E. · Sniper Rifle
M40
Bolt action · 7.62x51mm NATO · introduced 1966
Also known as M40 Sniper Rifle, Remington M40
About the M40
The M40 is a bolt-action sniper rifle adopted by the United States Marine Corps in 1966. Built on the Remington Model 700 short action and chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, it featured a 24-inch heavy match barrel, a one-piece wooden stock, and a 5-round internal box magazine, typically mounted with a Redfield 3-9x Accurange variable scope. Introduced during the Vietnam War, the M40 became the foundation of the USMC sniper rifle lineage for the following four decades.
Adopted on April 7, 1966, the M40 gave USMC snipers a purpose-built precision rifle during the Vietnam War, where legendary marksmen such as Carlos Hathcock used it to record long-range engagements.
M40 specifications
General
- Type
- Sniper Rifle
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker-fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Calibres
- 7.62x51mm NATO
- Magazine capacity
- 5 rounds
- Magazine
- Fixed box
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 610 mm (24.0 in)
- Overall length
- 1117 mm (44.0 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 4.10 kg (9.04 lb)
Barrel
- Rifling twist
- 1:12 in (305 mm)
- Rifling
- Right hand
- Grooves
- 6
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- parkerized
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 777 m/s (2549 fps)
- Muzzle energy (typical)
- 3457 J (2550 ft·lb)
- Effective range
- 800 m
History
- Introduced
- 1966
- Discontinued
- 1977
- Production status
- Discontinued
- Country of origin
- US
- Designer
- Remington Arms / USMC Marksmanship Training Unit
Features
- Heavy match barrel
- One piece wooden stock
- Telescopic sight
Safety
- Manual safety
Factory-produced base model later rebuilt and refined by USMC armorers at Marine Corps Base Quantico into the M40A1 and subsequent variants. Production of the original M40 configuration ended in 1977.
