The army brass decided some time ago that they needed sniper rifles, too. Herring explained, in a war without front lines and territorial objectives, where attriting the enemy was a major goal, the body count became the index of progress. Body count would be interesting to find out, though i think it would be more accurate to grade the round respons. Four famed 60s radicals are gunned down at long range by a sniper. Actually we were scared as hell but hid our emotions pretty good. Hathcock took possession of the dead snipers rifle, hoping to bring it home as. With a record of 93 confirmed kills but an estimated body count of between 300. In fact, during the vietnam war, the army was proving a semiauto could be a. One of the rifles he used in vietnam is displayed in the vietnam gallery of the national museum of the marine corps, where. This marine was the american sniper of the vietnam war. Historical guns used in vietnam war and military history. The vietnam war was the first conflict that saw wide scale tactical deployment of helicopters.
A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of. The rifles in use at the time were a mix of factory winchester national match and bull guns, with the heavy target marksman stock and the sporter stocked model 70 with factory or custom barrels. What is the most devastating sniper rifle in history. Objective 2 oreanionand doctrin determine sniper organizational and doctrinal concepts for. This sniper program was initiated in the states and was set in motion as result of a visit to fort benning in january 1968. This page is in no way intended to glorify the amount of people these soldiers have killed, it is intended to recognize the manner in which these soldiers excelled at accomplishing the misson assigned to them in a time of war. Jun 07, 20 with 98 confirmed kills within six months of action, he is one of the five american snipers with most kills in the vietnam war. Dec 11, 2010 carlos hathcock always wore a white feather on his cap, as if to dare enemy snipers to take a shot at him. There are a total of 22 vietnam war rifles 1955 1975 entries in the military factory. The book s conclusion begins with a summary statement page 75. Eric england was born in union county, georgia in 1933. About half the parts in the sr25 are interchangeable with those in the m16.
Hathcock adjusted the rifles hindsight and then aligned the sight on the tip of the barrel, which. Reportedly killed as a sniper 505 to 542 men with an iron sights only mosinnagant, as well as another 200 with a submachine gun while fighting with the rest of his unit during the 1939. Sniper by alexjjessup on deviantart us marines i wonder how much that rifle weighs. This was a bolt action sniper rifle widely used by the us marine corps. The evolution of technologyfrom weapons to opticsis discussed. Carlos hathcock was one of the most famous snipers in the vietnam war and. The accuracy international arctic warfare series of sniper rifles is standard issue in the armies of several countries, including those of britain.
Each teams spotter confirms hits or give adjustments. The army proved semiauto sniper rifles could kick ass in. During the vietnam war hathcock had 93 confirmed kills of north. Five of the best snipers of all time business insider. Turner wrote a book, phantom of phu bai, about him. With a record of 93 confirmed kills but an estimated body count of between 300 400.
A sniper is a militaryparamilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the targets detection capabilities. Fresh out of sniper school and a three day pass at vung tau. There was a gun shop in phoenix gunsmoke gun shop who carried a lot of militaria. Was an avid hunter as a kid and joined the marines in 1967.
This article is about the weapons used in the vietnam war, which involved the peoples army of vietnam pavn or north vietnamese army nva, national liberation front for south vietnam nlf or viet cong vc, and the armed forces of the army of the republic of vietnam arvn, united states, republic of korea, philippines, thailand, and the australian, new zealand defence forces, and a. A finnish sniper known as the white death from his habit of lying out on the snow in a white snow suit with a white face mask waiting for target to appear. The bell uh1 iroquois nicknamed huey was used extensively in counterguerilla operations both as a troop carrier and a gunship. Rather than simply adopting the m40a1, they required remington to provide rifles that could be anything the army wanted them to be. The sniper has been a common component to the battlefield since the rifle made its first appearance. Jun 09, 2012 in the early days of rifles being pressed into service as sniper rifles, the model 70 was the unofficial usmc sniper rifle. Jim land, who organized the marine corps sniper program in vietnam in 1966. Because of these exploits, he was honored by having a rifle named after him. We did our job, gave them a good body count which meant we lied a lot. Hathcock, for example, used a winchester mod 70 in 3006 during his first tour. Carlos hathcock always wore a white feather on his cap, as if to dare enemy snipers to take a shot at him. The rifle was already being used by marines snipers in vietnam. This listing includes all manner of rifle long guns including sniper, assault, and battle rifle types.
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. By body count, i mean the number of people killed, wounded, captured and surrendered that has been exploited by misguided politicians, the police and military and some irresponsible members of the. Because of these exploits, he was honored by having a rifle named after him the springfield armory m25 white feather, so called for the nickname that nva men gave him because he always wore a white feather in his cap. I, sniper gets a massive 5 stars for excellence in the explanation of scientific principles of shooting thingspeople from long ranges and the detailed technical world of guns and ammo. A former corporal of the canadian forces, he holds the record for the longest confirmed sniper kill in history at 1. Prior to the publication of fellow marine sniper joseph wards book, dear mom.
