Wednesday, August 22, 2007

M1C Sniper Rifle


In Korea, snipers achieved reasonably consistent results with the M1C between 400-600 yards, with 600 being the maximum effective range. Partly this was due to the poor resolving power of issue scopes, and partly the lack of match grade ammunition. USMC snipers used regular issue .30-caliber ball ammunition. When obtainable, the heavier .30-caliber armor-piercing ammunition was used, for its increased stability at longer ranges, although both lighter and less accurate than match grade.

Like the M1, the M1C was a robust weapon, maintaining proper function and accuracy very well under combat conditions.

The M1C, configured as above, was approximately 36 inches long, weighing almost 12 pounds. On the basis of Infantry Board tests of the M1E7 and M1E8 rifles, the M1E7 equipped with a two and one half power telescope was standardized in June 1944 as U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1C (Sniper's).

In order to assure meeting production requirements, the M1E8 was adopted in September 1944 as U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1D (Sniper's), but except for a few prototype specimens the M1D was not produced during WWII, and would not properly be considered as a WWII infantry weapon. Relatively large numbers of standard M1 rifles were converted into M1D configuration during the early 1950's, but it was the M1C that was the principal sniping weapon for the American army in Korea.

No comments: