{"id":203661,"date":"2024-10-08T21:21:44","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T02:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=203661"},"modified":"2024-10-09T21:05:06","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T02:05:06","slug":"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\/","title":{"rendered":"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">11<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The current world record sniper shot in combat stands at 3,800 meters or 4,156 yards. That\u2019s 2.36 miles. In November 2023, a 58-year-old Ukrainian sniper named Viacheslav Kovalskyi took out a Russian officer at that range during Putin\u2019s lyrically flawed Special Military Operation.&nbsp;Kovalskyi used a custom Volodar Obriy rifle. They call this massive 12.7x114HL precision cannon the \u201cHorizon\u2019s Lord.\u201d Kovalskyi\u2019s barrel comes from Bartlein, the optic is Japanese, and everything else is custom-made in Ukraine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cartridge is a unique design wherein a Combloc 14.5&#215;115 case is necked down to accept a .50-caliber projectile. They supposedly filmed the hit. Here\u2019s a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/nvua_official\/67036\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\">link<\/a>. Check out that time of flight. Wow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-foundations\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" data-level=\"2\">Foundations<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-backstory-of-john-boitnott\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" data-level=\"2\">The Backstory of John Boitnott<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-korea-a-different-sort-of-war\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" data-level=\"2\">Korea\u2014A Different Sort of War<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-tools\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" data-level=\"2\">Tools<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-sniper-weapons\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" data-level=\"2\">Sniper Weapons<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-heresy\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" data-level=\"2\">Heresy\u2026<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-inadequate-supplies\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" data-level=\"2\">Inadequate Supplies<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-campaign\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" data-level=\"2\">The Campaign<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-rest-of-the-story-for-john-boitnott\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" data-level=\"2\">The Rest of the Story For John Boitnott<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.12.56\u202fAM-1024x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203662\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.12.56\u202fAM-1024x600.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.12.56\u202fAM-400x234.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.12.56\u202fAM-150x88.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.12.56\u202fAM-768x450.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.12.56\u202fAM-1536x900.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.12.56\u202fAM.jpg 1624w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All war is hard. The grunt&#8217;s war in Korea was extra special horrible.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Kovalskyi used an experienced spotter and connected on his second round. He intentionally landed the first 300 meters short to gauge the wind. While there was undoubtedly an element of luck to that remarkable feat, it was also driven by some simply breathtaking skill and superlative fieldcraft. We may explore that shot in more detail down the road sometime if I can find enough information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-foundations\">Foundations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"694\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.46.25\u202fPM-694x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203663\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.46.25\u202fPM-694x1024.jpg 694w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.46.25\u202fPM-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.46.25\u202fPM-102x150.jpg 102w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.46.25\u202fPM-768x1133.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.46.25\u202fPM.jpg 1002w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 694px) 100vw, 694px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This 58-year-old Ukrainian patriot currently holds the international record for the longest confirmed sniper kill. What an absolute monster of a gun.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The state of the art in precision combat riflery has evolved considerably since WW2. This has been the result of hard lessons learned on battlefields around the world. Viacheslav Kovalskyi\u2019s borderline-supernatural shot is the ultimate iteration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in the 1950s, a legendary Marine named John Boitnott used equipment markedly inferior to that of this Ukrainian phenom to make some comparably unbelievable sniper kills out in the frozen wastes of Korea. The fact that he was so effective given his rudimentary tools speaks to the man\u2019s refined skills, natural talent, and peerless drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-backstory-of-john-boitnott\">The Backstory of John Boitnott<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"294\" height=\"404\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.45.16\u202fPM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.45.16\u202fPM.png 