AquaRhombus77

AquaRhombus77
Minuteman
Jan 12, 2023
44
9
Oklahoma
I've decided that my first rifle build will be a tribute to my all time favorite rifle the M40 platform. I first encountered the rifle back when I was a kid and I watched it appear in the film Sniper (1993) Tom Berenger, the TV show NCIS (2003) Mark Harmon, the film Jarhead (2005) Jake Gyllenhaal, and Shooter (2007) Mark Whalberg, just to name a few. I love the lines, the body, and the design. I'm wanting to do a tribute. I say tribute because I'm wanting to put a left handed action in it and have it fire the 6.5 Creedmoor round.
1.) Does anyone do the desert camo smear for the McMillan M40A1 stock?
2.) Does anyone have an idea for a similar scope body, size, and lines size to the Unertl 10x or US Optics MST 100? I've looked into both and they are expensive for an original. I'd like to keep the simple Mil dot retinal if possible.
3.) Was the scope issued SFP or FFP?
4.) Does anyone know the make and model of the bipod issued with M40 platform if any?

Thank for your expertise and any assistance.
 

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I've decided that my first rifle build will be a tribute to my all time favorite rifle the M40 platform. I first encountered the rifle back when I was a kid and I watched it appear in the film Sniper (1993) Tom Berenger, the TV show NCIS (2003) Mark Harmon, the film Jarhead (2005) Jake Gyllenhaal, and Shooter (2007) Mark Whalberg, just to name a few. I love the lines, the body, and the design. I'm wanting to do a tribute. I say tribute because I'm wanting to put a left handed action in it and have it fire the 6.5 Creedmoor round.
1.) Does anyone do the desert camo smear for the McMillan M40A1 stock?
2.) Does anyone have an idea for a similar scope body, size, and lines size to the Unertl 10x or US Optics MST 100? I've looked into both and they are expensive for an original. I'd like to keep the simple Mil dot retinal if possible.
3.) Was the scope issued SFP or FFP?
4.) Does anyone know the make and model of the bipod issued with M40 platform if any?

Thank for your expertise and any assistance.
Welcome to the Lefty club! I love the M40a1 as well. There is the M40A1 build guide on this forum as well.

It seems later M40A1 had a woodland camo stock that was issued. Snipers would than paint the rifles to match the environment they were in. When ordering from Mcmillan its the HTG stock (M40A1) and I believe the A4 stock (M40A3) I believe they can mold in or paint the stock desert camo for you.

The scope was the Unertl USMC Sniper 10x or US Optics MST-100. Both were fixed power 10x so sfp or ffp is a moot point.

M40a1 had no bipod. M40a3 looks like a Harris 6-9. Others on here can tell you for sure.

Hope this helps. Best of luck! Send pics when completed!
 
@corsairpilot62 pretty much has it all, but here it is again with some extra information. No FFP/SFP on a fixed power MST-100 scope. No bipod on the A1, however, later on Wichita made some studs that replaced the front sling swivel, so a bipod could be attached. Wichita still makes these studs, just give them a call and buy one for your A1 stock if you want to run a bipod (Wichita contact information is below). M40A3/A5/A6 bipod is the Harris S-BRM 6-9" bipod with a KMW Pod-Loc.

No idea what scope would be similar to the MST-100, hopefully someone else has some information for you on that. The closest thing I can think of would be to use a SWFA 10x42 SS HD, I know that lots of guys here used them on builds in the past as a cheaper alternative. It's more like a Bausch & Lomb 10x, rather than a Unertl MST-100, but it's a good cost effective 10x replacement. That's the closest I can think of, maybe someone else will have other options for you.

As for a desert M40A1 HTG stock, I've never seen one. The closest I've ever seen to a molded in desert color HTG would be the Navy SEAL M83 stocks. However, this is more of a silhouette style with a very large cheekpiece, so it's nothing like the HTG, but it's about as close as you're going to get. Most of the M83's had Bausch & Lomb scopes on them, but I have heard of some being set-up with a Unertl MST-100, so it's similar to the M40A1 in that regard (also Remington short action, typically B prefix serial number, 7.62x51, 1 piece scope base or a 2 piece scope base, Leupold scope rings, etc.).

If you want a desert M40A1, you'll have to just paint the stock yourself. If you want a desert molded in color sniper rifle, the M83 and M86 would be great choices or you can do the M14 desert smear USMC shooting team build for a target rifle. Here's my desert smear M83 stock with some other very rare stocks like the Navy SEAL used Baker Special.

