New McMillan HTG M40A1 smear stocks!!!
- Thread starter USMCSGT0331
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Looks like McMillan already is aware of interest in smear M1A stocks. Both of these were listed and quickly sold during this weekend’s online store exclusives drop. I’m sure more will be posted in the future.
Fair, ha. Hadn’t even noticed. @kft101 caught it, (and he pointed it out to me) they did at least one smear M1A stock already.
I have been lurking on here for a while and watching this thread with interest... I have a M40A1 stock on order (since Dec 23) in forest camo and when placing the order I asked politely if they could make it as a smear stock and they said they wouldn't be doing another run... But it looks like they have indeed done another run.
Does anyone know of this will be a more regular thing, or still random, limited runs? I've always wanted one and would give a toe or two to get one but they won't let me order one...
Does anyone know of this will be a more regular thing, or still random, limited runs? I've always wanted one and would give a toe or two to get one but they won't let me order one...
They said only limited runs and you can not make a custom order in those patterns. That being said there is one on gb from a member here and a few posts back there was a member that had one or two they were going to sell post#398
So not only is this “new smear” M40A1 stock #50 (for the matching McMillan 50th anniversary “limited” run, lol), but it’s also one of the more unique pattern of the new smears turned out. And dare I say it, one of the better looking ones too? No collectors’ special mistake of a heavy recoil lug inlet though, lol.
I was waiting for #50 during the February release, figuring that was the end of it. Then I thought they might be saving it for a build giveaway. It looks good! The light green is translucent and the loam brown is more prominent.
Did McMillan ever actually say, “Limited to 50.” Or did it just grow out of the forum and a focus on 50 years?
Whats the build plan? Are you going full Unertl or the more achievable transitional?
Did McMillan ever actually say, “Limited to 50.” Or did it just grow out of the forum and a focus on 50 years?
Whats the build plan? Are you going full Unertl or the more achievable transitional?
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I don’t think anyone ever officially said there were only going to be 50 new M40A1 smear stocks made. I think it was conjecture based on McMillan’s obscure “limited production” verbiage and last year being their 50th anniversary. Regardless, there are definitely more than 50 of these new smears made and released, not even counting the batch of stocks made outside of these online store exclusives and the new non-M40A1 stocks made using the same forest smear camo and colors (the A4 stocks included in this past drop, and stocks such as at least one A3A ordered by a popular shop in the industry).
One of the better looking ones? Damn dude, that stock is absolutely gorgeous!!! Congratulations on snagging it, that one is an absolute trophy and will be beautiful on a new build!
Got an awesome UPS delivery today!
I had to cannibalize another one of my M40A1's to get the scope and base... hopefully some of these projects go through and I can replace them...
I had to cannibalize another one of my M40A1's to get the scope and base... hopefully some of these projects go through and I can replace them...
Just a follow-up... workin on breaking in the barrel, and if anyone is wondering, Hart barrels perform!
This is 3 shots at 100 yards after I finally got the scope zeroed... the barrel is cleaning easy too.
I know alot of people say you don't need to break in a barrel... I say, why not? I cleaned after each of the first 6 rounds, and then cleaned after 3 rounds for the next 9, and then I cleaned after 5 rounds for the next 15.
DW
This is 3 shots at 100 yards after I finally got the scope zeroed... the barrel is cleaning easy too.
I know alot of people say you don't need to break in a barrel... I say, why not? I cleaned after each of the first 6 rounds, and then cleaned after 3 rounds for the next 9, and then I cleaned after 5 rounds for the next 15.
DW
Sorry I can't be much help to you if you're looking for a builder, a friend of mine did it as his last build going into retirement.
I know GA Precision builds them, if that helps you at all?
DW
That's a hell of a nice group! Who built your rifle, Mike at Tac Ops?! Lol! I assume it's a Raven build, too bad he's no longer in the business. He used to take on side projects here and there, but he just recently allowed his FFL to expire, so he can't build anything anymore, unfortunately.
Raven was the best clone builder in the business....true restoration quality work, his builds will shoot.....I was considering another M40 series and a MK13 build......without Raven I am done.
Two more smears arrived in the UK today. Thanks to members on here I managed to acquire 4 of them for builds in the UK. McMillan wouldn't sell internationally. Yes I paid over the original price, but there was no other way to get them here.
The deals were easy, one was via Paypal friends and family, the other was a Western Union transfer. Both sellers held their end of the deal.
Some anxious moments waiting for them to clear customs both ends, but UPS delivered the last two today.
Also managed a wooden M40 stock, some bottom metals and small parts such as escutcheons.
Smith is ready, next steps is some M40A1 profile UK made cut rifled barrels and assembly.
M40's aren't prevalent in the UK, so these should draw some admiring glances!
Here are a couple of them.
The deals were easy, one was via Paypal friends and family, the other was a Western Union transfer. Both sellers held their end of the deal.
Some anxious moments waiting for them to clear customs both ends, but UPS delivered the last two today.
Also managed a wooden M40 stock, some bottom metals and small parts such as escutcheons.
Smith is ready, next steps is some M40A1 profile UK made cut rifled barrels and assembly.
M40's aren't prevalent in the UK, so these should draw some admiring glances!
Here are a couple of them.
