Remarkably, a few remain in service to this day. And they did see duty. Manufactured in a wide variety of configurations and calibers, it was a favorite of many hunters, shooters and gun enthusiasts. These two historic Winchester Model 70 rifles bearing serial numbers "1" and "2" are now being offered for sale by Sportsman's Legacy. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. Winchester Model 70 "standard Rifle" manufactured in 1941 with medium-heavy target barrel and "U.S.M.C.-SNIPER" Unertl telescopic sight. Probably overthinking this but I like to use the "stops" at each end of the power range in this application. In a book I'm reading about on Carlos Hathcock, there are some pictures of him with his rifle. The metal was reblued as required. From an early age, he was fond of firearms. 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. [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. During his second combat tour in South Vietnam Hathcock braved a wall of flaming fuel to save seven fellow Marines from a burning AMTRAC, suffering severe burns himself during the rescue. What many people don't realize is that the Unertl scope back in the day doesn't have glass amplification. Sgt. The optics are clear. Are you at 6 or are you at 5.75 or 6.25? RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. 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. 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 LR/T front focal offers an elevation range of 65-MOA and a windage range of 65-MOA. After returning to active duty, Hathcock helped establish the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School at the Marine base in Quantico, Virginia. 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]. 50,690. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. These two Garand sniper rifles were the mainstay of the U.S. militarys sniper rifle inventory until the early 1960s when the United States became increasingly involved in the conflict in Southeast Asia.The Springfield M1903A1 rifle fitted with an 8X Unertl scope was the only bolt-action sniping rifle to see any substantive use in the hands of U.S. Marines during the Korean War. If I was you, I might look up this guy on ebay and write him and see if he has anymore of these barrels. Some of the stocks were fiberglass bedded. These are some beautiful projects. 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. Carlos Hathcock was born on May 20, 1942, in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The price is set at USD$1,750,000.00. Carlos Hathcock accepting the Wimbledon Cup after winning the NRA National Matches. The rifle has no Marine or U.S. property marks on any component. 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. The rifle is pillar bedded and barrel free-floated in its original stock. Decorations. 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. 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. 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. They are a little tedious to adjust but have very clear glass and a very fine cross hair recticle. 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! A handful of the original USMC model 70 riflessurvive to this day, and 76 years later hold enormous collector interest. 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. 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. A Lyman micrometer sight base is mounted on the left side of the receiver. 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. Ultimately neither of these proposed rifles was ultimately adopted. Hathcock's record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the Marine Corps. Model 70 sniper rifles were used by US Marine snipers continuously from WWII, through the Vietnam War. An unknown number of additional Model 70s were eventually purchased for military use - both standard rifles and the marksman style target rifles. The Complete History of Winchester Repeating Arms. 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. As I remember from reading Henderson's book many moons ago, GySgt Hathcock deployed to VietNam in the '66-69 time frame. This success led to the adoption of the .50 BMG cartridge as a viable sniper round. 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. Maj. Land told me that early in the war members of the sniper platoon collected contributions. Just 55 days short of the 20 years that would have made him eligible for regular retirement pay, he received a permanent disability separation. From the 1970's, illustrating the Monte Carlo style stocks used in this era. This shot covered a distance of 2500 yards. In an eloquent eulogy to Hathcock inThe Washington Post, staff writer Stephen Hunter said it best. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ "He got that right," Hathcock said. 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 most well known Marine sniper of the Vietnam war has become a modern legend. The Model 70 Standard Rifles were fitted with Winchester medium-heavy target barrels in modified stocks and the Unertl telescopic sights. The late Marine sniper set the record in 1967 with a M-2 .50 caliber Browning machine gun.. 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. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. Hathcock held the record for the highest bounty and killed every known Vietnamese marksman who sought him to try to collect it. This one is mine. When the need arose for more Model 70s the rifles procured by Brig. The rifles inherent accuracy was ideally suited as a sniping rifle. Item Number: R30701. 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. I got this guy for $501 delivered to my door. The Model 70 was largely based on the Model 54, and is today still highly regarded by shooters and is often called "The. The Marine Corps utilized Winchester Model 70 rifles in this configuration in 1966 and early 1967 as the primary sniper rifle until the adoption of the Remington Model 700 sniper rifles in mid 1967. Composite stock of course. The most notable person to use the Model 70 was legendary sniper Carlos Hathcock in Vietnam, his rifle was chambered in .30-06 Sprinfield and his rifle is on display at the Quantico, Virginia Marine Corps Sniper Museum. The stock is nicely figured American walnut with checkered forearm and pistol grip and has the Winchester semi-gloss varnish finish. 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 . 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. This was confirmed in McGuires article: The rifle team of the 3rd Marine Division had been using the Model 70 with the heavy barrel and the heavy Marksman stock. "[41][42] A sniper range named for Hathcock is at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Only thing I would add is I forgo the 6X as I dont think its precise. If I don't get those bastards, then they're gonna kill a lot of these kids dressed up like Marines. 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. