[kahoutek]

Mr. Sain heads Americansnipers.org, which has raised about $400,000 from the private sector — including major corporations and wealthy Hollywood celebrities — to help supply equipment to Marine and Army snipers.

Anyone else find it strange that sources outside the military/government are supplying this effort?

[DTogo]

Anyone else find it strange that sources outside the military/government are supplying this effort?

Yes. Sounds like the WTimes is taking something out of context.

[Fenris6]

I find the whole article strange. One of my admin billets was School's NCO (never went to Sniper School myself, but I know their SOP). Doesn't follow that Snipers would be employed like this, its reactionary and dilutes their strengths.

Also, the writers tossed in the term "marksmen" with snipers. Marksmen is a rifle badge, the two terms are not used together like this in the USMC.

[Sender]

I do find it strange. Surely there is funding for scopes, bipods, vests etc. Probably the scope money was used for condoms and sensitivity training.

[steveyp]

Not really. It is the government after all. Perhaps they would be able to do something about it in 15-20 months, but money talks now and if the citizenry can bypass the lethargy in the Pentagon more power to them. I think I'll check this out. Looks like the money is well spent.

[2banana]

The military frowns on this - know several people punished for trying to get "private money" to buy equipment. The Marine in Fallujah might be getting some UCMJ right now if his command finds out...

[gieriscm]

There are other private efforts to supply specialized equipment to our snipers deployed in the Middle East.

Adopt a Sniper

[A.A. Cunningham]

Just this week, Mr. Sain received a request from a Marine in Fallujah asking for his group to provide him with a scope and bipod for his standard-issue M-16. "I have an M-16 A4, I will be the designated marksman IF I can get my own equipment," the Marine stated. "We're using snipers over there in record numbers," Mr. Sain said in an interview

Doesn't pass the smell test. Standard issue for a Marine grunt is an A2 not an A4. "designated marksman" WTF?! This "Marine", if he exists, is jerking Sain's chain. There are plenty of Marine Scout Snipers in Iraq using the M40A3.

If you, or Sain for that matter, really want to help these snipers then visit Operation Assist

[yarddog]

I would think a standard M-16 would make a pretty decent sniper rifle if it were set up for that. The inherent accuracy of the rifles is really good.

I think there are problems with just putting a scope on one as there is a lot of play in the receiver, handle/mount setup.

This can be corrected tho. The short barreled ones which I see in the news would lack the velocity for long range work. I used to have an Hbar and it was extraordinarily accurate, better than most bolt actions.

[verity]

I do not buy the story. This guy Sain is probably looking for publicity.

[Bear_Slayer]

Bookmark

[leadpenny]

Sunday at 6 and 9 PM, ET, on C-SPAN2:

http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/fullschedule.csp?timeid=211984073863

After Words with Jack Coughlin
C-SPAN
Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
ID: 186865 - 05/24/2005 - 0:55 - $29.95

Capaccio, Anthony, Correspondent, Bloomberg News, Pentagon
Coughlin, Jack, Gunnery Sergeant (Ret.), U.S. Marine Corps

Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin, (USMC Ret.) will talk about his book "Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper," published by St. Martin's Press. He will discusses his role in the creation of the Sniper Strike Team, his experiences taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the invasion of Baghdad. He will be interviewed by Pentagon correspondent Tony Capaccio.

Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin was with the Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, during the 2003 drive to Baghdad and has operated on a wide range of assignments in war zones around the world. His 60 confirmed kills made him one of the top snipers in the U.S. military. His book was written with Captain Casey Kuhlman and Donald A. Davis.

Anthony Capaccio is currently a Pentagon correspondent for Bloomberg News. Previously, he was editor of "Defense Week," and was a staff associate with national columnist Jack Anderson, covering a variety of topics.