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tJDUjT5.jpeg

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Notice how the M83 stock is a little shorter than the rest, this is mainly due to it missing it's recoil pad (which was a much thicker type than on the M40A1 HTG stock). Most of the known M83 stocks are also in a later desert pattern, which the M86 and M14 stocks are typically known for. My M83 stock is pretty unique in the fact that it has an earlier smear pattern. Notice how it's a smear instead of a set pattern, it also has very little green in it. This is one of my favorite stocks an I'm excited to just do a custom build with it, not an M83 build (previous owner modified the stock too much, would be too difficult to do an M83, so it will just be a custom gun). Here's my M83 desert smear with 2 of my USMC desert M14 shooting team stocks and a close-up of the early smear pattern.

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I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, since you asked about a desert pattern M40A1 HTG, but as far as I know an A1 in that pattern doesn't exist or it would be a one-off civilian order that someone has squirreled away. The closest I can recommend for a factory molded in desert color would be the McMillan silhouette style M83 stock, which are also very rare.

And here's Wichita's contact information in case you want to get a sling swivel stud to mount a bipod on a McMillan HTG M40A1 stock:

WlvZALK.jpeg


@AquaRhombus77, I hope this information is helpful, please let me know if you have anymore questions.
 
@USMCSGT0331 awesome info as always! @AquaRhombus77 you can get a desert camo molded in Mcmillan HTG stock if you would like to do an M40a1 build. here is a link to an expired guns international listing for something similar to what you discribed. its not a spec build but pretty close.


use the pics as a reference if that is what you truly want. as a substitute for the MST-100 you might use the older Redfield 3-9 that looks like what was used on the ncis episode where Gibbs' rifle was stolen by Ziva's brother. To me the A1 isnt really an A1 without the Unertl or USO MST-100. I think @Jrb572 has one for sale. But the BDC cam will be for 308 win. not 6.5 creedmoor.

If you decide the M40A3 route, I'd personally step up to an A5 and use the S&B though that scope is expensive as well. https://www.eurooptic.com/schmidt-bender-pmii-3-12x50-l-p-gen-ii-mildot-mrad-mtc-ccw.aspx

I hope this helps.
 
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@USMCSGT0331 awesome info as always! @AquaRhombus77 you can get a desert camo molded in Mcmillan HTG stock if you would like to do an M40a1 build. here is a link to an expired guns international listing for something similar to what you discribed. its not a spec build but pretty close.


use the pics as a reference if that is what you truly want. as a substitute for the MST-100 you might use the older Redfield 3-9 that looks like what was used on the ncis episode where Gibbs' rifle was stolen by Ziva's brother. To me the A1 isnt really an A1 without the Unertl or USO MST-100. I think @Jrb572 has one for sale. But the BDC cam will be for 308 win. not 6.5 creedmoor.

If you decide the M40A3 route, I'd personally step up to an A5 and use the S&B though that scope is expensive as well. https://www.eurooptic.com/schmidt-bender-pmii-3-12x50-l-p-gen-ii-mildot-mrad-mtc-ccw.aspx

I hope this helps.

Definitely a cool desert tricolor HTG stock in your link, but unfortunately not the desert smear like OP is looking for. But, since it is desert colors and an HTG, it's closer than my suggestion of a desert smear M83! I wonder if the OP could call McMillan and order a desert tricolor HTG right now? I have no idea what that company offers anymore, but definitely can't get a smear. I'd love to see a desert smear HTG, I really hope someone has one and posts some photos if it exists. That would definitely be a really cool stock, but so far the M83 might be the closest for an actual smear and the desert tricolor the closest if he only wants an HTG.
 
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Definitely a cool desert tricolor HTG stock in your link, but unfortunately not the desert smear like OP is looking for. But, since it is desert colors and an HTG, it's closer than my suggestion of a desert smear M83! I wonder if the OP could call McMillan and order a desert tricolor HTG right now? I have no idea what that company offers anymore, but definitely can't get a smear. I'd love to see a desert smear HTG, I really hope someone has one and posts some photos if it exists. That would definitely be a really cool stock, but so far the M83 might be the closest for an actual smear and the desert tricolor the closest if he only wants an HTG.
Definitely not a smear pattern, seems to look like later issue woodland camo. but desert. Mcmillan website states molded in, kinda looks like painted IMO. OP stated he is left handed so finding a smear stock alone is a pain but a lefty version, darn near impossible.

So I think OP wanted an M40A1 look-a-like tribute than OP could order Left hand HTG stock with Desert Camo. Witchita stud in front and swivel in rear. cerakote barreled action tan. and that leaves the scope.

Or an M40A3/5 get a lefty A4 stock in Tan or fde and cerakote the barreled action tan or fde.