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. You can Cerakote the stainless barrela good artist can pretty much replicate any finish. Winchester requested the Marines evaluate the rifles generally for suitability of use in combat, and specifically for use as sniper rifles. Using this rifle, we shot at increments of 100 yards, all the way out to 1,000 to test our modern-day sniper skills. His ability as a marksman was soon recognized by the instructors on the rifle range at Camp Pendleton where he was undergoing recruit training. You are using an out of date browser. 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. Very nice work. Douglas still produces the same barrel they supplied to the Marines in the early 1940s, which makes easy work of getting one key aspect of this build exactlyright. The success of the Model 70 on the rifle range attracted renewed interest from the U.S. Army as evidenced by a Feb. 2, 1955, memo from the Office of the Chief of Ordnance to the Chief of Army Field Forces, which stated: It is requested that this office be furnished [with] your comments and recommendations relative to procurement of cal. The Marine Corps clearly believed that the existing Model 1903, tuned to match grade, was a superior sniping rifle as compared to the Model 70. 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 barrel is a "sendero" profile made by Bartlein and installed by Moon. "[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]. [2] Hathcock married Josephine "Jo" Bryan (ne Broughton; 19302016) on the date of the Marine Corps birthday, November 10, 1962. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II joined the Corps in 1959 at age 17. *A USMC sniper uses his Unertl scope to search for enemy snipers in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam, circa 1967. Click here for more information. Very nice rifle. JavaScript is disabled. 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. Some of the snipers now in Vietnam were not yet born when the telescopic sights they use were employed in a different war. The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting/hunting rifle. 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. My Hathcock tribute. I am hoping to have one built myself someday. Hathcock eventually picked up the hobby of shark fishing, which helped him to overcome his depression. Gunny Hathcock's venerable Winchester could certainly tell a tale or two. For this operation, Carlos selected a .30-06 Winchester Model 70 mounting a Lyman 8X telescope that McAbee had fine-tuned. 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. The M72 173 grain .30-06 was something that I could familiarize myself with as it is fairly similar to the M118LR. His parents separated so he grew up with his grandmother in Geyer Springs, Pulaski County. Awesome to hear/see when someone has their shit together. The rifle had a likeness of Hathcock's signature and his "white feather logo" marked on the receiver. Before any official action was taken, the Marine Corps ordered 373 Model 70s chambered in .30-06 Sprg. From 100 -500 yards, things were fairly easy to compensate. 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. 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. The Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock Award is presented annually by the National Defense Industrial Association "to recognize an individual who has made significant contributions in operational employment and tactics of small arms weapons systems which have impacted the readiness and capabilities of the U.S. military or law enforcement. 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. The rifle retains the original style sporter stock with checkered pistol grip and forearm and steel checkered buttplate. 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. In an effort to meet every model 70 owner's needs, we are pleased to offer rifle parts which span this broad spectrum of conditions. He did however adapt according to the conditions and once even used the M2 Browning machine gun! USMC Sniper Rifles: Hands On History. 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. A list of modern browsers is below; simply click an icon to go to the browsers download page. [16], Hathcock stated in interviews that he killed a female Viet Cong platoon leader called "the Apache woman," with a reputation for torturing captive U.S. Marines, around the firebase at Hill 55. that had been originally purchased [as] across-the course bolt guns for the National Matches. With this rifle, Carlos describes killing 7 more Viet Cong soldiers and shared the 8th VC with McAbee. 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. 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. Support Veteran Journalism , Editors note: Carlos Hathcock Born this day, May 20, 1942. The Korean War was the last conflict in which the World War II-vintage bolt-action M1903A1/Unertl sniper rifle was employed. 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. 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. Yeah it was, it was missing the an action screw and one that held on the trigger guard. The US government eventually purchased additional model 70s andofficially sanctioned them for combat duty. In the background is radio operator Jerry Dunomes. I had a few of those hanging around. The scope tube is roll-stamped: "J. UNERTL/USMC-SNIPER" in two lines above the serial number "2232". "It was the hunt, not the killing. 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. Hathcock generally used the standard sniper rifle: the Winchester Model 70 chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges, with the standard 8-power Unertl scope. 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. Being medically discharged, he received 100 percent disability pay. [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. This effort was ultimately unsuccessful from a military procurement standpoint, but cemented the Model 70's place in USMC sniper history. Hathcock put a round in her with his bolt-action Winchester Model 70 30.06 (7.62mm) rifle and she collapsed on the ground. In one of his more renowned stories, Carlos Hathcock killed an enemy sniper through the enemy's own rifle scope. A memo dated July 29, 1942, stated in part: Subject: Rifles, Winchester, Model 70, .30 Government 06. The left side of the barrel has the standard Winchester legend and trademark followed by: "MODEL 70-30-06 SPRG.-". 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 . The Model 70s also drew the attention of USMC snipers and their chief sponsor - Brigadier General George Van Orden. This is a pretty cool thread. His heroic actions were instrumental in saving the lives of several Marines. Moscow Should Prepare For Probable US Nuclear Aggression: Reports Russian Military Journal, Destroying American Monster Abrams: Pro-Russian Group Release A How-To Video, Dr. Mary E. 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The stock is in very fine condition. He was the only child of Carlos and Agnes Hathcock. 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.