Remington M40

History of the Remington M40

Longtime firearm manufacturer Remington introduced the Model 700 series of bolt-action rifles to the American public and police forces in 1962. It was this rifle that later formed the basis for the United States Marine Corps (USMC) standardized sniper weapon, the "M40" during the Vietnam War. These modified versions were "militarized" by U.S. Marine Corps specialists from the Quantico Armory and officially entered service in 1966.

A few changes during production resulted in a few variants, as described below - all changes to make the battlefield system more robust and adaptable. Surprisingly, the original Model 700 is still in production today, and the USMC M40 is still in service - already in the Vietnam War, Lebanon, Grenada, the 1991 Gulf War, the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq published when.

The original M40 production brand was simply referred to as "M40". These are identified by the one-piece all-wood stock and standard Redfield 3-9x scope mounted above the receiver.

After the warping problem of the wooden stock became apparent, the "M40A1" brand was introduced, which featured the McMillan A1 fiberglass stock and stainless steel barrel. The Redfield area has also been removed and replaced with the Unertl type. The "M40A3" appeared in 2001 with the new McMillan Tactical A4 series fiberglass stock and Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50 Police Marksman II LP scope with illuminated crosshairs. A Schneider Match Grade SS #7 barrel was also introduced, along with other changes that increased the overall weight of the gun by about 2 pounds.

These rifles appeared in time for the US invasion of Afghanistan triggered by 9/11 and have been in widespread use ever since. In 2009, the latest incarnation of the M40, the "M40A5", introduced support for the AN/PVS-22 series night vision goggles and a detachable cassette magazine (as opposed to the original integrated cassette approach).

Overall, the Remington M40 mimics the lines of the original M700, with a durable stock that forms the nose (front end), receiver, pistol grip and shoulder rest. Later production shoulder rests were padded for some comfort, while the left side had a rear sling. The trigger, protected by an elongated ring, is free under the receiver.

The bolt handle and ejection port are located on the right side of the fuselage. The second front sling is attached along the very front of the left front edge of the body. The barrel is exposed at the top of the front baffle and looks more or less smooth and featureless. An optional bipod can be attached to the front of the front end for stability when tracking/shooting.

Sights are usually mounted above the receiver, and there are no spare iron sights.

Like the previous Model 700, the M40 uses the proven manual "turn the bolt" bolt action system. This means the gun requires the user to manipulate the integrated bolt handle assembly and insert a charged cartridge in the firing chamber after each successive shot. Relay systems have been in widespread use since the second half of the 19th century and have repeatedly proven their reliability in the field. The M40 is designed to fire the standard 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge (.308 Winchester) from a full 5-round magazine (except for the M50A5 production model mentioned above, which now introduces a more traditional detachable magazine holder). This allows five consecutive shots after each turn of the bolt and pull of the trigger.

The firing mechanism can be traced back to the original but excellent German Mauser mechanism. Muzzle velocity is quoted as 2,550 feet per second, with an effective range of up to 1,000 yards - of course, this may vary based on training, experience and environmental factors.

Earlier versions of the M40 used day sights, while the latest brand - the M40A5 - introduced support for night vision optics.

Since its launch, the M40 has proven itself in numerous conflicts, proving its superior design and Remington pedigree. The U.S. Army also chose the same Model 700 for its improved M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS), which entered service in 1988. Affects the choice of standard ammunition used.

In addition, the US Army version of night vision support is starting to "get out of the gate", while the USMC M40 has to wait until the arrival of the new M40A5 model.

Despite the M40's outstanding qualities, the long-term prospects of the M40 in the USMC's inventory remain in doubt, largely due to changing battlefield needs and advanced technology. So, at the time of this writing (2012), the USMC is working hard to find a suitable replacement for the venerable M40, and at the same time the USMC is looking to procure the next generation of sniper weapon systems for future generations of USMC snipers.

As a result, U.S. Marine Corps authorities are paying close attention to the Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) program developed by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The program aims to provide its professional snipers with a single standard bolt-action rifle.

338 caliber, which is likely to directly affect US Army and USMC acquisitions in the near future.

April 2018 - The Remington M40 is scheduled to be replaced in USMC inventory by the Mark 13 Mod 7 series sniper rifle.

Specification

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Dimensions

Performance

Changes