Earlier in 2018 the Corps announced it was finally ready to replace the Vietnam-era M40 sniper rifle with the new Mk 13 Mod 7.
Marine scout snipers have been carrying versions of the M40 for decades and have long complained of the need to engage targets beyond 1,000 meters.
The Corps answered those complaints by selecting the sniper rifle currently employed by elite Marine Raiders, the Mk 13 Mod 7.
Marines with I Marine Expeditionary Force out on the West Coast have already started to get their hands on the new rifle. Fielding is expected to continue with II MEF and III MEF in 2019.
The Corps says the new sniper rifle increases the range of Marine snipers by nearly 300 meters and can hit targets beyond 1,000 yards.
The new sniper rifle will come with the powerful Nightforce Advanced Tactical Riflescope.
This is an excerpt from “19 Things You Need to Know in 2019,” in the 12-31 print edition of Marine Corps Times.
Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.