In fact, during the vietnam war, the army was proving a semiauto could be a very lethal snipe. See more ideas about vietnam, vietnam war photos and vietnam war. Development of this powerful antimaterial rifle began in the early 1980s. With the release of clint eastwoods movie, american sniper, this weekend, i thought it might be fitting to look at the favorite rifles of the american hero, chris kyle. Snipers hide vintage sniper rifles snipers hide is a community of snipers of all kinds, focusing on long range shooting, accuracy, and ballistics. Later they switched to a purpose built remington 700. In terms of economics, the innovative use of snipers in vietnam meant that virtually every bullet produced a body counta.
A routinely deadly shot from distances between 300 800 yards, mawhinney had confirmed kills of over yards, making him one of the greatest snipers of the vietnam war. Although the original walnut stock was not fancy, we added a beautiful claro walnut as an option for those wishing to make this a presentation piece or elegant bean field hunting rifle. The vietnam war was a transitioning phase for us military snipers. In the past months i have written a bit about the use of and primary rifles used by the usmc for sniping use in the vietnam war. Apr 15, 2015 the first rifles sent to asia to be used as sniper weapons were actually from the third marine division rifle team that had been rebuilt for use for highpower competition at camp perry. But wards account of mawhinneys 101 kills, most accomplished with his primary m40. So feared were these lethal marksmen that the viet cong offered huge rewards for killing them. Currently top 10 sniper rifles in the world are these.
This is a discussion on traditional vietnam m14 sniper rifles within the the m14 forums, part of the m14 m1a forum category. Because of these exploits, he was honored by having a rifle named after him the springfield armory m25 white feather, so called for the nickname that nva men gave him. Thats one of the more grisly aspects of the vietnam war that the u. The 5 most legendary snipers of all time americas military. Pete earley is on leave from the magazine to write a book on the walker family spy case. The first rifles sent to asia to be used were from the third marine division rifle team. Founded by frank galli in 2014, snipers hide has been offering informational videos, podcasts, and other support to its users in one location. The austrianbuilt steyr ssg 69 is one of the best sniper rifles in terms of accuracy and precision.
An excellent book going back thru the history of wars on this very premise and very current as well. Today it is the longest range sniper rifle in the world. A marine sniper and his spotter operating with 3rd battalion, 7th marines in vietnam, scans for targets with his remington model 700 rifle resting on his helmet for additional stability. This weapon is based on the previous designs of the same company. From what i read in the book sniper by adrian gilbert, it seemed just a logistical problem.
Many of you may wonder, why the cheytac m200 intervention sniper rifle was not mentioned on this top 10 list. With a record of 93 confirmed kills but an estimated body count of between 300 400 enemy soldiers, hathcock terrorized the north vietnamese army nva and the viet cong. Charles benjamin chuck mawhinney born 1949 is a former united states marine who holds. For that reason they called them step ons not kills. Land said that when he left vietnam, the m40 was fast replacing all other sniper rifles, from the special services rifles to the targetgrade winchester model 70s to the m1s in various configurations.
Determine which of the sniper equipment evaluated is most suitable. The army tried their best with what was given to them. Its a valid argument with over five million of the highpowered rifles being manufactured since 1962. Us army sniper program charlie company vietnam 19661972. Nva snipers used bolt action model 1891 mosinnagant rifle us. Nicknamed white death, simo hayha tallied 505 kills, far and away the highest count. Detailed specifications on the retro m4066 sniper rifle. An off the shelf rifle was chosen for the platform base. These were the rifles rebuilt for use for highpower competition at camp perry.
Culbertson, a former 5th marine sniper himself, presents the riveting true stories of young americans who fought with bolt rifles and bounties on their heads during the fiercest combat of the war, from 1967 through the desperate tet battle for hue in early 68. The rifles remained in the marine corps inventory from. Evaluate current employment of sniper personnel and equipment in vietnam. American rifleman in country small arms of the vietnam war. One of the toughest, most skilled american snipers in vietnam. Jan 22, 2012 these new semiautomatic sniper rifles are 7. Incidentally, m14 based rifles are still in use today, not as sniper rifles, but as designated marksman rifles. Under enormous media scrutiny, the fbi quickly concludes that marine war hero carl hitchcock, whose ninetythree kills were considered the leading body count tally among american marksman in vietnam, was the shooter. With the armys decision to adopt the heckler and kock g28 as the compact semiautomatic sniper system to be the replacement for the m110, it seems as if semiautomatic sniper rifles are a new thing. It is also the same reason why the military is so hesitant to purchase sniper rifles today in. August 20, 20 september 22, 20 sniper ghost posts army sniper, vietnam war in the spring of 1969 9th infantry divisions most successful ambush tactic was the sniper mode. Carlos haithcockmarine sniper if you can find them, read the books about. The stoner sniper rifle achieved its high accuracy partly by using a 20 inch.
