Dead Men Risen: The snipers' story (WOW! AMAZING SHOOTING - EVEN A QUIGLEY!

The Telegraph ^ | March 13, 2011 | Toby Harnden

[bimboeruption]

Operating from a remote patrol base in Helmand, two British snipers were responsible for killing 75 Taliban fighters in just 40 days. In one remarkable feat of marksmanship, two insurgents were dispatched with a single bullet.

The arrival at the newly-established Patrol Base Shamal Storrai (Pashto for “North Star”) in late August 2009 of Serjeant Tom Potter and Rifleman Mark Osmond marked the start of an astonishing episode in the history of British Army sniping.

Within 40 days, the two marksmen from 4 Rifles, part of the Welsh Guards Battle group, had achieved 75 confirmed kills with 31 attributed to Potter and 44 to Osmond. Each kill was chalked up as a little stick man on the beam above the firing position in their camouflaged sangar beside the base gate – a stick man with no head denoting a target eliminated with a shot to the skull.

Osmond, 25, was an engaging, fast-talking enthusiast, eager to display his encyclopedic knowledge of every specification and capability of his equipment. He had stubbornly remained a rifleman because he feared that being promoted might lead to his being taken away from sniping, a job he loved and lived for. Potter, 30, was more laid back, projecting a calm professionalism and quiet confidence in the value of what he did.

Potter had notched up seven confirmed kills in Bara in 2007 and 2008 while Osmond’s total was 23. Both were members of the Green Jackets team that won the 2006 British Army Sniper Championships.

[lmr]

Great shooting boys!

[Chickensoup]

The newspaper is naming the snipers? Foolish. These men are now targets in this gurrilla war

[lmr]

Great shooting boys!

[Kenny Bunk]

This is not a ballistic or engineering problem. It is a theological problem that could shake Islam to its very roots.

Since each dead terrorist is entitled to 72 Virgins in Firdous, Allah the All Wise must now come up with 5400 virgins on very short notice. It cannot be solved by sharing, or increased virgin output, as in "Wham Bam Thank You Imam."

It is not easy being Allah.

[VeniVidiVici]

But snipers and drones are so NOT FAIR!!!!!!
(as spoken by whiny libs)

[VeniVidiVici]

Wow, two with one shot. Wonder if there is a daily bag limit?

Taliban are probably designated as Small Game so probably not.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

"It’s a lever-action, breech loader. Usual barrel length’s thirty inches. This one has an extra four. It’s converted to use a special forty-five caliber, hundred and ten grain metal cartridge, with a five-hundred and forty grain paper-patched bullet. It’s fitted with double set triggers, and a Vernier sight. It’s marked up to twelve-hundred yards. This one shoots a mite further." —Matthew Quigley Three fully functional .45-110 rifles—matching the above description—were built for the film in 1989 by the Shiloh Rifle Co. of Big Timber, Montana. They also had a 15 1⁄4 inch length of pull to fit Sellek's tall frame, a full octagon heavy barrel with a blue finish, and weighed 13 1⁄2 pounds. After the filming concluded, Selleck kept all three rifles, and had two of them reconditioned by Shiloh Rifle Co. In 2006, Selleck donated one of the rifles used in filming to the NRA for a fundraising raffle. In March 2008, the same rifle sold for $69,000 through the James D. Julia auction house. The rifle's creator, Shiloh Rifle Co. sell the 1874 Sharps Buffalo – "Quigley®" model for $3298. http://www.shilohrifle.com/ Military Buttstock Patch Box No Cheek rest No Pistol Grip Standard Grade Wood ONLY 34” Heavy Octagon Barrel 45/70 or 45-110 Caliber Pewter Tip Hartford Collar Double Set Triggers Semi Buckhorn Rear Sight #109A Aperture Card Midrange Vernier Tang Sight #111 Globe Aperture Front Sight Antique or Std Color Finish (specify) 2 or 3 Gold Inlay Initials in Gold Oval

