After the entry of Great Britain, the USSR and the United States into the Second World War, it became clear that they would have to fight the strongest armies in the world in the person of Nazi Germany and militaristic Japan. Despite the stronger military potential of the anti-Hitler coalition, Germany had some head start in certain areas of military affairs, such as sniper. Simply by virtue of the fact that Germany began to fight before most of the Allied countries, she quickly realized the importance of such a specialty as a sniper. Therefore, already in the course of the war, the Allies had to hastily catch up with the Germans and Japanese, which they successfully did.
Marine sniper with Springfield 1903A1 rifle and Unertl 8x scope. Pay attention to the length and size of the lens.
USA
The United States entered World War II without any special pre-war sniper program. However, they had well-trained shooters at their disposal, who practiced shooting at various shooting events, and in general, due to the weaponry tradition, the Americans always shot well.
Springfield Model 1903A4 sniper rifle
As a result, well-trained military personnel became the first American snipers, who received the necessary sighting equipment and were able to practice using it for an extremely short time. The main indicator of the training of the first American snipers was the ability to hit from a prone position to the head from 200 yards (180 meters) and to the torso from a distance of 400 yards (360 meters). While most of the infantry were armed with M1 Garand semiautomatic rifles, M1 carbines and Thompson and M3 submachine guns, snipers used the Springfield bolt-action magazine rifle.
In the US army saturated with self-loading Garand M1 rifles, soldiers with sniper rifles stood out against the general background
The US Army used the Springfield version of the M1903A4, which was a standard WWII weapon with a milled safety guard, 4 grooves and a modified loading handle to allow for a telescopic sight. The Army selected the Weaver civilian riflescope No. 330 straight from the store shelves and, adapting it to their own needs, assigned it the new designation M73B1. It was a 3x adjustable sight, which, however, did not allow the rifle to be loaded with a clip, only one cartridge at a time. In addition, if the optics were damaged, then the rifle was no longer equipped with optics. For what reason it was not equipped, it is not specified. Nevertheless, American soldiers used the M1903A4 quite successfully against the Nazis in North Africa and Europe.
Marine sniper with Springfield 1903A1 rifle and Winchester A5 scope. Somewhere in the Pacific
The preferences of the American Marines were somewhat different from those of the Army. The Marines preferred the World War I Springfield M1903A1 rifle with an 8x Unertl scope on an aluminum bracket. In addition, Winchester A5 sights were used early in the war. But regardless of what sight and mount was used, it was the M1903A1 that became the main weapon of American snipers in the Pacific in the confrontation with Japan.
The Garand M1C sniper rifle continued to serve throughout the Korean War. Pay attention to the sight shifted to the left, which made it possible to load the weapon using the clip
Later, the famous self-loading rifle M1 Garand with an M82 sight of 2, 5 magnification and a mount shifted to the left was also used for sniper needs. Today in the United States, any of the above sniper rifles in good condition with optics and accessories can be sold for at least $ 10,000.
This M1903A4 rifle plays an unforgettable role in Saving Private Ryne
United Kingdom
The British, like the Americans, also did not have any pre-war programs for equipping and training snipers, and already during the war, they were rapidly trying to catch up, which they did quickly enough. Carefully selected shooters from other branches of the military underwent two weeks of training, received a waterproof camouflage Denison overalls, a veil for the face and a Lee-Enfield Rifle No.3 magazine rifle with a telescopic sight installed with an offset to the side.
Canadian sniper with Lee-Enfield Rifle No.4 in overalls and veiled hat
Not too happy with their WWI-era rifle, the British created the No.4 Mark I sniper rifle based on it, equipped with a 3x No. 32, which was originally intended for the BREN light machine gun when used in fortifications, this rifle, weighing just over 6 kg, became probably one of the most accurate rifles of the 20th century.
Lee-Enfield No.4 Mark I sniper rifle
To ensure ease of aiming, the rifle was equipped with a cheek piece on the butt and a quick-release mount for the safety of the optics. To ensure the compatibility of all elements of the sniper system, the rifle, bar and sight had the same serial number and were issued to the sniper in one set. Britain and Commonwealth forces used these rifles in World War II and the Korean War. In particular, this rifle was used by Joseph Gregory, who fought both world wars and the most successful Australian sniper Ian Robertson.
British sniper couple. Pay attention to the observer armed with a telescope
Today, a No.4 Mark I sniper rifle in good condition with optics can be purchased for $ 7,000.
the USSR
In the 1930s, a lot was done in the USSR for the development of shooting among young people along the line of Osaviakhim. Already during the war with Finland in the USSR, actions were taken to create a sniper rifle on the platform of the Mosin 91/30 magazine rifle. Combined with the 4x PE scope or the more popular PU, these rifles were destined to play an important role in the fight against invaders.
The Mosin 90/31 rifle with a PU sight has become a classic Soviet sniper rifle of the Great Patriotic War era
With the outbreak of the war, the sniper movement in the Red Army took on a large scale, which ultimately led to the fact that Soviet snipers became the most effective and efficient snipers in history. Ural hunter Vasily Zaitsev during the battle for Stalingrad alone destroyed 240 Nazis. And Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who studied at the university before the war and was engaged in shooting during the war, destroyed over three hundred Nazis.
Soviet sniper Vasily Zaitsev with a sniper rifle equipped with a PE sight
As a result of the war, at least 80 Soviet snipers chalked up 100 or more Nazis. Most of them were armed with a Mosin rifle, although individual snipers used the Tokarev SVT-40 self-loading rifle.
During the war in the USSR, women were actively involved in sniper activities, who very effectively destroyed the Nazis.
In recent years, a significant number of Mosin rifles have arrived in the United States, where they can be purchased at prices ranging from $ 400 to $ 2,000.