The designs and capabilities of these weapon systems are similar and their abilities are further enhanced by the addition of. I just arrived at my new location, 347th, tigers lair. This weapon is effective out to a range of 1 830 meters. Has pistol grip sniper stock with flip down front hand hold for sale by bandito on gunsamerica 918933954. The m24 was the united states army standardissue sniper rifle. The armys designation for an m14 sniper rifle was m21. In the latter role it was outfitted with a variety of armaments including m60 machine guns, multibarreled 7. Body counts and success in the vietnam and korean wars. The m21 sniper weapons system was a version of the m14, but tooled for accuracy, and it was the primary semiautomatic rifle for the war in vietnam. I think you are confusing the estimated body count that was used in vietnam for infantry engagements or bombing, but that never was part of a sniper teams op. Carlos hathcock was a genuine vietnam war hero and an undisputed. He tells about his chronological experiences in the jungles of vietnam where he was deployed for a year. The only good war story i know about viet nam capture sniper rifles were the two i passed up in 1975. See more ideas about vietnam, vietnam war and vietnam war photos.
Chuck mawhinneys sniper rifle in the national museum of the marine corps. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with highprecision rifles and highmagnification optics, and often feed tactical information back to their units or command headquarters. Kyle described the wide range of weapons and rifle systems he used in. It holds the world record for the best group 3 bullets at impressive 2 122 meter range. In another senich book vietnam the long range war a former army sniper said he was under the impression you had to step on or touch the body to confirm a kill. Also for the deep dive into the gun culture and the mind of someone dedicated to long range killing. Like the postworld war ii m1c and m1d rifles, it is doubtful if any of the usmc 1952 sniper rifles were fielded during the korean war. But wards account of mawhinneys 101 kills, most accomplished with his primary m40 modified remington 40x bolt action rifle with a redfield 39x accurange scope.
A vietnam war sniper crawled for 3 days across 2000m of open. After his death, a variant of the m25 rifle was named after him. Marine corps during vietnam and holds the record for number of confirmed kills for marine snipers, exceeding that of legendary marine sniper carlos hathcock. This rifle had several different variants including the m40a1, m40a2 and m40a5. In his autobiography, kyle said people ask a lot about the weapons he used as a sniper, so he talked some in the book about the specific rifles he used. The first version of the rifle was introduced in 1966 and this sniper rifle was widely used as a support and sniper rifle throughout the vietnam war. Under each companys designation, the chart was divided into smaller columns to list that companys numerical success or failure during a particular month. Weapons of the vietnam war wideners shooting, hunting.
With 98 confirmed kills within six months of action, he is one of the five american snipers with most kills in the vietnam war. Sniper rifles are the lethal tools of a lethal trade, having evolved considerably from their rather modest beginnings. Carlos hathcock remarked about him, eric is a great man, a great shooter, and a great marine. I thought you guys might enjoy seeing a few pictures of a couple rifles i set up in the. The garand was a great infantry rifle, but it didnt do as well for sniping.
Vietnam war sniper rifles m40 sniper rifle remington 700 a few years ago, remington ran a great ad campaign which insinuated the largest land army in the world were civilian owners of the venerable model 700 rifle. Hathcocks record and the extraordinary details of the missions he undertook made him a legend in the u. The early sniper rifles in vietnam were winchester model 70 3006 heavy barrel target models adapted for sniper use. There are a total of 22 vietnam war rifles 19551975 in the military factory. But the winchesters remained in service until they were deemed obsolecent into the 1970s. Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily the primary operator. Kyles bestselling book, american sniper, was made into a movie.
While hathcock generally preferred the standard sniper rifle of the time the winchester. Though the practice had been in use since the korean war, carlos hathcock made the use of the m2. These are the 5 best military sniper rifles around. In just 16 months he killed 103 enemies and another 216 kills were listed as probables by the military.
Usa snipers used the xm21 weapons system m14 rifle wredfield scopes 2. The m21 sniper weapon system sws in the us army is a national match grade m14 rifle, selected for accuracy, and renamed the m21 rifle. The body count in viet nam was a big boost to this stupidity as we didnt have a tangible way to measure the success or failure of a large conventional army in a guerilla type. Devastating in rifle accountable for most bodies dropped, or devastating in the hardest hitting round. This theme is still currently present in iraq and afgan. A snipers vietnam, carlos hathcocks 93 confirmed kills was considered the vietnam record. From reading this book the author did his homework. Carlos norman hathcock ii may 20, 1942 february 22, 1999 was a united states marine. In a little over a century, the sniper has emerged from the shadows to become the most highly trained and extensively. Mar 20, 2019 in another senich book vietnam the long range war a former army sniper said he was under the impression you had to step on or touch the body to confirm a kill. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order 1toz. Since 1969, it has been used in many conflicts in the middle east and asia and is currently the standard sniper rifle for the austrian army. The m24 sws is the military and police version of the remington 700 rifle, m24 being the model name assigned by the u. A similar theme in other books on the subject, this book detailing that premise with the sniper rifle as the main subject.