by their competitive match shooters. "The only difficulty I had with Carlos was that he'd stay out there too long. By the end of his first deployment Hathcock's life was worth $30,000 to the North Vietnamese . 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. 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. All of the markings are crisp. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. That is without having to go with the points on a special reticle. The Complete History of Winchester Repeating Arms. If one was to follow the change of power procedures described above, it gives an incredible latitude to the scopes use. Although the model 70 was never officially approved for combat service during WWII, a number of Model 70s made their way into combat with USMC snipers. *A USMC sniper uses his Unertl scope to search for enemy snipers in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam, circa 1967. Nice! S. Jay Ratliff 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. During this depression, his wife Jo nearly left him but decided to stay. SIGHTS: Folding rear, bead front "[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]. 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. 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 appears that you are accessing the Winchester Website from outside North America. I got this guy for $501 delivered to my door. The matte black LR/T weighs 19.5 ounces and is 13.5 inches in overall length. Includes 10 round box magazine standard plus extra 5 round magazine, and hard case. Can't recall if they were 264 or 7mm Rem mag offhand. 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 has all of the characteristics of the Marine Model 70 sniper rifles issued in Vietnam c. 1966. The LR/T front focal offers an elevation range of 65-MOA and a windage range of 65-MOA. He and other Marines who were riding on top of the vehicle were sprayed with flaming gasoline caused by the explosion. What type of rifle did Carlos Hathcock use? 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 did win the Wimbledon Cup with it after all. However, where the USMC procurement brass failed to see the merits of the Model 70, the Marine Corpsmarksmendid 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. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. The rifle retains nearly 95% of the original blue finish with very minor handling wear. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. In November 1965, USMC Gy/Sgt. ][21][22] He was not informed of the details of the mission until he accepted it. [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? 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 . And they did see duty. 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. Before deploying to South Vietnam, Hathcock had won shooting championships, including matches at Camp Perry and the Wimbledon Cup. While the USMC used the Model 70 to greatest advantage during this period, a limited number were also employed by Army personnel for sniping, and Model 70s with silencers mounted on them were utilized for covert operations in Southeast Asia.James O. E. Norells article A Century Of USMC Sniper Rifles (August 2007, p. 44) related some interesting information by retired USMC Maj. Edward J.Jim Land, Jr., regarding the Model 70 rifles that were used by the Marines in Vietnam circa 1966: Land first scrounged 12 Model 70 sporting rifles that had been procured by Special Services for deer hunting at Camp Pendleton. Many of these were subsequently rebuilt between circa 1956 and 1963, primarily at the Marine Corps Match Rebuild Shop in Albany, Ga. [22] As the general exited his encampment, Hathcock fired a single shot that struck the general in the chest, killing him. Founded by Frank Galli in 2000, Snipers Hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs and it is a development of the earlier Winchester Model 54. 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. Nearly 30 years later, he received a Silver Star for this action. Born on May 20, 1942, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Hathcock took to the sport of shooting at a very young age. who placed a bounty on him during the Vietnam War ) used primarily a Pre-64 Winchester M. He lived in a rural area with his grandmother as his parents had separated. You just need the time to figure out a firing solution with the changes you make. This is the rifle that Gy. 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. "[41][42] A sniper range named for Hathcock is at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Despite its excellence as a precision rifle, the Model 70 was never fully embraced by the U.S. military as a standardized sniper arm. He was the only child of Carlos and Agnes Hathcock. Buffalo,. 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. Land, Jr., who served in the . 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. Oval Winchester "W/P" proof marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel and receiver. Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. It has been determined that the increased accuracy of the Model 70 Winchester is insufficient to justify its introduction into an already overburdened supply system., Although adoption of the Model 70 as a sniping arm by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army remained elusive, the rifle did enjoy some measure of quasi-military popularity throughout the mid- to late-1950s. Would you like to visit Winchester International? During his entire career as a sniper, Carlos Hathcock used a U. S. Marines version of a Unertl precision riflescope. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. However, we are happy to build tribute rifles and were very pleased torecently completea USMC sniper tribute rifle. Carlos Hathcock . Through the PX system in Okinawa, Lands NCOs bought mounts, rings and scopes. While recovering, Hathcock received the Purple Heart. On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: . Hathcock was an excellent sharpshooter by then, winning the Wimbledon Cup shooting championship in . [17] However, scholars such as Jerry Lembcke have cast doubt on Hathcock's account and questioned the existence of "Apache". Any pictures I have seen, the stocks used overseas were more like hunting stocks. The US government eventually purchased additional model 70s andofficially sanctioned them for combat duty. Excellent. This rifle came to us as a standard sporter rifle, with a Douglas barrel blank. [3], During the Vietnam War, Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills of People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong personnel. The rifle excelled in USMC sniper trials and target competitions, making it the preferred rifle of most USMC snipers. 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. "White Feather" as he was called by the North Vietnamese . The rifle chosen was the Winchester Model 70. 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. This is yet another example of the truism that a great civilian firearm does not always equate to a great military rifle. [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. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. [47] Hathcock carried a Colt M1911A1 pistol as a sidearm.[17]. The value of these rifles mean that even if we did own one, we'd probably be reluctant to shoot it. The group started running towards Hathcock and Land. Some of the snipers now in Vietnam were not yet born when the telescopic sights they use were employed in a different war. 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. 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. These later rifles only added to the popularity of the model 70 among US snipers. He only used the .50 M2 on less than a dozen shots. Your browser is out of date and may not be able to properly display our website. 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. Are you at 6 or are you at 5.75 or 6.25? On some occasions, however, he used a different weapon: the . This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. 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 used a Winchester Model 70 .30-06 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets, also used an 8-power Unertl scope. He was the only child of Carlos and Agnes Hathcock. "WINCHESTER/-TRADE MARK-" is roll stamped on the left side of the receiver rail. Winchester Model 70 "standard Rifle" manufactured in 1941 with medium-heavy target barrel and "U.S.M.C.-SNIPER" Unertl telescopic sight. I think the GSgt used the 10x but the 20x looks just like it. The serial number, "48213" is roll-stamped on the right side of the receiver below the rear sight base. [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. Hathcock was one of several individuals to utilize the M2 Browning machine gun in the sniping role. In a book I'm reading about on Carlos Hathcock, there are some pictures of him with his rifle. 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. Thanks! 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. Which honestly looking at the barrels, I think he was probably likely telling the truth. The metal was reblued as required. This success led to the adoption of the .50 BMG cartridge as a viable sniper round. This one is mine. 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. 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 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. 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. The U.S. Army fielded some World War II-vintage M1903A4 bolt-actions but relied primarily on the semi-automatic M1C Garand. As part of his legacy, the gun was donated to the National Museum of the . A July 1967 American Rifleman article by Frank G. McGuire, SnipersSpecialists in Warfare, reported: The 8X telescopic sight was chosen in World War II when it was teamed with the 03 rifle.

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