294w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.45.16\u202fPM-218x300.png 218w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-23-at-9.45.16\u202fPM-109x150.png 109w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 294px) 100vw, 294px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In addition to rocking a simply legendary mustache, John Boitnott was also a simply legendary combat Marine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>John Boitnott got his first taste of war on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Serving as a Marine onboard the Northampton-class cruiser USS Chicago, he was wounded during the Japanese aerial attack. However, Boitnott recovered in short order and served in MacArthur\u2019s amphibious vanguard as they marched inexorably across the Pacific toward Japan. This took him through places like Guadalcanal, Coral Sea, Midway, Okinawa, and bloody Iwo. By VJ Day he had been shot to pieces, but he was as seasoned a warrior as the US Marine Corps could produce. In addition to those legendary combat skills, this Jarhead was also an incredible marksman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the war, most American servicemen demobilized and went home to make normal lives for themselves. John Boitnott found that military service suited him, so he stuck around. By the time American forces went to war again in Korea, John Boitnott was a seasoned professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-korea-a-different-sort-of-war\">Korea\u2014A Different Sort of War<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"868\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.40.18\u202fAM-1024x868.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203665\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.40.18\u202fAM-1024x868.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.40.18\u202fAM-354x300.jpg 354w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.40.18\u202fAM-150x127.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.40.18\u202fAM-768x651.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.40.18\u202fAM.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This is Chicom sniper Zhang Taofang. He purportedly used a scoped Mosin Nagant rifle to kill or wound some 214 Allied troops over the course of a mere 32 days during the Korean War. He later transferred to the People&#8217;s Liberation Army Air Force and trained to fly fighter jets.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>John Boitnott had learned his craft in the fetid jungles of the South Pacific. The battlefields in which he fought in Korea were more like the surface of the moon. In many cases, the terrain was devoid of foliage and frozen rock hard. A decent trench was sometimes not more than three feet deep, and the engagement ranges often hovered around a kilometer. Operating in such forbidding spaces, the Leathernecks realized they needed snipers. When the call went out for volunteers, John Boitnott stepped up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both sides in that forsaken conflict had learned the same lessons. I have a friend who was shot in the chest by a Chinese sniper armed with a captured Lee-Enfield No 4(T) sniper rifle during the Korean War. His life was saved when the round deflected off of the M1911A1 pistol he carried in a shoulder holster and spent itself in the flak jacket he had been issued just the day prior.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A communist marksman once actually bounced a rifle round off of Boitnott\u2019s helmet. The experience rattled him without causing any lasting damage. However, that left Boitnott quite energized. He resolved to do all that he could to mitigate the communist sniper menace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tools\">Tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All proper gun nerds are enamored with the sniper\u2019s tools. For the most part, the ground war in Korea was fought with WW2-surplus weapons on both sides. While the M1 Garand had occupied the cutting edge of small arms technology during WW2, by the Korean War it was getting a bit long in the tooth. It certainly did not make for an optimal sniper rifle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"311\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.44.52\u202fAM-1024x311.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203667\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.44.52\u202fAM-1024x311.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.44.52\u202fAM-400x121.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.44.52\u202fAM-150x46.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.44.52\u202fAM-768x233.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.44.52\u202fAM-1536x466.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.44.52\u202fAM.jpg 2042w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Lee Enfield No 4(T) was arguably the finest mass-produced sniper rifle of WW2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"934\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.45.55\u202fAM-934x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Veteran in camo holding his gear\" class=\"wp-image-203668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.45.55\u202fAM-934x1024.jpg 934w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.45.55\u202fAM-274x300.jpg 274w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.45.55\u202fAM-137x150.jpg 137w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.45.55\u202fAM-768x842.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.45.55\u202fAM.jpg 1186w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 934px) 100vw, 934px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The German G43 with its excellent 4x Zf4 scope was fine in theory. However, it is tough to make a decent precision rifle with bombs raining down on you around the clock.