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. In 1966, Hathcock started his deployment in the Vietnam War as a military policeman and later became a sniper after Captain Edward James Land pushed the Marines into raising snipers in every platoon. Carlos Hathcock receiving the Silver Star for his actions in Vietnam. I have a 53 heavy barreled action that needs the same treatment. 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. 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. Thanks! It is an odd scope by today's standards. On this occasion he used a .50 caliber Browning M2 machine gun, to which he attached his scope with a bracket he designed himself. These later rifles only added to the popularity of the model 70 among US snipers. 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. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy drew a clear line in the sand in his inaugural address. When I first saw the pic I assumed it was a short action. [2] Jo gave birth to a son, whom they named Carlos Norman Hathcock III. With complete disregard for his own safety and while suffering excruciating pain from his burns, he bravely ran back through the flames and exploding ammunition to ensure that no Marines had been left behind in the burning vehicle. Hathcocks primary set-up was a Model 70 (pre-64), 30-06 target rifle with a heavy barrel, and Unertle 8x scope. A limited number of 3X to 9X variable power Marine Scopes of Japanese manufacture saw early use, but target mount, 8X Unertl telescopes, unchanged basically from those first adopted in 1941, were fitted to the Model 70s as were many of the original World War II Unertl contract scopes, which had survived official obsolescence and the post-Korean War surplus sell-off. One of the perennially popular Winchester firearms of the 20th century is the Model 70 bolt-action rifle. Without them, it can be extremely tough to hold for the effects. 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. 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. [31] He would have received only 50 percent of his final pay grade had he retired after 20 years. Carlos Hathcock's sniper rifle! 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 .. *A USMC sniper uses his Unertl scope to search for enemy snipers in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam, circa 1967. This is an original military issue Remington M40 sniper rifle brought back from Vietnam by a Marine officer, who later had it signed by Carlos "White Feather" Hathcock in 1992 at a Former Marine Association event. JavaScript is disabled. Van Orden had envisioned the Model 70 as the ultimate platform for a highly accurate sniper rifle, but which was light enough to be carried into battle. IIRC, Remington did this with some of their rifles at one time. 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 . His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. [2] Hathcock married Josephine "Jo" Bryan (ne Broughton; 19302016) on the date of the Marine Corps birthday, November 10, 1962. The Model 70, which was primarily based on the Model 54, is still regarded as one of the best cars ever made. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting rifle.It has an iconic place in American sporting culture and has been held in high regard by shooters since it was introduced in 1936, earning the moniker "The Rifleman's Rifle". The checkered panels are sharp; wear is limited to scattered visible sling hardware marks near the buttplate and upper sling swivel. For these reasons, we regularly get inquiries about building "tribute" and "replica"USMC Sniper rifles. The rifle was already being used by Marines snipers in Vietnam. Winchester Model 70 "standard Rifle" manufactured in 1941 with medium-heavy target barrel and "U.S.M.C.-SNIPER" Unertl telescopic sight. A handful of the original USMC model 70 riflessurvive to this day, and 76 years later hold enormous collector interest. 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 M72 173 grain .30-06 was something that I could familiarize myself with as it is fairly similar to the M118LR. I told a gunny, 'Bring [him] back here.' Throughout its life, the Model 70 has been offered in . Introduced in 1936 as an improvement on the Model 54, the Model 70 soon set the standard for commercial bolt-action rifles. Those rifles were in the Winchester Marksman stocks with their wide forends and deep grips. I think the GSgt used the 10x but the 20x looks just like it. His heroic actions were instrumental in saving the lives of several Marines. Known as Van Orden rifles, these model 70 sniper rifles were at last procured under the watchful eye of Brigadier General George Van Orden. I appreciate those pics, the rifle and the background. Price: $25,000.00. While the Colt Model 601 was the first AR-15 to be mass-produced, there were several design variations that came before during the platform's development. It was this . Agree sandwarrior there was a thread on old old hide many moons ago regarding this. The rifle retains nearly 95% of the original blue finish with very minor handling wear. "[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. Any pictures I have seen, the stocks used overseas were more like hunting stocks. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. Accurate in every detail, enjoyed reading this. Carlos Hathcock accepting the Wimbledon Cup after winning the NRA National Matches. Although never adopted for combat use by the U.S. military, some Model 70 rifles were used as sniping rifles during World War II, Korea and Vietnam.Soon after Pearl Harbor, two members of the U.S. Marine Corps Equipment Board, Capt. These are some beautiful projects. From the 1970's, illustrating the Monte Carlo style stocks used in this era. Eventually, there were likely thousands of model 70s in military service, with the exact number unknown. 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. The metal finishes were done by Ken Pederson ofPederson Arms in Arlington, WA. Instead of running for the sniper, the soldiers . This rebuild work varied but generally consisted of replacing the original sporter barrels with heavier 24" or 26" barrels and replacing the stocks as necessary, often with new target stocks procured from Winchester. I've read that the only way to do it is to first plate the barrel with a metal that will accept bluing. Oval Winchester "W/P" proof marks are stamped on the left side of the barrel and receiver. Decorations. [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." He only used the .50 M2 on less than a dozen shots. 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. Carlos Hathcock holds the Marine Corps record for the longest confirmed sniper kill shot. Hathcock put a round in her with his bolt-action Winchester Model 70 30.06 (7.62mm) rifle and she collapsed on the ground. From an early age, he was fond of firearms. I have a correct 70 in my safe I have wanted to do something with but reluctant to go the Unertl route as I dont think its practical as a shooter but a cool conversation peice. [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? Can't recall if they were 264 or 7mm Rem mag offhand. 