I think you can order these options from Mcmillan. TBA ordered my stock for me. (I can't wait to get that rifle)
 
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@corsairpilot62 pretty much has it all, but here it is again with some extra information. No FFP/SFP on a fixed power MST-100 scope. No bipod on the A1, however, later on Wichita made some studs that replaced the front sling swivel, so a bipod could be attached. Wichita still makes these studs, just give them a call and buy one for your A1 stock if you want to run a bipod (Wichita contact information is below). M40A3/A5/A6 bipod is the Harris S-BRM 6-9" bipod with a KMW Pod-Loc.

No idea what scope would be similar to the MST-100, hopefully someone else has some information for you on that. The closest thing I can think of would be to use a SWFA 10x42 SS HD, I know that lots of guys here used them on builds in the past as a cheaper alternative. It's more like a Bausch & Lomb 10x, rather than a Unertl MST-100, but it's a good cost effective 10x replacement. That's the closest I can think of, maybe someone else will have other options for you.

As for a desert M40A1 HTG stock, I've never seen one. The closest I've ever seen to a molded in desert color HTG would be the Navy SEAL M83 stocks. However, this is more of a silhouette style with a very large cheekpiece, so it's nothing like the HTG, but it's about as close as you're going to get. Most of the M83's had Bausch & Lomb scopes on them, but I have heard of some being set-up with a Unertl MST-100, so it's similar to the M40A1 in that regard (also Remington short action, typically B prefix serial number, 7.62x51, 1 piece scope base or a 2 piece scope base, Leupold scope rings, etc.).

If you want a desert M40A1, you'll have to just paint the stock yourself. If you want a desert molded in color sniper rifle, the M83 and M86 would be great choices or you can do the M14 desert smear USMC shooting team build for a target rifle. Here's my desert smear M83 stock with some other very rare stocks like the Navy SEAL used Baker Special.

View attachment 8060590
View attachment 8060591
tJDUjT5.jpeg

7U0T2zB.jpeg


Notice how the M83 stock is a little shorter than the rest, this is mainly due to it missing it's recoil pad (which was a much thicker type than on the M40A1 HTG stock). Most of the known M83 stocks are also in a later desert pattern, which the M86 and M14 stocks are typically known for. My M83 stock is pretty unique in the fact that it has an earlier smear pattern. Notice how it's a smear instead of a set pattern, it also has very little green in it. This is one of my favorite stocks an I'm excited to just do a custom build with it, not an M83 build (previous owner modified the stock too much, would be too difficult to do an M83, so it will just be a custom gun). Here's my M83 desert smear with 2 of my USMC desert M14 shooting team stocks and a close-up of the early smear pattern.

View attachment 8060592
View attachment 8060593

I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, since you asked about a desert pattern M40A1 HTG, but as far as I know an A1 in that pattern doesn't exist or it would be a one-off civilian order that someone has squirreled away. The closest I can recommend for a factory molded in desert color would be the McMillan silhouette style M83 stock, which are also very rare.

And here's Wichita's contact information in case you want to get a sling swivel stud to mount a bipod on a McMillan HTG M40A1 stock:

WlvZALK.jpeg


@AquaRhombus77, I hope this information is helpful, please let me know if you have anymore questions.
Those woodland and desert smear stocks are gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing the photos for reference and the information as well. The desert came smear stock would be lovely. Sadly I think my route is going to get a molded desert camo from McMillan. I'm still deciding between the M40A1 or the M40A3. As for the optic I'm planning on getting a Bushnell ET 6-36x56 XRS3 W/ G4P reticle or a SWFA 5-20x50 SS HD 30mm Riflescope I know it's not to spec but I really like both scopes.
 
I'm new here, but I found this thread as I was looking for information on a stock that my father recently picked up. Here is a desert smear McMillan HTG. A Remington 700 action drops right into it, but I have no idea what bottom metal it is cut for. If anyone has any ideas on that front I would be grateful for the help. I'd love to build on this stock, but I simply do not know how to deal with the bottom inlet.

Also, I've seen the M83 rifle mentioned several times here, but I can find very little on it. Are there pictures of these rifles out there? What were the detailed specs on these builds? Thanks in Advance.

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I have an old CDI bottom metal that is square like that up front, but it is round in the rear. Its not ideal, but you could bed that back without losing any function. Given its location, few would ever know.

Beautiful stock though. Looks cut for a straight handle, so maybe for a 722. Interesting. Good luck with the M83 search...there are a few around but are rarely seen.
 
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I have an old CDI bottom metal that is square like that up front, but it is round in the rear. Its not ideal, but you could bed that back without losing any function. Given its location, few would ever know.

Beautiful stock though. Looks cut for a straight handle, so maybe for a 722. Interesting. Good luck with the M83 search...there are a few around but are rarely seen.
I was wondering whether the inlet was for CDI bottom metal, but I couldn't tell from any of the pictures that I saw. Thanks!