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

"It’s a lever-action, breech loader. Usual barrel length’s thirty inches. This one has an extra four. It’s converted to use a special forty-five caliber, hundred and ten grain metal cartridge, with a five-hundred and forty grain paper-patched bullet. It’s fitted with double set triggers, and a Vernier sight. It’s marked up to twelve-hundred yards. This one shoots a mite further." —Matthew Quigley Three fully functional .45-110 rifles—matching the above description—were built for the film in 1989 by the Shiloh Rifle Co. of Big Timber, Montana. They also had a 15 1⁄4 inch length of pull to fit Sellek's tall frame, a full octagon heavy barrel with a blue finish, and weighed 13 1⁄2 pounds. After the filming concluded, Selleck kept all three rifles, and had two of them reconditioned by Shiloh Rifle Co. In 2006, Selleck donated one of the rifles used in filming to the NRA for a fundraising raffle. In March 2008, the same rifle sold for $69,000 through the James D. Julia auction house. The rifle's creator, Shiloh Rifle Co. sell the 1874 Sharps Buffalo – "Quigley" model for $3298. http://www.shilohrifle.com/ Military Buttstock Patch Box No Cheek rest No Pistol Grip Standard Grade Wood ONLY 34” Heavy Octagon Barrel 45/70 or 45-110 Caliber Pewter Tip Hartford Collar Double Set Triggers Semi Buckhorn Rear Sight #109A Aperture Card Midrange Vernier Tang Sight #111 Globe Aperture Front Sight Antique or Std Color Finish (specify) 2 or 3 Gold Inlay Initials in Gold Oval

[Mr. Lucky]

See post # 20.

[yarddog]

I wonder what the history of the green jackets is. I recall (Major?) Ferguson during the Revolution, armed his men with Ferguson Rifles and had them wear green coats. I think he called his men Jaegers which I think is German for hunter.

He was killed by American Scotch-Irish backwoodsmen at Kings Mountain. He was the only one they gave an honorable burial to. I just saw that on TV today.

[Slump Tester]

"Serjeant Potter and Rifleman Osmond are identified by pseudonyms for security reasons."

Obviously not a story by the New York Times.

[MHGinTN]

Ah, nice to read of a couple of Limeys who’re good with tools ... and that 7.62 L96 is a nice tool!

[Afterguard]

Green Jackets are a key set of characters in Bernard Cornwell’s superb “Sharp” series, I.e., Sharp’s Rifles, Sharp’s Tiger, etc. Well worth the read and best of all, there are about 25 of them to read.

[Afterguard]

By the way, the Sharp characters are fictional but the historical setting, battles and so on are accurate.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Shiloh Rifle Co. sell the 1874 Sharps Buffalo – “Quigley®” model for $3298. http://www.shilohrifle.com/***

Sigh, I guess I will just have to keep my old Remmington #2 Rolling block that I had rebarreled to .444 Marlin forty years ago. Not all that accurate but is fun to shoot!

[yarddog]

Thanks, I will check them out.

I used to have two Sharps rifles. One in 45/70 and the other a black powder model. They were both made it Italy and imported by Sile Distributors.

They weren’t as nice as the Shiloh Sharps but were still very nice rifles. I did learn early not to have any loose powder on the outside of the action on the black Powder model. When the cap went off it flashed all around and burned my hand just a little.

[Lees Swrd]

I do to. I also have one of their 7.62 Lee-Enfield L42 sniper according to the stamping on the receiver it was not taken out of service until around 1992!

[goat granny]

A while back Direct TV had a great documentary on Snipers. Don't remember which station it was, but they showed what the snipers saw and how they did such a great job. A sniper doesn't work alone, he has with him the guy that gives direction, wind and distance so the sniper can set the directions on his gun to compensate for such things...the recorded longest distance kill was over a mile and a half by a British sniper, the second longest kill was an American. One sniper got 3 behind a cement block wall, the ammo penetrates the cement the the bullet explodes blowing away the cement and also the guys hiding behind the wall. Killed all three. If may have been the history channel, I just don't remember, but this was all in Iraq and Afghanistan. Interviews with the snipers was very informative and they also were asked how they felt about killing, and one answered short and sweet, he said***each person I kill is one less person to kill a marine.**

Those with satellite watch for a rerun, well worth the time...and makes you proud such men are on our side..

[paul51]

very nice

[r9etb]

I don’t understand the headline, though ... why “Dead Men Risen?”