One of the craziest custom sniper platform ever.

That's about right.

I think if you did an IQ test of the folks who pass Marine Recon courses, Q-Course, BUD/S, Scout Sniper programs, any Tier-one training... you'd find their scores were significantly higher than the general population. Probably up in the top few percent. But they are also people not interested in being a hedge fund manager.

There are probably several fields where that is true. Degrees are all well and good. But there are things that matter a lot more than degrees.

Sirhr

One of my very good friends was the psych for a SOCOM unit and I know that for a fact as he told me that everyone tested significantly higher.

As far as I know the highest testing group that he came across was the Air Force Special Reconnaisance/SOWT guys.
 
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I've read the book "Inside the Crosshairs: Snipers in Vietnam", by Colonel Michael Lee Lannig that indicates Carlos made a 2500yd. shot w/ a modified M2 on a kid riding a bicycle.
I'd like to believe it's true....
EBBIV: Is your pic of the rig the same one here?:

Its the same one, the shot itself is the most amazing thing, just always wondered what you could even see out of a crazy scope
Like tha lol
 
And I don’t know if this variant of the M2 pre-dated or post dated the use of the tripod mount heavy machine gun in Vietnam. But the Pentagon most certainly explored using the M2 as a man portable anti-material gun.

Man portable being a relative term.

View attachment 7863861View attachment 7863862

Judging by the haircuts and clothing that could’ve been any time between 1955 and 1975. So who knows exactly when those pictures were taken. Although I think forgotten weapons did a segment on the M2 anti-material gun. So there may be some more data there. I just can’t remember when it was all done.

Again this was the inspiration for Barrett to start looking at how to build a relatively lightweight semi automatic 50 caliber anti-materiel gun. I believe McMillan was working on one and came out with the TAC 50??? which was a bolt action. And I remember there was a company in the late 1980s in the Houston area that got a few guns into military testing. But I can’t remember the name of that one.

Buffalo Winter will probably know who I’m talking about.

But I think Barrett got all the good press both because of the Gulf War and because of their excellent product placement in Charlie Sheen‘s Navy SEALs movie which may be one of the worst movies ever made. But it had a Barrett in it.

There was another oddball movie called the November Man. I don’t think it ever made it into wide circulation but it was played at the Houston film festival around 1993. And it had a interesting Sniper angle and Barrett in it as well. Neat movie. I wish it was somewhere where you could watch it. I have an old VHS tape but I bet it doesn’t work anymore.

And by then the cut rate bolt action rifles were starting to come out like the LAR grizzly. Which was clunky and goofy. But built like a brick outhouse. And started to make the 50 Cal affordable for civilian shooters.

Cheers
Maybe you mean November Men? The November Man is 2014 with Peirce Brosnan based on the same book.
 
Maybe you mean November Men? The November Man is 2014 with Peirce Brosnan based on the same book.
Yes, November Men.

Made the Secret Service FREAK OUT because the film producers had an actor talking about assassinating George Bush... with George Bush standing 20 feet away. There was no CGI or rear screen. They set up next to Bush at some event and mouthed the dialog silently and dubbed in the words later. The whole movie was about a presidential assassination. It was a really brilliant movie.

But never took off. I'd love to find it again.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
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Yes, November Men.

Made the Secret Service FREAK OUT because the film producers had an actor talking about assassinating George Bush... with George Bush standing 20 feet away. There was no CGI or rear screen. They set up next to Bush at some event and mouthed the dialog silently and dubbed in the words later. The whole movie was about a presidential assassination. It was a really brilliant movie.

But never took off. I'd love to find it again.

Cheers,

Sirhr
Well here's a pic of the sleeve with the barrett?

s-l1600.jpg
 
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Yep those were used in Vietnam. Carlos Hathcock set up 50 M2’s with Unertls. If you were careful with the paddle you could pickle off a single round out to rather impressive distances.

About the only modification they had to make was putting Unertal blocks on the top of the Ma Deuce.

This was essentially the inspiration for Barrett a few years later. To make a 50 Cal that was man portable.

Cheers
Thanks for the little education. I'd NEVER thought of a Unertl on a 50! Awesome!
 
Since no one posted this picture of an M2 'sniper' with two scopes for 24/7 usage back in 1969: On left is a Redfield 3-9x and on the right is an AN/PVS-2 Starlight scope. (Source: The One-Round War, by Peter Senich). See photo caption for details from the Vietnam era.

m2_Vietnam_starlight+redfield3-9x.jpg
 
Since no one posted this picture of an M2 'sniper' with two scopes for 24/7 usage back in 1969: On left is a Redfield 3-9x and on the right is an AN/PVS-2 Starlight scope. (Source: The One-Round War, by Peter Senich). See photo caption for details from the Vietnam era.

View attachment 7868143
Near Khe Sanh, ca. 1968.

rqrjh7wofm361.png
 
I was in the Corps but trained with him as LE. He was already out.
Well welcome to SH... more important, welcome to "Vintage" which is sort of the London Gentlemans Club area. Smoking jackets and brogues welcome but not necessary. Some of the most interesting threads and folks on SH are in here.

If you are still LE (and as a Marine and former LE) you can PM Lowlight and ask to get into the private LE/Mil area as well.

Again, welcome aboard!

Sirhr

PS Also former L.E.
 
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Well welcome to SH... more important, welcome to "Vintage" which is sort of the London Gentlemans Club area. Smoking jackets and brogues welcome but not necessary. Some of the most interesting threads and folks on SH are in here.

If you are still LE (and as a Marine and former LE) you can PM Lowlight and ask to get into the private LE/Mil area as well.

Again, welcome aboard!

Sirhr

PS Also former L.E.
Thanks for the welcome and the info. I am retired now and approaching vintage myself lol. Nice to see like minded people here.
 

This article came across my transom today...

Good ideas stay... good ideas.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
Actually, that's a Davy Crockett... just a kiloton. 1/20th the power of Hiroshima. Megaton would be... suicidal!

There was a nuclear hand grenade design. Really. Not sure who would have been stupid enough to throw it. But it was designed.

Two of my "Oldie" rifles are a .55 Boys Antitank and a German 13.2mm T-Gewehr. The original Man Portable anti-tank guns.

Both hurt like motherfuckers to fire! The .55 Boys is a lot hotter than a .50 BMG.

Sirhr
Dad had a Boys. I ran 7 rounds thru it one afternoon. Shoulder said "No mas". Have a chunk of HY-80 sub pressure hull on my desk with an impact of one of those 7 rounds in it. Have to post a pic sometime. That chunk is about 2.5" wide, 7" long and 3.5" thick. Bullet penetrated about halfway thru, but tossed that brick of metal about 15yds back from the target line into the berm.
He also had a 20mm S18-1000 and a Pzb-39 with an M2 barrel he wanted to mate to it. I think y'all would have had some good talks.
 
Ah! That photo from the GB posting helps. I never got to shoot one, but was able to play with one of these once. Interesting even in retrospect, and magically odd and interesting at the time.

One I saw when they were new was gray. Like, old school style parkerizing type gray, not black. Smooth. I presume the green is a new refinish or is my memory faulty?
 
Have a chunk of HY-80 sub pressure hull on my desk with an impact of one of those 7 rounds in it. Have to post a pic sometime. That chunk is about 2.5" wide, 7" long and 3.5" thick. Bullet penetrated about halfway thru, but tossed that brick of metal about 15yds back from the target line into the berm.
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