XM-3 on CMP, what’s the story behind these?

#101
I received my XM3 today! I added a new Eagle Industries stock pack and the following USMC used takeoff items - S&B M8541 SSDS scope, Badger Ordnance scope rings, SureFire FA762SS silencer, and Harris bipod. I have a PVS-22 for the rifle as well, but I did feel the need to photograph it on the rifle. I've seen one photo of a possible DT turret S&B used on an XM3, but it's not the sharpest photo. Both scopes were used at the same time, so it's a possible combination. I'm pretty excited about this one!

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#102
USMCSGT0331 said:
I received my XM3 today! I added a new Eagle Industries stock pack and the following USMC used takeoff items - S&B M8541 SSDS scope, Badger Ordnance scope rings, SureFire FA762SS silencer, and Harris bipod. I have a PVS-22 for the rifle as well, but I did feel the need to photograph it on the rifle. I've never seen an DT turret S&B used on an XM3, but they were used at the same time, so it's a possible combination. I'm pretty excited about this one!

View attachment 8681014
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YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
 
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#104
USMCSGT0331 said:
I received my XM3 today! I added a new Eagle Industries stock pack and the following USMC used takeoff items - S&B M8541 SSDS scope, Badger Ordnance scope rings, SureFire FA762SS silencer, and Harris bipod. I have a PVS-22 for the rifle as well, but I did feel the need to photograph it on the rifle. I've never seen an DT turret S&B used on an XM3, but they were used at the same time, so it's a possible combination. I'm pretty excited about this one!

View attachment 8681014
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@USMCSGT0331 That scope is totally NON-correct for that rifle! I’ll be generous and trade you my NXS 3-15 for it. Just because I’m such a nice guy.
 
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#106
kft101 said:
@USMCSGT0331 That scope is totally NON-correct for that rifle! I’ll be generous and trade you my NXS 3-15 for it. Just because I’m such a nice guy.
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I don't know, the scope seems pretty correct to me, lol:

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Infidel4life11 said:
Not going to lie I was hoping he was going to put a Tan Short Dot on it 🤣
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Do I look like I'm BG Defense with ridiculously overpriced, incorrect, no-name "XM3" knockoffs!? :ROFLMAO:

70038140-5c2b-4691-8c4d-fd71b962d98f-1686278126772.jpg
 
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#108
Infidel4life11 said:
Ima buy a BG defense and post it in every clone thread and tag you 🤣
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Jokes on you, after the next MSSHF rifle raffle I'm leaving the forums, and you'll still be stuck with that crappy rifle! :ROFLMAO:

I think it would be ridiculous if I put an M5 DBM and other current stuff on my surplus CMP XM3. I'll call it an XM3 Mod 2 and confuse the hell out of future collectors when they come across my posts, lol.
 
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#109
USMCSGT0331 said:
Jokes on you, after the next MSSHF rifle raffle I'm leaving the forums, and you'll still be stuck with that crappy rifle! :ROFLMAO:

I think it would be ridiculous if I put an M5 DBM and other current stuff on my surplus CMP XM3. I'll call it an XM3 Mod 2 and confuse the hell out of future collectors when they come across my posts, lol.
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Dooooo it! Throw a badger m5 on the new green one!
 
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#110
Infidel4life11 said:
Dooooo it! Throw a badger m5 on the new green one!
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I just look through my safes to see if I had an M5 sitting around, and then I realized that the last M5 I had is now on the SSA M40A5 raffle rifle that was just won on Monday. Looks like I need to buy another one, just so I can post a photo online for my internet friends, lol.
 
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#111
USMCSGT0331 said:
I just look through my safes to see if I had an M5 sitting around, and then I realized that the last M5 I had is now on the SSA M40A5 raffle rifle that was just won on Monday. Looks like I need to buy another one, just so I can post a photo online for my internet friends, lol.
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Will it fit when the welded box mag?
 
