I recently got a look at a prototype of the proposed USMC upgrade to the M40A6 configuration for their venerable sniper rifle based on the Remington 700 action. Well I’m told that IOC still two years out, the decision for the upgrade in stock to a modified version of the Remington Arms Chassis System which has already been adopted in other forms by the US Army and SOCOM.
Currently, the working designation remains M40A6 but it well be fielded as the M40A7. Apparently, the barrel remains the sticking point, and a final decision on length and twist rate has still not been made although the weapon remains 7.62 NATO. Take a look at the gallery and you may see a few other tidbits of info like the SureFire suppressor adapter.
Will the Leupold MK6 pictured also be replacing the Schmidt and Bender 3-12x and the Premier 3-15x day scopes?
The optics do not reflect what the USMC plans to use.
They should either stick with that Schmidt & Bender or go with the new MK 8 M5B2. Why do they always come out with the hot new toys after I get out?? Oh well, M40A5 is still a beast.
Looks like a Cadex Defense Chassis to my eye.
Good eye. Cadex helped Remington on the development of RACS.
What a kick in the pants. 7.62 for the next 20 years. This is why I’m getting out after 11 years in the Scout/Sniper community.
P.s. Nobody asked for this. We know what we need, we know what our enemies are starting to use, and sooner or later, we’re gonna get bit.
What would you guys prefer as your standard? .300/.338/6.5?
Why is the Marine Crops fusing around with a .308 Bolt gun still? .300win, .338 Lapua, anything but .308. The dinosaurs that are making these decisions need to move on. This is why MarSoc ended up with a damn 1911 again. Hell, while we’re at it, bring back the musket!
.308 is a good platform and makes sense for infantryman.
Scout Snipers (regular type..not some high seed, low drag such as MARSOC), work hand in hand with line companies in their unit.
Say the Marine Corps ended up choosing .338 for their standard sniper rifle. What happens when. You run out of .338 on an extensive dedicated patrol or LP/OP or COP? You can’t de-link M80 from the M240 and use that, can you?
I understand your concern, but consider it the same thing as when the mortar section runs out of HE rounds, or the SMAW gunner fires his last rocket, the M2 or the MK19 runs dry, etc. Snipers are a supporting asset to the infantry, not the main effort. Most snipers already patrol with an M4 in addition to the M40A5 anyway, so they will have a backup weapon system if they use all of their rounds for the bolt gun. Planning and logistics protocols can be established so that enough rounds are available for whatever mission is being conducted.
Delinking M80 would be a pointless endevour anyway. The M118 LC round used for the M40 is a percision round capable of meshing and holding the 1 MOA that the rifle can push out. M80 is designed to be inaccurate; its a machine gun round so you want it to create a beaten path and be capable of grazing fire (cover a large area). If your delinking rounds to use for the M40 you might as well pack it up and switch to the M4/M16, because at that point you dont have a sniper rifle. In accuracy terms you have a single shot M240.
Accuracy standard for M80 Ball lot acceptance is a mean average radius of 5 inches at 600 yards for all groups tested from a given lot of ammunition. Try again guy, nothing is designed to be “innacurate.”
Make/Model of the tripod?
Manfrotto, USTS have great deals on Manfrotto + HOG Saddle combos
the joints at the leg/head junction don’t look like any manfrotto I’ve seen.
Dimensionally seems to favor their CSR offering, albeit without easily removed barrel and folding grip; both use relatively short pipe and are 7.62. @ HSD tripod looks like a ‘Really Right Stuff’.
I would like to do a side by side comparison with my M40A1 at the range.
just noticed trigger shoe looks like the new Tubbs 700 trigger.