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sniper-weapons\">Sniper Weapons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If we had to rank the mass-produced sniper weapons used during the Second World War, the British Lee-Enfield No 4(T) was likely the top of the heap. The Germans had some nice iron, but these were often Kar98k bolt guns hand-fitted with civilian sporting optics. Their semiautomatic scoped G43 was a great idea that used a splendid 4x Zf4 optic, However, it suffered from availability and quality control issues.&nbsp;The radically-advanced Zf41 optic was a totally dissimilar long eye relief design that didn&#8217;t work terribly well. The Zf41&#8217;s magnification was only 1.5X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Japanese fielded optics on many of their light machineguns, which was fairly inspired, but their dedicated sniper platforms were hardly earth-shaking. The Russians likely made the most widespread use of snipers on the battlefield of any major combatant. However, their scoped Mosin Nagant rifles were terribly antiquated. Just don\u2019t get me started about Simo Hayha. That guy was a freak of nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>American snipers made good use of accurized Springfield rifles which were designated the \u201cU.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1903A4, Snipers.\u201d Saving Private Ryan demonstrates such stuff in fairly graphic detail, though the optics aren&#8217;t quite right. The gun&#8217;s actual Weaver 330 scope was relatively delicate and certainly did not represent the state of the art. The bolt-action Springfield was a stopgap, interim design. The ultimate school solution was the M1C.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-heresy\">Heresy\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>OK, if you worship at the high exalted church of John Cantius Garand, please do not burn me at effigy or curse me with some kind of ballistic hex. If suddenly my groups double in size and I inexplicably lose vision in my shooting eye I\u2019ll know it was you. While the M1 Garand was indeed a simply magnificent battle rifle for its era, the M1C was kind of a crap sniper tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"813\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.17\u202fAM-1024x813.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.17\u202fAM-1024x813.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.17\u202fAM-378x300.jpg 378w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.17\u202fAM-150x119.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.17\u202fAM-768x610.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.17\u202fAM.jpg 1096w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Here you can see how awkward it was to obtain a decent reliable cheek weld with the offset optics on the M1C rifle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For starters, the M1 loads from the top. That means that the optic has to be offset to the side. The guys who developed the weapon actually experimented briefly with a prismatic design with a bunch of mirrors, but that didn\u2019t work. The distinctive leather cheek pad was included to force the shooter\u2019s head left to accommodate the offset optic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-inadequate-supplies\">Inadequate Supplies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another issue was a lack of match-grade ammo. The best precision rifle in the world is rubbish without decent ammunition. While standard ball ammo pushed a bullet weighing 152 grains, that of the M2 armor-piercing sort weighed 168 grains. The extra mass made the AP ammo more reliable at long ranges. That stuff also offers some simply breathtaking penetration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All that was a distraction, but the glass was simply inadequate. Adapted from the Lyman \u201cAlaskan\u201d all-weather civilian optic, the M73 begat the M81 that eventually begat the M82. Each sight differed in details like sun shades and reticle designs, but they were all only 2.2X. That just wouldn&#8217;t do for the long-range engagements encountered in Korea. However, that\u2019s what John Boitnott had available as he peered across a thousand yards of open nothing at a bunch of fanatical enemy soldiers trying desperately to kill him.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-campaign\">The Campaign<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"573\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.39.10\u202fAM-1024x573.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.39.10\u202fAM-1024x573.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.39.10\u202fAM-400x224.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.39.10\u202fAM-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.39.10\u202fAM-768x430.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.39.10\u202fAM-1536x860.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.39.10\u202fAM.jpg 1958w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The M1C wasn&#8217;t the perfect tool, but American snipers nonetheless still made good use of it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The crummy magnification on his scope kept Boitnott from distinguishing the details on the far side of the valley that was his hunting ground. As a result, he pinged his unit for a volunteer to help him flush the hostile snipers out into the open. One certifiable lunatic named PFC Henry Friday answered that call.