USMC Sniper stops insurgents from 950 yards

FALLUJAH, Iraq (Nov. 27, 2004) -- A U.S. Marine sniper waited patiently inside a one-story house deep within the city. Lying in the prone position for several hours, he scanned the area through his scope before he finally found the three insurgents responsible for two previous mortar attacks.

Sgt. Memo M. Sandoval, a platoon sergeant with Scout Sniper Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, needed to positively identify the insurgents before he could take his shot.

Sandoval, 26, saw that one of the men was about to place a mortar in a mortar tube. He knew he had to make a well-aimed shot before the insurgent gunner launched the deadly round. Sandoval cleared his thoughts and slowed his breathing as he gently squeezed the trigger of his M-40A3 sniper rifle. The 7.62 mm round covered the 950 yards in a flash, slamming into the chest of the first insurgent.

"The battalion (executive officer) ordered me to 'make the mortars stop,'" said Sandoval, a native of El Paso, Texas. "I took it personally and went out specifically to stop the insurgents."

With two more insurgents still alive and ready to continue the mortar attack, Sandoval composed himself for the next shot at the assistant gunner. The last two shots took out the driver of the vehicle that carried the weapon.

"When I finally spotted them along a tree line, I realized how far they were but it was surprising how easy it was," said Sandoval.

Those four shots were the longest in Sandoval has taken since he became a scout sniper.

"It was very impressive of Sandoval to shoot from so far away and be on target with all four shots," said 1st Lt. Samuel Rosales, a platoon commander with Scout Sniper Platoon, H&S Co., 3/5.

"When you are being mortared you never know where they will land, to be able to stop them from shooting anymore felt good," said Sandoval.

He joined the Marine Corps straight out of high school in 1997 and has been with 3/5 since April. His leadership ability has reflected on the Marines around him and allowed Sandoval to accomplish his mission.

"(Sandoval) is filling a staff noncommissioned officer's billet, He is a great Marine to work with," said Rosales, 32, a native of San Clemente, Calif.

After recently reenlisting for four more years, Sandoval, who has been in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since September, hopes to represent the United States in the Olympics in competition shooting.

Sandoval says a fellow Marine, Staff Sgt. Jared M. Casanova, with 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, helped him improve his skills with the rifle, which has become a valuable commodity in Iraq.

"We have always been in competitions against each other, one day he would win and the next day I would win," said Sandoval. "Out here in Iraq it is a two way rifle range, with insurgents shooting at you. You have to make well aimed shots."

Sergeant Memo M. Sandoval, a platoon sergeant with Scout Sniper Platoon, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, stopped insurgents from launching further mortar attacks against his fellow Marines recently. The native of El Paso, Texas, made the shots from a distance of 950 yards. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Miguel A. Carrasco Jr.

The M-40A3 is the new precision fire weapon used by Marine snipers. Photo by: Gunnery Sgt Matt Hevezi

Marine Corps News Deadeyes cozying to new sniper rifle

Deadeyes cozying to new sniper rifle
Submitted by: MCB Camp Pendleton
Story Identification #: 2003925151348
Story by Pfc. Khang T Tran

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (September 25, 2003) -- Marine snipers have found a new best friend.

The Marine Corps has upgraded the old sniper rifle, the M-40A1, replacing it with a new and improved rifle.

The M-40A3 will fully replace the M-40A1 by October 2004, said Staff Sgt. Jesse L. Bier, the project and field officer with 1st Marine Division.

"Because of the fact only 30 rifles are produced every month, and with a limited amount of scopes, it'll take a while to fully replace the old rifle," Bier said.

Each rifle is hand-built by precision weapons repairmen at Weapons Training Battalion in Quantico, Va., according to the according to Staff Sgt. James Knight, a sniper section repairman at Weapons Training Battalion, Quantico, Va. Beir added the old rifles are being sent back to Quantico for disassembly.

The M-40A3 was tested in 1996 and was finally issued as an official Marine Corps weapon in 2000, Bier added. During the rifle testing, surveys showed shooters enjoyed greater accuracy and increased comfort.

As with the M-40A1, the M-40A3 is a bolt-action, manually operated, magazine-fed, air-cooled, shoulder-fired weapon with an optical scope.

However, the M-40A3 has an adjustable cheek piece and recoil pad on the butt stock, giving the shooter the chance to position the weapon more comfortably.

It's designed to shoot beyond 1,000 yards, according to Lance Cpl. Gunther Johnston, an armorer with 1st Recon Bn. It uses special rounds - the M118LR, chambered in 7.62mm. The M-40A3 uses the rail system, allowing snipers to change out a fixed 10-power scope for an ANPVS-10 night scope.

"Unlike the M-40A1, the M-40A3 has a mount rail like the M-4, which allows you to attach different units to it," said Sgt. Steven D. Lovell, team leader with 1st Recon Battalion's B Company. "It's great for patrolling urban areas as well."

The day scope allows a sniper to see up to 800 meters; the night scope allows 600 meters.

The rifle is built on a fiberglass stock with a stainless- steel barrel, a steel floor plate and trigger-guard assembly. The magazine box holds five rounds. Additional enhancements include six quick-detach sling swivel mounts and a removable, swivel bipod.

"The M-40A1 has helped out the Marine Corps for a long time, but I'm glad we finally improved it," Johnston said.

Still, the new rifle comes with some drawbacks. For one, it's heavier. The new rifle outweighs the old by 2 pounds.

Some shooters still like the old rifle.

"I'd rather shoot the M-40A1," said Sgt. Andrew C. Giermann, a reconnaissance and surveillance instructor with I Marine Expeditionary Force. "It's lighter than the M-40A3, making it much easier to maneuver."

"The M-40A3 is more of a defense weapon," said Staff Sgt. Van Seelay, chief reconnaissance and surveillance instructor with I MEF. "It's basically a bench-rest weapon, and the M-40A1 is an offensive weapon because it's a lot easier to employ."

The increased weight, though, hasn't hampered the rifle's performance. Johnston said most snipers prefer the M-40A3 because of the upgraded comfort.

"The new stock is very easy on the shoulder when firing, and the adjustable cheek piece is good too," Seelay added.

Giermann, too, said there are things to like about the rifle. Despite loving the rifle with which he learned his trade, he's warming up to the new weapon.

"I like the fact that the M-40A3 has a bipod," Giermann said. "It's much more stable while firing."

Damn nice rifle... available to civilians?

Unfortunately, it appears not. This from the article that I posted above:

"Each rifle is hand-built by precision weapons repairmen at Weapons Training Battalion in Quantico, Va., according to the according to Staff Sgt. James Knight, a sniper section repairman at Weapons Training Battalion, Quantico, Va. Beir added the old rifles are being sent back to Quantico for disassembly."

HOWEVER,

There are lots of nice sniper rifles available to civilians, including the Barrett, a version of which is also being used by our armed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, and actually has a much greater effective range thanks to it's use of the .50 cal cartridge. You can learn more about the Barrett rifles here:

Barrett .50 Caliber Rifles – Barrett Rifles is the leading manufacturer of .50 Caliber Rifles in the world, located in Murfreesboro, TN

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