Friday, March 17, 2006
Sniper Patrol
Here's another cool photo in high resolution. Click on it to see the details. The soldier with the binoculars is First Air Cav. The guy with the sniper rifle is 1st Armored Division. They are on the Iraq border with Syria. The sniper rifle is the US M 40 A1, which is just the commercial Remington 700 made available for use by our military. It's in NATO .308 (7.62 x 51 mm) and there appears to be mounted on it, with the high clearance rings necessary, a 10 power Weaver scope with a sunshade on the front. Notice the new hand cuffs on the side of the pack the sniper is using for a rest, although what a sniper needs with hand cuffs, I don't know. The sniper has spray painted his gun sand colored, or so it appears to me.
The M 40 A1 has been our primary sniper weapon since Vietnam where Carlos Hathcock was the top guy with 93 confirmed kills. I've heard some of the snipers in Iraq have passed that record like it was standing still. Don't run, the snipers warn, you'll just be tired when you die.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 6:04 PM 
Comments:
<< Home
Sorry to say this, but the rifle is a M24 sniper system (SWS), not a M40a1. Confusion maybe, the US M 40 A1 is also based on the remington 700 action, but fitted with a McMillan fiberglass stock. The m40a1 came in 3 versions (first versions came with a wooden stock, the last model was the M40a3) and it was replaced after the vietnam war by the M24 SWS. The M24 is also a remington 700 action, but with a hs precision stock. The difference is in the butt-ajustment system. Great picture tho!
See also http://www.snipercentral.com/m24.htm
See also http://www.snipercentral.com/m24.htm
# posted by 
: 3:45 AM
: 3:45 AM
In the US Army, the SSI (Shoulder Sleeve Insignia) is worn on the left upper arm, just below the uniform's shoulder seam on all but the ACU. On the Army Combat Uniform the SSI is attached to a velcro backing and is then centered on rectangle of velcro on the arm.
Those soldiers who are combat veterans are authorized permanent wear of their SSI on their right shoulder. This shoulder sleeve insignia recognizes "former wartime service" and is frequently called a "combat patch". Per Army Regulation 670-1, the military operation for which the insignia can be worn normally must have lasted for a period of thirty days or longer. Exceptions have been made for operations of relatively short duration such as service in the Dominican Republic, Panama and Grenada.
Yes, that rifle is a M24 and not M40 as stated by Mr Anonymous.
Those soldiers who are combat veterans are authorized permanent wear of their SSI on their right shoulder. This shoulder sleeve insignia recognizes "former wartime service" and is frequently called a "combat patch". Per Army Regulation 670-1, the military operation for which the insignia can be worn normally must have lasted for a period of thirty days or longer. Exceptions have been made for operations of relatively short duration such as service in the Dominican Republic, Panama and Grenada.
Yes, that rifle is a M24 and not M40 as stated by Mr Anonymous.
# posted by : 12:22 AM
: 12:22 AM
Also Carlos Hathcock didn't have the most kills in Vietnam. Chuck Mowinney and Aldebert Waldron had more. Nice picture though.
# posted by : 6:08 AM
: 6:08 AM
the M40 was designed by and for the us marines, carlos hathcock helped to design and test the earliest models. it has undergone 3 changes, and has been dubbed the m40a1, a2 and a3(current version) all have synthetic fiberglass stocks with glassbedded actions and heavy barrels. the only part of the rifle that is made by remington is the action, a model 700 that has been made extremely accurate by marine armorers. the scope used on them used to be the unertl 10x, but they recently switched to a variable power schmidt & bender.
the m24 sws never replaced the m40. the m24 is used by the army and is also based on a model 700 action. it uses a hs precesion stock with an adjustable length of pull on the butt. unlike the marine m40, the m24 has a front sight blade near the muzzle of the barrel. it uses a leupold 10x scope.
very recently the army adopted a semi-auto sniper rifle call the SASS. they also have plans to upgrade their remaining m24's to .300 wsm and extend the range of their snipers range.
the m24 sws never replaced the m40. the m24 is used by the army and is also based on a model 700 action. it uses a hs precesion stock with an adjustable length of pull on the butt. unlike the marine m40, the m24 has a front sight blade near the muzzle of the barrel. it uses a leupold 10x scope.
very recently the army adopted a semi-auto sniper rifle call the SASS. they also have plans to upgrade their remaining m24's to .300 wsm and extend the range of their snipers range.
# posted by : 9:38 PM
: 9:38 PM
Can anyone get me a link to this picture? Would greatly appreciate it, thanks!
Post a Comment
# posted by : 12:48 AM
: 12:48 AM << Home