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boitnott set up in his hide, while Friday strolled back and forth in a shallow trench situated between friendly positions and those of the communist troops. When the enemy snipers fired at Friday, Boitnott zeroed on the smoke and muzzle flash and answered with precision rifle fire of his own. His first effort was an amazing one-shot kill at 900 yards. And then he did something similar eight more times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By now, John Boitnott was making a bit of reputation for himself. The local war correspondents heard the stories and made him and his nutjob buddy Friday famous. However, his commanders did not approve of PFC Friday\u2019s suicidal death wish. They ordered the two men to desist before Friday got his brains splashed all over the Korean countryside as well as American newspapers. Despite the loss of his favorite mental patient, Boitnott still racked up a further eight confirmed long-range kills before his war was over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-rest-of-the-story-for-john-boitnott\">The Rest of the Story For John Boitnott<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"781\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.52\u202fAM-781x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-203670\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.52\u202fAM-781x1024.jpg 781w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.52\u202fAM-229x300.jpg 229w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.52\u202fAM-114x150.jpg 114w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.52\u202fAM-768x1007.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.52\u202fAM-1172x1536.jpg 1172w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Screenshot-2024-06-24-at-10.47.52\u202fAM.jpg 1196w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 781px) 100vw, 781px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The M1C saw limited use at the very end of WW2. Variations served well into Vietnam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The M1C was replaced by the slightly-improved M1D after the Korean War. Starting in 1952, the Marines began retrofitting their M1Cs with 4X optical sights produced by the Kollmorgen Optical Company. This scope was based upon the commercial Stith Bear Cub and was considered the finest American-made optical gun sight of the day. These upgraded weapons were redesignated as the \u201cUSMC 1952 Sniper\u2019s Rifle,\u201d often referred to simply as the \u201cMC 52.\u201d However, it is doubtful any saw active service in Korea before the cease fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/when-americas-ace-of-aces-shot-down-a-crocodile\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\">Dr Dabbs \u2013 When America\u2019s Ace of Aces \u201cShot Down\u201d a Crocodile<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>John Boitnott was eventually wounded by mortar fire. He finally came home for good in July of 1952. He brought with him a Bronze Star with V device, a Navy Commendation Medal, also with V, and fully half a dozen purple hearts. His blues were also weighed down with two Presidential Unit Citations and a breathtaking 24 Campaign Medals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boitnott was promoted to Master Gunnery Sergeant and continued on active duty until 1971, retiring with fully thirty years of extraordinary military service across multiple theaters of battle. He subsequently died peacefully in his sleep in 2008 at age 86, a legitimate legend in the annals of military snipers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\" title=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Boitnott got his first taste of war on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Serving as a Marine onboard the Northampton-class cruiser USS Chicago, he was wounded during the Japanese aerial attack. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":203666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[772],"tags":[102,3689,2760,2836,1323,2475],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-203661","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-will-dabbs","8":"tag-feature-articles","9":"tag-headline","10":"tag-war-hero","11":"tag-will-dabbs","12":"tag-world-war-ii","13":"tag-world-war-l"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Marine MGySgt John Boitnott: The Apex Predator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"John Boitnott built himself a bit of a reputation during the Korean War because of his apparent death wish and guts.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"John Boitnott got his first taste of war on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor. 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Turn-ons include vintage German machineguns, flying his sexy-cool RV6A airplane, Count Chocula cereal and the movie \u201cAliens.\u201d www.word-monkey.com Experience: -Professional Writer-thousands of publishing credits for dozens of titles -Mechanical Engineer\\\/Practicing Physician -Instrument-rated Commercial Pilot -Sunday School Teacher\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.word-monkey.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/will.dabbs.9\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/drwildmanmd\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/author\\\/willdabbs\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Marine MGySgt John Boitnott: The Apex Predator","description":"John Boitnott built himself a bit of a reputation during the Korean War because of his apparent death wish and guts.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/marine-mgysgt-john-boitnott-the-apex-predator\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"M1C Garand Sniper Rifle &amp; Marine MGySgt John Boitnott","og_description":"John Boitnott got his first taste of war on 7 December 1941 at Pearl Harbor. 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