Vintage Sniper Rifle Picture Thread

Marine Snipers in Khe Sanh in 1968. I had not seen this picture before and not sure if the caption was correct. But interesting picture!

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Sirhr
 
Marine Snipers in Khe Sanh in 1968. I had not seen this picture before and not sure if the caption was correct. But interesting picture!

View attachment 8491955

Sirhr
Hard to tell, but that is a rem 700? Looks like the safety is visible. One day I would like to do a modern build of the Winchester, maybe as close as possible on the scope, at least appearance wise.

edit-closer look appears I see the Mauser extractor?
 
9 pages and not a single L42a1 to be seen.
Ok, I can fix that:
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It started life as a standard infantry rifle produced by Birmingham Small Arms in 1945.
During accuracy testing it met the requirements to undergo sniper conversion carried out at Holland&Holland and became a No. 4T.
Later, it was selected to undergo conversion yet again to L42a1 in, IIRC, April 1971 at RSAF Enfield Lock and was sent to Donnington for storage until being issued to a unit.
Transit chest markings show it spent time in the 2nd Support Co. of the Coldstream Guards and C Co. of the Queens Lancashire Regiment during it's service life.
It's possible there are other unit marking under the paint also.
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WW 2 Jap Type 38 carbine.
Certainly vintage and possibly snipery once upon a time, albeit not in its current guise.
Picked this up at a gunshow just like it sits 20 some odd years ago because a buddy had one like it that caught my interest.
Only difference was his had been rechambered to the 50's-60's era 6.5 -.257 wildcat round and mine is still the original 6.5x50 Jap chambering. IIRC I shelled out $125 for it and some ammo.
Light and handy for the type of hunting I did back then, watching trails deep in the swamp from a climber stand.
Surprising accurate.
Back then I could consistently get it to shoot 1- 11/4 inch 5 shot groups at 100 yards with Norma 156gr factory ammo from the bench.
About the same with 160gr Hornady or PRVI 139gr BTSP handloads.
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WW 2 Jap Type 38 carbine.
Certainly vintage and possibly snipery once upon a time, albeit not in its current guise.
Picked this up at a gunshow just like it sits 20 some odd years ago because a buddy had one like it that caught my interest.
Only difference was his had been rechambered to the 50's-60's era 6.5 -.257 wildcat round and mine is still the original 6.5x50 Jap chambering. IIRC I shelled out $125 for it and some ammo.
Light and handy for the type of hunting I did back then, watching trails deep in the swamp from a climber stand.
Surprising accurate.
Back then I could consistently get it to shoot 1- 11/4 inch 5 shot groups at 100 yards with Norma 156gr factory ammo from the bench.
About the same with 160gr Hornady or PRVI 139gr BTSP handloads. View attachment 8492043View attachment 8492044
Probably the most misunderstood, under-rated and underutilized cartridge of WWII. A classic example of an Army command not understanding what they had to do to win a war instead of blaming the equipment.
 
9 pages and not a single L42a1 to be seen.
Ok, I can fix that:
View attachment 8491988View attachment 8491989View attachment 8491990View attachment 8491992View attachment 8491993
It started life as a standard infantry rifle produced by Birmingham Small Arms in 1945.
During accuracy testing it met the requirements to undergo sniper conversion carried out at Holland&Holland and became a No. 4T.
Later, it was selected to undergo conversion yet again to L42a1 in, IIRC, April 1971 at RSAF Enfield Lock and was sent to Donnington for storage until being issued to a unit.
Transit chest markings show it spent time in the 2nd Support Co. of the Coldstream Guards and C Co. of the Queens Lancashire Regiment during it's service life.
It's possible there are other unit marking under the paint also.
View attachment 8491999View attachment 8492000View attachment 8492001

IMG_3824.jpeg
 
Marine Snipers in Khe Sanh in 1968. I had not seen this picture before and not sure if the caption was correct. But interesting picture!

View attachment 8491955

Sirhr
Hard to tell, but that is a rem 700? Looks like the safety is visible. One day I would like to do a modern build of the Winchester, maybe as close as possible on the scope, at least appearance wise.

edit-closer look appears I see the Mauser extractor?

That photo is quite famous, and is even published in a reference book or two. The photo was taken by the well known photojournalist David Douglas Duncan and was published in the February 23, 1968 edition of Life magazine. Here's a link to some information about the photographer:

https://vva.org/arts-of-war/david-douglas-duncan-1916-2018/

Here's a link to a scan of the Life magazine February 23, 1968 issue. Duncan submitted a bunch of USMC Khe Sanh photographs for the Life magazine article, which you can see in this link:

http://books.google.com.vn/books?id...low over this remote bombarded valley&f=false

Here's the photo as it appeared in the February 28, 1968 issue of Life magazine. It was a large 2-page photo with a short paragraph of information about the Marines who are in this photograph:

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Picked up this 1896 Mauser Carbine in .30 Mauser..

M1896 Kavallerie Karabiner

One of the experimental ideas was the creation of a pistol-carbine for use by light cavalry. They had "slab-sided" receivers, standard 10-round magazines, permanently affixed wooden stocks and forends, and lengthened 300 millimetres (12 in) (early production) or 370 millimeters (15 in) (late production) barrels. They were dropped from production after 1899 due to poor sales and little military interest. There was limited sporting interest in the carbine version and, due to small production numbers, it is a highly prized collectable priced at about twice the value of the pistol version. Recently, importers like Navy Arms imported replica Mauser carbines with 16-inch or longer barrels for sale in the US.​




I decided to put a period ZF43 scope on it to enable me to see what I'm shooting at. I had to make a custom mount for the scope and also remove a rubber recoil pad and replace it with something correct. I made a presentation case for it out of Walnut.

