M40 Rifle Question

[7 ring]

Why does the USMC M40 sniper rifle have a wedge shaped piece of metal in a dovetail on top of the barrel near the muzzle ? Is this for a detachable front sight or is it to affect barrel harmonics ?

[Gunner]

Hi,

dont know what metal piece do you mean. The M-40 in the pic hasnt it also not the M-40A3. Do you have pic of that part?

Regards

Gunner

[Embalmer]

think hes refering to this:

http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=14699

[Liam]

zoomed

[Gunner]

Dont know how this sniper made it. I made it from an plastic stick and clued it with an hellish good glue on the top of the barrel, where a hole for and frontsight was. I used it as an emergency sight if the scope has a damage. Think it is a similar one to the M40.

Regards

Gunner

[Herschel]

That looks like the blocks used to mount aperture front sights on target rifles. These sights are on NRA Match class rifles used in some National Match Course competitions and in long range (600 yd and 1,000 yd) iron sight rifle matches.

[USSR]

Why does the USMC M40 sniper rifle have a wedge shaped piece of metal in a dovetail on top of the barrel near the muzzle ? Is this for a detachable front sight or is it to affect barrel harmonics ?

Yep. The issue rifle comes with detachable front and rear sights.

Don

[chuckindenver]

well...
the M40 was the first Remington 700 sniper rifle used 1966 to 1975, then the M40A1, M40A2and now the M40A3...and so on. all had changes based on the 700 action.
the M40 was drilled for the front sight base, and came with iron sights as well, so the rifle could still be used if the optics failed.
rumor has it, no one used the iron sights, and most were tossed.
all the M40 rifles made after were drilled for sight bases, for the same reasons.

[Badgerord]

The Pic posted by Matt is a pic of M24's not an M40's.

The M24 is outfitted with back up iron sights, the one shown is for the first version of iron sights, they were a Redfield Big Bore front and a Palma rear.

The current version use RPA iron sights.

The M40 rifles never had iron sights and the barrels were never drilled. However the receivers were drilled and tapped for a sight but none were mounted.


Marty

[chuckindenver]

i disagree, every picture i have, including the M40,s at the Remington arms museum are D&T at the front as shown.

[USSR]

I agree with Marty, the picture appears to be that of a M24, not a M40.

Don

[bd1]

During the time in question, IIRC, all Remington 700 receivers were drilled and tapped for a metallic sight base. So it would have been a matter of drilling and tapping the barrel up near the muzzle. I don't recall seeing that on original M40 barrels but some could have been or Marine Corps armorers could have done it easily enough.

[chuckindenver]

the heading says USMC photo, hard to say for sure,
the M24 is a long action, the M40 is a short action.
the M40 is based on the Remington 700 action.
the early 40x and 700,s were basicly the same receiver, until 1968 the 700 had a cutout for a stripper clip guide, and likely was only a 722 left over until supplies lasted.
the 40X retained the cutout, and had thicker walls then the later 700,s
when the Military first but in an order for the 700,s they requested they be fitted for iron sights as well, front and rear, so, the M40,s were first shipped with holes front and rear, as well as ahead of the chamber for a target sight block.{Remington just made them that way}
as the rifle stayed in service and was rebarreled? who knows.
i can tell you, not all US Property 700,s went to the armed forces. some were sent to AK, WY, MT, and other states that have Game wardens that are State law inforcement as well.
matter fact, most US Property marked 700,s were used that way..
someplace i have the ranges of serial numbers used by the military vrs, State issues..
i think the Green book on 700,s might list it..
Remington may still have some records, but ist changed hands a few times, and records get lost, chaged ect..

[Badgerord]

I have spent the last 2 years researching sniper rifles for an upcoming book.
I have personally physically inspected 6 M40 rifles including Chuck Mawhinney’s rifle in the Marine Corps museum.

I have photographs of 16 different rifles including one from the first contract and one from the last.

I have configuration management documents for the M700 Sniper (the real name for the M40, the M40 nomenclature was not used by the Corps till 1975 after the war) the M40A1, M40A3 and the M40A5 and NO front sight or holes are listed for ANY of the models.

There is No M40A2, The PWS did not use this number because of the M40A2 106mm Recoiless rifle, Some of the Snipers used the term “M40A4” to differentiate the M40A3’s with the Detachable triggerguard NOT an official designation!
After the addition of the Surefire suppressor the nomenclature was officially changed to M40A5.


Here is a little sampler from the book, "The originating requirement for the M700 Sniper was placed by the Air Force not the Corps."

The first pic...from the top

M70 Bull Gun
M40 (M700 Sniper)
M40A1
M40A1 w/ SIMRAD mount
M40A3 w/ Unertl
DMR
M40A1
M40A5 w/ DM triggerguard, PGW UNS mount and Surefire adapter





Marty

[Chris F]

the M40 was the first Remington 700 sniper rifle used 1966 to 1975, then the M40A1, M40A2and now the M40A3...and so on. all had changes based on the 700 action.
the M40 was drilled for the front sight base, and came with iron sights as well, so the rifle could still be used if the optics failed.
rumor has it, no one used the iron sights, and most were tossed.
all the M40 rifles made after were drilled for sight bases, for the same reasons.

If you look at Senich's book, "The One Round War", which is probably the most scholarly work on the USMC Sniper Program available to date, there are several close up's of the upper portion of actual M40 muzzles. There are no holes. Definitely no bases.

I can say more definitively that when they went to the M40A1's (RTE shop produced vice Remington produced), there were definitely no holes. The one exception would be when the MTU pressed the M40A1's into service in the 1000yd Roumanian Trophy Team Match. This was an iron sight match, and they fitted up their M40A1's with Iron's, then went out and won the match.

That rifle referred to by the OP is definitely an M24. It's an M700LA. HS Stock and Leupold M3 scope.

when the Military first but in an order for the 700,s they requested they be fitted for iron sights as well, front and rear, so, the M40,s were first shipped with holes front and rear, as well as ahead of the chamber for a target sight block.{Remington just made them that way} as the rifle stayed in service and was rebarreled? who knows.

It sounds an awful lot like you're referring to the Army's M24 (minus the rear barrel block).


Marty, here's a couple of interesting tidbits for you;
Did you know that the design consultant for the M24 project was a retired Marine?
Did you know that Mawhinney's M40 was still in service as an M40A1 into the 90's? E-mail me for more details if you'd like to run those down for your book.