The Long Life of the M40 Rifle

The Bullet:In

The M40. A revered name with few variations throughout history - the M40, M40A1, M40A3, M40A5. In the fifty years since its inception, the Marines’ update to the Remington 700 system has stood the test of time with its durability, simplicity, and hard-hitting rounds. The goal, as with most long-range platforms, is a consistent first-round hit. That’s not to say that every shot will be taken at extreme range... but it’s useful to have a rifle capable of delivering that level of accuracy.

At the time of the Vietnam war, the only suitable rifles for such a purpose were old holdovers from World War II and Korea. Commonly, this meant a 1903 with 8X Unertl (Model 1941) or scope-mounted M1C and M1D Garands. The Army went on to develop the M14 further, yielding the XM21. The Marine Corps decided to take a different approach.

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