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Not only do I need a scope to shoot well but I look like a brain surgeon with all the lights and magnifying glasses when I work on stuff
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Carlos Hathcock's "Ideal Sniper Rifle" as described in his book and later presented to him. Winchester M70 in 30-06. The one I built is glassed with a heavy contour Shaw match barrel, custom Cerakote, match trigger, and Redfield commemorative anodized scope.

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I have a copy of his book and even a VHS Cassette somewhere around here left over.
 
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9 pages and not a single L42a1 to be seen.
Ok, I can fix that:
View attachment 8491988View attachment 8491989View attachment 8491990View attachment 8491992View attachment 8491993
It started life as a standard infantry rifle produced by Birmingham Small Arms in 1945.
During accuracy testing it met the requirements to undergo sniper conversion carried out at Holland&Holland and became a No. 4T.
Later, it was selected to undergo conversion yet again to L42a1 in, IIRC, April 1971 at RSAF Enfield Lock and was sent to Donnington for storage until being issued to a unit.
Transit chest markings show it spent time in the 2nd Support Co. of the Coldstream Guards and C Co. of the Queens Lancashire Regiment during it's service life.
It's possible there are other unit marking under the paint also.
View attachment 8491999View attachment 8492000View attachment 8492001
@Lange Carabine do you have any idea what all is done re: modifications to 'Fulton regulated' Enfields?
 
My modified variant of an M40. From what I understood, 2nd Recon used the T-10 scopes. I saw pics of them on the M40A1. But. Not the M40. Anyhoo, clone stock from I forgot where, correct buttpad. Action is using the customized bolt made for it, but will change when I get my other 700 action freed up. Barrel is a straight up Remmy HB. Bases are Weavers. I don’t have a Redfield welded to a ring so it could be effective.
Damn shame we'll likely never get back the Remington of yesteryear...
Many a match back in the day was won by simple old heavy contour factory Remington take off barrels in a semi custom build.

What was the gentleman's name again? The one who created the older R700 trigger that was fantastic(vs the post- safety lawsuit Freedom Group garbage triggers)? He was taught by old man Hart himself how to make very high quality button rifled barrels IIRC... or I may have it the wrong way around, and he was the one who taught Hart? I remember reading it was one of those two though, correct me if wrong.
 
What was the gentleman's name again? The one who created the older R700 trigger that was fantastic(vs the post- safety lawsuit Freedom Group garbage triggers)? He was taught by old man Hart himself how to make very high quality button rifled barrels IIRC... or I may have it the wrong way around, and he was the one who taught Hart? I remember reading it was one of those two though, correct me if wrong.
Mike Walker
 
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I built this T replica a few years ago. Shoots rather nicely for its age with handloads, 1.5ish moa. Gotta say though, what an absolute monster pain in the ass it was to do. Between having to machine a jig just to get the scope centered, and then on and off, on and off, and on and off fitting of everything to get the pads hand fitted correctly. Glad I did it. Don't plan to ever do it again.

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What did you do for a scope?
Did you find a genuine one or buy a replica?
 
@Lange Carabine do you have any idea what all is done re: modifications to 'Fulton regulated' Enfields?
It varies depending on the model but replacing parts for a better fit, extensive bedding work on stocks and actions, tuning the trigger, work on the sights, barrel and barrel bands/nose caps were some of the things done to No.1's, No.4's and I believe P-14's too.
 
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Just a replica. If I were to do it again, I would use the Mk3 replica instead of a 1 or 2. Might still try and sell the scope in the future to replace it with a Mk3.

Some advice, avoid the Nk3 RSM made replica. It's terrible quality. Turrets slip when dialing so zero lost every time you move the turret. Paint scratches off with a fingernail. No good.
 
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Just a replica. If I were to do it again, I would use the Mk3 replica instead of a 1 or 2. Might still try and sell the scope in the future to replace it with a Mk3.
Whats the quality like with the replica you have?

I've always wanted a No4 T, but being rare and expensive I'm wondering if I do a replica instead.
I found you can now get a no drill/tap/solder scope mount, and might just do an No4 T inspired build rather than a actual replica.
 
Whats the quality like with the replica you have?

I've always wanted a No4 T, but being rare and expensive I'm wondering if I do a replica instead.
I found you can now get a no drill/tap/solder scope mount, and might just do an No4 T inspired build rather than a actual replica.
Don't know if they're still available or not but Fulton's used to sell a rock solid no drill mount for the LE No.4.
If you're gonna go the inspired build route get an older steel tube weaver K2.5 or K3.
You'll thank yourself in the long run.
 
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Don't know if they're still available or not but Fulton's used to sell a rock solid no drill mount for the LE No.4.
If you're gonna go the inspired build route get an older steel tube weaver K2.5 or K3.
You'll thank yourself in the long run.
That was what I was thinking, or even going for a LPVO.

Other than being readily available, are the Weaver K scopes considerably nice than the No32?
 
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What's the story on that? Wish I could import all sorts of old stuff
Mostly 1944 Izhevsk 1st time Arsenal refurbs. Mint bores, VG+ in breed. I understand these came in back in the early 90s via CAI and far as I can tell none have been taken out and shot. Some still slathered in cosmoline. In fact purged quite a toothpaste squeeze outta some barrels so I could run a bore scope through em.

Most of time spent in a collector's personal Soviet militaria museum. Owner passed away several years ago and the widow final sold off in bulk.

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@sirhrmechanic In regard to that highly appropriate fire extinguisher ... there was a summer exercise down at Burnham Military Camp, near Christchurch in the South Island, several years ago, during a High Fire Risk period. A grass or scrub fire resulted. The silly bastards, presumably the Regular Force Battalion, should have talked to the Engineers who ran the Camp Fire Station, whilst planning the exercise!
 
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