#112
Jrb572 said:
Will it fit when the welded box mag?
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Definitely not, it would be unusable. However, an angle grinder solves this issue extremely quickly :cool:

It would probably work with only the bottom metal, but you wouldn't be able to put mags in it. There's also the issue of bedding material, which might be too tight for the M5 DBM to even fit. I just wanted to mock something up the best I can in order to get a photo. It's just something to have fun with in this thread.
 
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#114
Coejro said:
@USMCSGT0331 is S6550263 on your list? It wasn’t one of the CMP ones sold, but looks like it is one of the USMC XM3’s. Likely one of the rifles sold outside the auctions?

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Yes, that serial number is on the USMC list, so that is definitely a real USMC used XM3 sniper rifle. And holy shit, that seller's prices for stuff is literally retarded!

48th highest XM3 serial number (the list starts at line 2, since line 1 is the title line):

1000005074.jpg
 
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#117
For the GB auction listing for XM3 S6550263, look at photos 36-44. The XM3 kit comes with the original takeoff barrel, which still has the original sniper paint on it that matches the sniper paint on the rifle. I've never seen something like this before, it's very unique and it might be the reason why someone chose it out of the pile at the CMP and took it home. I've never seen a loose USMC used XM3 barrel before.

IBA wanted to charge the Marines something like $2,500 to rebuild/rebarrel each USMC XM3, but the Marines thought that price was far too high and turned them down. This could have been an XM3 sent back to IBA as a test piece for rebuilding/rebarreling before the Corps declined to rebuild/rebarrel any other XM3's. Since the barrel tag says that it was removed from the rifle in 2014, this wouldn't be a recent rebarrel job. This is what makes the most sense to me.
 
#118
I can’t add much to that, but it is interesting the barrel markings on the rebarrel are slightly different. IBA-S (I’d guess Schneider barrel?) and it has the twist marked (1:10)

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ETA: reference pictures from CMP barrel markings.
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#119
Coejro said:
I can’t add much to that, but it is interesting the barrel markings on the rebarrel are slightly different. IBA-S (I’d guess Schneider barrel?) and it has the twist marked (1:10)

View attachment 8711247

ETA: reference pictures from CMP barrel markings.
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Say that as well and I'm guessing that it is an IBA replacement barrel. Obviously, any gunsmith can hang a barrel and stamp it any way they want. The main thing that's going through my head is that there can't be a collector that's stupid enough to pull the original barrel with the original sniper paint and hang a brand new barrel. It just ruins the value of the rifle.

Another option is that the Marine 2112 armorers pulled the barrel, installed a new barrel, and reproduced the stamps the best they could (with some differences). This makes more sense than a civilian collector doing the work, since the barreled action looks like it has also been refinished. The current barrel and receiver lack sniper paint. This is because the painted barrel was pulled and the receiver was cleaned off. The barreled action looks like it has a black oxide finish, and not the coating that IBA put on the XM3's. A civilian owner would care about the paint and finish on the receiver, IBA and the Marines don't.

Unless the seller has information for the rest of us, all we can do is speculate on what's going on. One way or another, that rifle isn't anywhere near the $40k listed price! Even with original kit and PVS-22, that rifle is worth far less than all other USMC XM3's, it's literally now the bottom of the barrel. It might be a $20k kit with everything, or it might be worth even less than that. But it's not a $40k kit.
 
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#120
The ad says IBA replaced the barrel.

"Product Description: Unlike the CMP kits that are missing half of everything this Deployment Package is complete with all the same parts and pieces as it had when it left IBA and was issued to the Marines (Which can be confirmed by the serial number being present on the pouches and cases) minus the suppressor (Which they were never brought back with since it was an NFA item). The only difference now is that the original barrel (Which we have) was replaced at Iron Brigade Armory with a brand new barrel. This Deployment Package comes with the original test targets showing shot groupings with and without the suppressor, a plethora of documentation like service manuals, data sheets, original flyers, and lastly a manila folder full of paperwork documenting every little detail from the firing schedule, even documentation of the barrel change that was conducted at IBA. This truly is the most complete XM3 package that ever made its wat to the civilian market. "
 
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#121
jrhtx said:
The ad says IBA replaced the barrel.

