M40A1 rifles in TV and Cinema

[ArmedGinger]

Going back and rewatching NCIS and totally forgot about this rifle. Generally when they show USMC Snipers in TV shows and movies, they never get the M40A1 right. Usually it's just a Remington 700 PSS with some unknown scope on it that they call an "M40A1" (American Sniper or Sniper with Tom Beringer, for instance).

Surprised this show payed such attention to detail. Wondering if this rifle was provided by a member here.

Granted the movie Jarhead is probably one of the most mainstream movies with the rifle. This one appears to even have a real Unertl on it and actually got the crosshairs right.

Generation Kill seems to have gotten the scope right, but the barrel doesn't seem to be the right Profile.

NCIS New York seemed to have gotten it right.

 

[Son of Dorn]

What was wrong with the one in Sniper, the 1993 original, aside from using the wrong scope? IMFDB still lists it as an M40A1 and says they were built as if they'd be used for real.

As for American Sniper, there's only an M40A3 and again I'm not sure what's wrong with it.

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

On Generation Kill, Rudy was the real deal, true 1st Recon.

Keep in mind, what is authentic is expensive, and more than 99% of viewers will think it is baller as hell, even if it isn't authentic. But yea, almost no one gets it really right.

 

[Skunk]

The scope in Jarhead was plastic. We had a couple of them floating around the shop when I worked for US Optics.

 

[ArmedGinger]

What was wrong with the one in Sniper, the 1993 original, aside from using the wrong scope? IMFDB still lists it as an M40A1 and says they were built as if they'd be used for real.

As for American Sniper, there's only an M40A3 and again I'm not sure what's wrong with it.

The one on Sniper was close but if I remember correctly it didn't have the correct barrel profile. It was also topped with a Leupold 10x scope.

As for American Sniper, these are the ones that are misidentified as "M40A1". They appear to be just standard Remington 700 SPS.

The scope in Jarhead was plastic. We had a couple of them floating around the shop when I worked for US Optics.

Ok now that is cool! Wondered what happened to them.

 

[Son of Dorn]

The one on Sniper was close but if I remember correctly it didn't have the correct barrel profile. It was also topped with a Leupold 10x scope.

As for American Sniper, these are the ones that are misidentified as "M40A1". They appear to be just standard Remington 700 SPS.

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Ok now that is cool! Wondered what happened to them.

Well in fairness the ones in American Sniper weren't ever said to be M40 models onscreen, were they? IMFDB just lists them as Remington 700 PSS's. True, they probably are meant to be M40s but they could also just be a generic-700-based training rifle for those scenes, the way that Winchester 70s and assorted .22s were used as trainers in WWII. Since they seem to have done a really fine job with Kyle's rifles later on, I reckon they weren't necessarily trying to pass those off as M40s.

 

[ArmedGinger]

Well in fairness the ones in American Sniper weren't ever said to be M40 models onscreen, were they?

In the movie no, in the making of though they stated they were supposed to be M40A1 rifles but they couldn't get their hands on any so they made them using standard remington 700 PSS/SPS

 

[Son of Dorn]

In the movie no, in the making of though they stated they were supposed to be M40A1 rifles but they couldn't get their hands on any so they made them using standard remington 700 PSS/SPS

Ah gotcha. Shame on them for not trying harder!

 

[bildoe308]

Leo Conring built the rifles for Jarhead, retired 2112. He built both of my a1’s. 308 on top & my 22 LR Trainer “barreled action”, another 2112 finished the rifle for me. I wish he was still building rifles, a true craftsman.

 

[njohn890]

Don’t forget Mike in Season 2 of Better Call Saul.....

The stock isn’t quite right and the barrel looks like a std Rem Varmint profile but at least it’s got a USO on it with an ARD no less. In a later episode there is a similar rifle but with a Leupold Mk4 M3 on it. I don’t recall if it’s explicitly identified as an M40A1 or not.