I know this is not an A1. It is not even an A3. Im not trying to offend anyone. It’s A3 inspired. It’s a new McMillan A4 M40A3 (not efr inlet)smear they recently released and it’s a beauty. I’m very happy with it. The scope is a place holder for load development until decide what way I want to go with this. Debating on premier 5-25 or S&B pmII 3-12.
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There’s a premier heritage posted in buy/sell/trade right now that just needs to be on there…..
New batch up, this morning.
Lots of variations. I was waiting for an M1A or M3A for an LRB.
Greg
Lots of variations. I was waiting for an M1A or M3A for an LRB.
Greg
Mine isn't smeared....But, it works just the same! 
This is the 2nd one listed, the 1st one sold this past weekend for something like $9,000 or so
Is it considered an M40A1? How the hell does it not get rusty missing that much finish?
Yes and no. This is not a true M40A1, but close to it, and it was built to emulate the USMC A1's. They obviously used a stock and heavy barrel like an A1, so we can assume that when these rifles were built they were modeled directly off of a contemporary rifle - the USMC M40A1. The M40A1 was specifically a USMC program and the product improvement of the original M40. The rifle at auction was modified for Army use, was was never a USMC rifle. We also don't know what kind of optic and mount were used on it. Also, some of these Army 6257xxx rifles were turned into short action M24's, which used the same barrel as seen on the McMillan stocked rifle at auction. So, whoever build these guns were doing more than just recreating USMC M40A1's for their own purpose.
I purchased the one with the M24 stock on it, which is different than the similar 6257xxx M40's we've seen in the past that were built into short action M24's for a specific target shooting event. The ones built for the match were built at least a decade or more after my short action M24 was built, and those target guns have a short action M24A2 short (as opposed to a regular short action M24 stock).
Here's my CMP purchased M40 that was turned into a short action M24. It has the same barrel profile as what's on the McMillan stocked rifles that are currently at the CMP.
I have an interesting question for the group, how does everyone here want to classify these CMP 6257xxx M40's that have been built into quasi M40A1's and short action M24's? The people who are active on this forum are a core group of M40xx collectors and historians, so maybe we should work as a group to classify these new rifles and create nomenclature for them (that's assuming that the Army doesn't have a specific name or designation for these specific rifles). If the military doesn't have a specific designation for the rifles, then it’s up to our community to classify them and to give them proper nomenclature. If the military does have nomenclature or name for these rifles, then obviously we'll use that information, but if they don't have this information, then I believe that the task of classifying and naming these rifles would fall into our collective purview. What do you guys think? These will need a lot more research before anything moves forward, but this could be an opportunity for our collector/historian community to properly document and designate these never-before-seen M40 variations.
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USMCSGT0331: I purchased one of the 6257xxx rifles with "M24" appearance rechambered in 6br, has QR code sticker, but no CAGE code..
mine appears to be an AMU creation as a match or test rifle. Your recent purchase, given the QR sticker with CAGE code of L3, and recently auctioned 6275xxx rifles could be rifles employed in testing by Litton. A FOIA request to AMC, or someone with access behind the firewall to look up the history by SN could yield very interesting results. Marty from Badger looked up a few SNs some years back on M40rifle.....
mine appears to be an AMU creation as a match or test rifle. Your recent purchase, given the QR sticker with CAGE code of L3, and recently auctioned 6275xxx rifles could be rifles employed in testing by Litton. A FOIA request to AMC, or someone with access behind the firewall to look up the history by SN could yield very interesting results. Marty from Badger looked up a few SNs some years back on M40rifle.....
In this day and age, shouldn’t they be “trans” or something like that?
These aren't test builds or prototypes or target rifles (although they were used to shoot paper or steel targets at times). These M40's are actual sniper rifles that were used by a very specific Army unit.
We don't know who built them. The cage code on my CMP M40 belongs to L-3 Communications (before they became L3Harris). L-3 had something to do with either the procurement of the M40 (probably from the Air Force) or they were possibly the ones who built these M40 configurations for the Army or maybe they just supplied the aftermarket parts for the rifles to the Army.
It's most likely that the Army armorers were the ones to build these rifles, but it's unknown why they would build multiple M40 variants for the one unit that these rifles were with. One of the recent CMP M40's that was used by this specific unit had it's original wood stock and an actual 1968/69 (I can't remember the exact year) replacement M40 barrel (you can tell it's a replacement barrel because of the vertical indexing of the barrel stamps).
Your M40 isn't a test rifle, it's an actual AMU target rifle, most likely one of their 300m rifles. The AMU used LOTS of 6257xxx M40's over the years and they rebuilt them into all sorts of interesting configurations.
I'm not sure about any testing by Litton, but I suspect that my rifle was associated with L-3's Special Support Programs Division. That's the only division of L-3 that really makes sense for this type of stuff, and they've been known to supply items to the unit that had these custom M40's. I actually have the Army FOIA for my CMP M40, it's..... interesting.
My M40 identifies as an M24, it's very confused, lol.
Can you imagine the epidemic of bayonet attacks on innocent people if the flash hiders had lugs on them?!? You animal…!!!
New smear stock build update: its awesome.
i recently bought a bottom metal kit for my build that came with action screws, and for some reason the screws are too short and barely miss the threads of the receiver. does anyone know what length the front and back screws need to be? the screws that came in the kit are identical in size to factory remington 700 screws. thanks!
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