The Brothers In Arms Foundation is raffling off Rifle # 69 of 103, a true replica of Chuck Mawhinney’s Vietnam M40 Sniper Rifle.  All proceeds will go to providing financial and logistical support to immediate family members of Marines & FMF Corpsman who have been critically wounded while serving within the Special Operations Community of The United States Marine Corps.

Until very recently, the term “sniper” was veiled in mystery, secrecy and misunderstanding. The current conflict has thrust snipers and sniping into the forefront of military terminology and the public lime light. What was once considered almost a “dark art” has now become more popular than the elite fighter pilot, and only seconded by “special operations” in notoriety. Unfortunately, past generations of these truly elite warriors have become almost lost in the discussions and stories coming from their brethren of today. The reality is that the modern sniper owes everything to those who went before him and did the same job with less training and lower quality equipment.

Chuck Mawhinney is one such warrior. Chuck Mawhinney joined the USMC in Oct. 1967 right out of high school. He attended Scout Sniper School at Camp Pendleton and graduated in April 1968. From there he received orders to Vietnam where upon arrival he was assigned as a rifleman to 1st Marine Division, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Battalion Lima Company. He remained in this unit for 3 months until he was re-assigned to 5th Marine Regiment HQ Scout Sniper Platoon. There he worked as a scout sniper for different companies with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions. He also worked with the South Koreans (ROK Marines), Force Recon, Army CAG Unit, but the majority of his time was with Delta Company. He served a 13 month tour with two back to back extensions. During this tour he is credited with 103 confirmed NVA-VC kills and 216 probables. Like many fellow service members, following his service in Vietnam, Chuck returned home (Oregon) to resume his life and he resides there today.

During his service in Vietnam, Chuck used the tools that were provided to him in order to accomplish an extremely difficult job. Despite what Hollywood and various novelists have depicted, the job in Vietnam was a dirty and dangerous endeavor done with the most minimal of equipment. The stories of 1000 meter head shots and “one shot one kill” adventures make for good ticket/book sales, however the reality was much more mundane and much more terrifying than anyone could actually imagine unless they were there. Of particular note is the equipment these heroes actually used and made work in difficult circumstances. Chuck’s primary weapon was the new for the Marine Corps, an M40 sniper rifle outfitted with a variable power 3-9x Redfield day scope. By today’s standards, this rifle was essentially a very accurate hunting rifle reconfigured and modified for combat duty.  The rifle was based on a commercial Remington Model 700 fitted with a with a 1:12 RH twist and non-gloss black finish barrel placed into a walnut stock. Upon receipt, the USMC bedded the rifle and performed some modifications they felt were necessary in order to sustain combat operations. Chuck’s record (as well as his fellow Scout Snipers) is proof positive that this rifle worked and worked well, so much so that it has gained almost legendary status.

Despite returning to civilian life after his service in Vietnam, Chuck remained an avid shooter, hunter and instructor. It has been this continual contact with the shooting community that has kept Chuck coming back to the rifle that served him so well in the harshness of combat. His fond memories of this rifle and the stories that depicted his success with it captivated every professional shooter and hobbyist he came into contact with.

Specifications for the rifle are as follows:

Remington Model 700
Caliber: .308 Winchester (7.62 Nato round)
Barrel Length: 24" Black Matte, Pillar bedded, free floating barrel and correct length TG screws (G.A. Precision)
Stock: Walnut
Butt Plate: Aluminum
Floor Plate: Engraved aluminum (w/ Chuck's signature) and numbered 1 - 103
Scope: 3-9 x 40 Redfield Anodized Green (Leupold)
Mounts: Replica Redfield (Badger Ordnance)
Sling: Green

This rifle is the same size and weight as the original rifle carried by Chuck and others in Vietnam.

All rifles will be shot by Chuck personally and logged into a log book included in the package.

IMPORTANT!

Unfortunately PayPal doesn't allow for raffle transactions through their site...To purchase a ticket, mail your payment to: Brothers In Arms Foundation, 3200 South Congress, Suite 203, Boynton Beach, FL 33426.  Only 103 tickets will be sold; the cost, $103.00 per ticket.  Tickets will be sold until they sell out.  Upon receipt of your ticket payment, you will receive a confirmation email from contact@brothersinarmsfoundation.org with your order number.  The drawing for the rifle will take place 1 business day after the last ticket has been sold.  The winner will be contacted to coordinate shipping to a registered FFL dealer.  There are 18 tickets remaining...