[mc5cents]

No way would the KGB "wetworks" people gamble on one guy with a Mannlicher-Carcarno with a Brand-X telescope, surplus ammo and indifferent boresighting. Too big a chance that Oswald would have missed, been captured, and then spilled his guts (assuming that Jack Ruby wouldn't always have been available to silence him). The KGB was much better at things than this.

Exactly! And, Oswald was not that good of a marksman.

[muir_redwoods]

I won’t argue the point but I will point out that I’ve stood at the window next to the one Oswald shot from at the book depository building in Dallas. Oswald was a Marine and I’m not but I have about an 80% certainty that I could have made those shots. Oswalds window is blocked by a plexiglass barrier and the point on the roadway where Kennedy was hit is marked by a painted “X” on the pavement. Dealey Plaza is surprisingly small.

[Andrei Bulba]

Sounds good, but a “brand x” sight that is sighted in can work as well as any other, and “surplus ammo” seems to fire just fine. Do you expect them to send him in there looking like a super equipped Russian special forces guy?

[PowderMonkey]

"Exactly! And, Oswald was not that good of a marksman."

Internet lore and Oliver Stone rewrite of history. One of my instructors was a retired Marine. After a day on the range we all sat down at the local watering hole, and the JFK assassination came up during a discussion of marksmanship. As expected, the discussion was lively and became quite, ahem, animated. When one of the rookies made the mistake of disagreeing with the instructor's assertion that Oswald did indeed pull the trigger. My instructor slammed his beer mug down on the bar top and bellowed, "OF COURSE HE MADE THAT SHOT! HE WAS A GODDAMNED MARINE, WASN'T HE?" The place fell silent.

Yup. Every Marine a marksman. "Brand X" scopes, mail order Carcano, whatever. If something isn't leaking oil, or missing treads; if no "field expedient" is required, the Marines don't want it. They'll take whatever they've got and use it to the utmost lethality. No question.

[A.A. Cunningham]

It was a relatively easy shot from short range. Oswald didn’t need to be an expert to pull it off. With two weeks of snapping in and practice even somebody with your skill could have pulled it off.