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]. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt action sporting rifle. .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. Much as I described with the duplex, the mildot gives a lot of points to hold off of without ever having to change powers. Hathcock generally used a Winchester Model 70, chambered in .30-06 and with a standard 8-power Unertl scope. Ultimately neither of these proposed rifles was ultimately adopted. His previous skill as a marksman had won him a variety of matches and trophies at places like Camp Perry in Ohio. 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. The scarcity of these rifles mean few of us will ever get a chance to own one. Gunny Hathcock's venerable Winchester could certainly tell a tale or two. The WWII U.S.M.C. 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. You sir have your shit together. This article, "The Military Model 70," appeared originally in the April 2011 issue of American Rifleman. The USMC was still using the Model 70s as both target rifle for international match competition and pseudo-sniper rifle work . It was supplied with a Redfield 3x9 mounted with Redfield base/rings. Keep an eye on the CMP Auction Site. The subject rifles are not considered suitable for general service use for the following reasons: (a) Not sufficiently sturdy;(b) Parts are not interchangeable with M1903 and M1 parts; (c) Replacement parts will be difficult to procure; (d) Not fitted with sling swivels. Built with glass-bedded actions and heavy barrels, and used for long-range target competition, the M70s were capable of great accuracy with the Unertl scopes. [33], Hathcock once said that he survived in his work because of an ability to "get in the bubble", to put himself into a state of "utter, complete, absolute concentration", first with his equipment, then his environment, in which every breeze and every leaf meant something, and finally on his quarry. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. [5], The PAVN placed a bounty of US $30,000 on Hathcock's life for killing so many of its soldiers. Hathcock's first round disabled the bicycle, the second struck the enemy soldier in the chest. Carlos Hathcock passed away on 22 nd February 1999 in Virginia from the disease that had forced retirement . Some of the stocks were fiberglass bedded. He had dreamed of being a U.S. Marine his whole life and enlisted in 1959 at just 17 years old. Land, Jr., who served in the . It was the performance of these Snipers in Vietnam that secured the sniper concept as a permanent fixture in the United States military. Scope used by Carlos Hathcock. Regarding, his tools of trade, Hathcock, normally operated with the Winchester Model 70, 30-06 Caliber rifle along with an 8 power scope. I had always thought that long tube scopes were originally used a long time ago and were more or less obsolete. [17] However, scholars such as Jerry Lembcke have cast doubt on Hathcock's account and questioned the existence of "Apache". In 1967 Gunny Carlos Hathcock set the record for the longest. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 .30-06 caliber rifle with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. George Van Orden and Chief Gy/Sgt. 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. 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. This rifle came to us as a standard sporter rifle, with a Douglas barrel blank. In 1975, Hathcock's health began to deteriorate, and he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Springfield Armory's M-21 and M-25 are the highest quality precision rifles built on the M-14action. These rifles pop up every now and then, not often but they do show up. Carlos Hathcock with his Winchester Model 70 rifle. A one of a kind rifle! The Model 70 Standard Rifles were fitted with Winchester medium-heavy target barrels in modified stocks and the Unertl telescopic sights. That is without having to go with the points on a special reticle. There was no real reason to stay with Winchester because the Model 70s used by the Marines were not the latest production models anyway, and no advantage would be gained as far as standardization of equipment was concerned. By the late 1960s, the Winchester Model 70 sniper rifles were in the process of being phased out by the new Remington Model 700s. The left side of the barrel has the standard Winchester legend and trademark followed by: "MODEL 70-30-06 SPRG.-". 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. 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. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ As I remember from reading Henderson's book many moons ago, GySgt Hathcock deployed to VietNam in the '66-69 time frame. 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. In 1967, Hathcock set the record for the longest sniper kill. The rifle is a Winchester M70 in 30-06. 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Remarkably, a few remain in service to this day. The barrel, receiver, bolt handle, cocking piece trigger guard, and buttplate have the Winchester charcoal blue finish. 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. Scope not included. Carlos used a Winchester Model 70 .30-06 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets, also used an 8-power Unertl scope. The Model 70s also drew the attention of USMC snipers and their chief sponsor - Brigadier General George Van Orden. And they did see duty. In the early 1940s, says a Marine Corps spokesman, we were advised that a Unertl 8X scope on the Winchester Model 70 was the best sniping combination, but the 03 was available in quantity, so we used it.The Model 70 rifles sent to Vietnam for use as sniping arms were from the stocks originally procured for Marine Corps match use, chiefly from George Van Orden. 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. 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. Born on May 20, 1942, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Hathcock took to the sport of shooting at a very young age. [38] He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. Unofficially and by his own estimates, Hathcock believed he killed between 300 and 400. 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. Again, I would presume the heavy profile (slightly bigger than a varmint profile) was used as a compromise between multiple-round accuracy in the heat and weight, as seen in these pictures. By the end of his first deployment Hathcock's life was worth $30,000 to the North Vietnamese . This is the rifle that Gy. He copied Hemingway's words on a piece of paper. Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device. The sniper system shoots the M72 match ammunition loaded with 173-grain boat-tailed bullets (.30-06). He only used the .50 M2 on less than a dozen shots. Despite its excellence as a precision rifle, the Model 70 was never fully embraced by the U.S. military as a standardized sniper arm. 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.