"Product Description: Unlike the CMP kits that are missing half of everything this Deployment Package is complete with all the same parts and pieces as it had when it left IBA and was issued to the Marines (Which can be confirmed by the serial number being present on the pouches and cases) minus the suppressor (Which they were never brought back with since it was an NFA item). The only difference now is that the original barrel (Which we have) was replaced at Iron Brigade Armory with a brand new barrel. This Deployment Package comes with the original test targets showing shot groupings with and without the suppressor, a plethora of documentation like service manuals, data sheets, original flyers, and lastly a manila folder full of paperwork documenting every little detail from the firing schedule, even documentation of the barrel change that was conducted at IBA. This truly is the most complete XM3 package that ever made its wat to the civilian market. "
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It would not surprise me IBA replaced it. The markings remind me of the one they did for mine. With incorrect markings. I bet Norm told the guy to go basically stick it up his ass like he did to me if I didn’t like it. Probably told him same thing if you don’t like it we are the original builder and do what we want. Sell it if you don’t like it.
 
#122
Oh and if they did re barrel it I’m surprised they didn’t have the receiver US engraved. Then tell him oh we started doing that because people love it.

My bet is it’s a recent re barrel not one done in 2014. Notice how the marker that says done in 2014 is way darker than the other. Not saying it’s the smoking gun but I would not doubt it. .308 probably wouldn’t have noticed a barrel change so soon. But some USMC guy could have monkey fisted it. From what I understand it is not uncommon for a 308 to go well over 10,000 rounds and from what I understand it’s not unusual to go much higher.
 
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#123
jrhtx said:
The ad says IBA replaced the barrel.

"Product Description: Unlike the CMP kits that are missing half of everything this Deployment Package is complete with all the same parts and pieces as it had when it left IBA and was issued to the Marines (Which can be confirmed by the serial number being present on the pouches and cases) minus the suppressor (Which they were never brought back with since it was an NFA item). The only difference now is that the original barrel (Which we have) was replaced at Iron Brigade Armory with a brand new barrel. This Deployment Package comes with the original test targets showing shot groupings with and without the suppressor, a plethora of documentation like service manuals, data sheets, original flyers, and lastly a manila folder full of paperwork documenting every little detail from the firing schedule, even documentation of the barrel change that was conducted at IBA. This truly is the most complete XM3 package that ever made its wat to the civilian market. "
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Thanks for posting that info! When I had to keep scrolling through the listing because the seller decided that it was a wonderful idea to just copy/paste the entirety of a CMP XM3 listing AND the entirety of the Steve Richaert XM3 web page, I completely gave up on even trying to find any relevant information in that GB listing. Seriously, I don't know what the hell the seller is thinking, it's incredibly stupid to make an item description that long because no one is going to read it. Obviously you want a lot of information about the item you're selling, but it's pants on head retarded to copy/paste all of this information from various websites. I can promise you that the vast majority of people viewing the GB listing had the exact same TL/DR reaction that I had. Thanks for finding that information and posting it here. That still raises other questions about the rebuild, and I have no idea if that information is in the listing or in the photos of paperwork (and I'm not going to bother looking at all of it).

In my opinion, this rifle has been completely ruined, so it doesn't matter how complete the total kit is. It's just a complete waste of time and effort. The seller has this rifle priced at the same amount as the highest priced XM3 to ever sell at a CMP auction. That's absolutely ridiculous. The seller doesn't know a thing about the gun or why it's not even worth half of the listed price. Looking at his other auctions, the insane pricing isn't really a surprise. This is a pretty easy rifle to pass on, especially when the CMP has a few more XM3's to sell.
 
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#124
Jrb572 said:
Oh and if they did re barrel it I’m surprised they didn’t have the receiver US engraved. Then tell him oh we started doing that because people love it.

