Features
M40A1
Caliber :7.62 mm.
Length :total, 1.11 m;
barrel, 0.61 m.
Weight :6.570 kg.
Initial speed speed:777 m/s.
Magger capacity :5 cartridges.
The Marine Corps has always been allowed to possess its own armaments as if its particular amphibious mission required special equipment. So when it came time to pick out a new sniper rifle to replace the old M1C and M1D, both based on the Garand M1, the Marines did as usual.
For them, the shooter has always had a special role, often operating ahead of combat units to gather intelligence and act as a maverick. So when they tested the M21 sniper rifle in the US Army, they decided they wanted something better. The staff did not find a weapon that exactly met their requirements, but the one that came closest to it was the Remington Model 700 rifle. This was therefore adopted under the name M40 in 1966.
•The M40 has a manually cocked Mauser type breech and a heavy barrel. It is usually equipped with a Redfield scope with variable magnification ranging from x 3 to x 9. It has a magazine of five cartridges; its general design is totally conventional but its parts are of high quality. The M40 proved in service, and particularly during the Vietnamese conflict, that it gave satisfaction to its users, but the experience acquired made it possible to produce an improved model. This includes replacing the barrel with one made of stainless steel (its usefulness has been proven in the humid jungle), the addition of a fiberglass stock instead of wood, and new sighting instruments. This new scope has
been built entirely to Marine specifications. It has a fixed magnification of x 10. There are no spare sights.
With all these transformations, the M40 became the M40A1 and it is built by Remington Corporation for the sole use of US Marines. Ultimately, it is one of the most accurate rifles ever made, although the numbers are lacking to verify this claim. The main reason for this precision lies in the heavy stainless steel barrel and especially in the superb scope. The magnification of this lens is greater than that of its competitors and gives a brilliant image. A wide variety of equipment and optics can be fitted to this weapon.