Marines thrilled with sniper upgrade; rifle promises ‘certain doom’ for enemies

The sniper rifle that aided U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War will soon be replaced with a weapon better suited for modern conflicts.

The M40 system and its nearly 1,000-yard range is no longer the preferred option for the Marine Corps in a security environment where 1,300 yards are needed to accomplish missions. Military officials heard the complaint from enough war fighters that scout snipers will soon carry the Mk 13 Mod 7 along with its .300 Winchester Magnum rounds.

The shift, which Marine spokesperson Capt. Christopher Harrison recently confirmed with Marine Corps Times, was hailed by one sniper as a “long time coming.”

The popular military website Task & Purpose also touted the decision with a piece on Tuesday titled “The Marine Corps Is Finally Getting The Sniper Rifle It Deserves.”

“The new rifle represents a major, long-awaited breakthrough for the Corps — and certain doom for their adversaries downrange,” Task & Purpose editor Jared Keller wrote.

The M40 system has aided Marine snipers since 1966. It was last modified in 2014 under the M40A6 nomenclature.

“While there’s no new explicit funding for the Mk 13 in the services’ fiscal 2019 budget request, the service asked for nearly $4.3 million in 2018 to purchase the new system,” the website reported.