My bet is it’s a recent re barrel not one done in 2014. Notice how the marker that says done in 2014 is way darker than the other. Not saying it’s the smoking gun but I would not doubt it. .308 probably wouldn’t have noticed a barrel change so soon. But some USMC guy could have monkey fisted it. From what I understand it is not uncommon for a 308 to go well over 10,000 rounds and from what I understand it’s not unusual to go much higher.
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When I was in a Scout Sniper platoon, we sent our rifles back to PWS when they reached 6,000 rounds. I'm not sure if that changed in recent years, but that's the round count for sending the rifle in for a new barrel. Even if the sniper rifle still shot well, the decision was usually made to send it to PWS (100% no matter what, the rifle was going back to PWS if a deployment was coming up). If the 2014 date on the label is correct, then the barrel was changed after about 8 years in the Corps. The XM3 barrel could have very easily been shot out or have surpassed the 6k round count mark.

I see what you're saying about the date on the label being sketchy, but sometimes collectors add a date to paperwork/labels at a later time just so they can remember what the date was. I have no idea what's going on with the date on the label of the XM3 barrel, but I can see it from both sides (being legit or not).
 
#127
If that rifle was re-barreled while still in service I don't see why they'd send the rifle back to the corps with the original barrel still included. My guess is that rifle is one of the back door cmp sold guns and the owner sent it to iba to have a new barrel installed. That still leaves the mystery of why they'd remove the paint from the action but who knows, people do stupid things with their rifles. Also, maybe iba removed the finish without even asking the owner. After the other members experience here with them its not out of the question.
 
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#130
On that note, I think the closest SN I came across when looking was a S653x that was about 30-40 off from one of the cmp rifles. Of course it was BIN price of $1800 like most others
 
#131
The XM-3 auction on CMP that closed 8/22/25 went for $68K……the new CMP marketing push must be imparting value to anything promoted, but then again the XM-3s CMP offers are authentic, combat used and documented use in country with deployment kit included is not a clone, but the real thing….sad that the MK13 mod whatever they sell are not in the class with the XM-3s..
 
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#132
HarryBC said:
The XM-3 auction on CMP that closed 8/22/25 went for $68K……the new CMP marketing push must be imparting value to anything promoted, but then again the XM-3s CMP offers are authentic, combat used and documented use in country with deployment kit included is not a clone, but the real thing….sad that the MK13 mod whatever they sell are not in the class with the XM-3s..
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Are there fewer XM3’s? Possibly making them more rare.
 
#134
CMP has started sending emails to their customer base highlighting the upcoming auction for select items, like the XM-3, the MK13 and US&S 1911a1 auctions, resulted in high closing price for all but the MK13 creations….
 
#135
USMCSGT0331 said:
https://cmpauction.thecmp.org/detail.asp?id=9142

Sold last night for $10k. Probably a few reasons people stayed away from it. The first reason is confusion about what this rifle is. I had a lot of people contacting me about this auction listing and they were asking what this rifle actually was. Since the CMP just described it as a Remington 700, people assumed that it might not be an XM3, but they wanted to double check with me. If the CMP puts "XM3" in the auction's title and description, they'll draw in a lot more people. Look at the number of views a normal XM3 auction listing gets compared to this listing, it's a completely different amount of views.

The next reason is the trade/tariff war that's creating a volatile stock market. People who can afford $10k+ on a rifle tend to be invested in the market and they are fickle with purchases when there's a downturn. If that's the case, and the market recovers, you'll probably see a lot more bids on the next CMP XM3 that pops up.

The last reason is that this rifle isn't marked "XM3" on the right side of the barrel. This is normal for some USMC XM3's, some had the model marking and others didn't. I have no idea why there's a discrepancy in the barrels being marked or not marked XM3, but both ways are original to these USMC used sniper rifles. Just because the rifle isn't marked XM3, it doesn't mean that it's not an XM3.

View attachment 8662838
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Interestingly, this USMC XM3 is the lowest XM3 serial number in the entire batch of 52 rifles. That obviously doesn't mean that it was built first by IBA, but it is pretty interesting to see the very low end of the serial number block. It's just something interesting and unique about this specific rifle.

I'm probably going to mount an S&B M8541 SSDS scope to it, and I'll posts some photos when it arrives. If anyone ever has questions about these rifles, please ask me via PM or post the question in this XM3 thread.
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Do you think it may be possible to purchase an XM3 directly at the store? Or all modern bolt actions would probably be auctioned off?
 
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