This Marine Sniper's Loadout Was Insane 🤯
A Marine sniper describes his unusual and heavy combat loadout, including an M16A4 with suppressor as a sniper's primary weapon, a 24-lb M40A3 sniper rifle, and a silver M9 pistol. He reflects humorously on the quirks of Marine Corps equipment decisions and the impracticality of some of his gear.
Summary
In this short clip, a Marine sniper is asked about his combat loadout and describes an unconventional combination of weapons. His primary weapon was an M16A4 fitted with an RCO optic and a Knight's Armament suppressor — notably not an over-the-barrel extended suppressor — which the interviewer finds surprising for a sniper role. The speaker confirms this was standard practice in the Marine Corps.
His secondary long-range weapon was an M40A3, a Remington 700 short-action sniper rifle. He explains that the Marine Corps shooting team favored very heavy rifles because they perform better on a bench rest, and that design philosophy carried over into field rifles. As a result, his M40A3 weighed approximately 24 pounds — comparable to an M240 Bravo machine gun — making it an extraordinary burden to carry in the field.
Finally, he carried an M9 Beretta as a sidearm, which he dismisses as essentially useless, joking that he'd rather throw it at an enemy than use it. He also notes that his M9 lacked bluing and had a silver finish, humorously comparing his appearance to Saddam Hussein carrying silver pistols.
Key Insights
- The speaker carried an M16A4 with an RCO and Knight's Armament suppressor as his primary weapon despite being a sniper, which he confirms was standard Marine Corps practice rather than an anomaly.
- The speaker's M40A3 sniper rifle weighed 24 pounds — as much as an M240 Bravo machine gun — because the Marine Corps shooting team designed rifles optimized for bench-rest accuracy rather than field portability.
- The speaker argues that the Marine Corps shooting team's preference for heavy rifles for bench shooting directly influenced the design of field-carried sniper rifles, creating a practical burden for combat snipers.
- The speaker expresses that he considered his M9 Beretta sidearm so ineffective that he would sooner throw it at an enemy than use it as intended.
- The speaker notes his M9 had no bluing and was silver in finish, humorously comparing himself to Saddam Hussein carrying silver pistols.
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] What's your loadout? >> Sniper with an M16A4 with an RCO and a Knight's Armament suppressor. Not an over the barrel and extended suppressor. So, I had, you know, like Sniper with an M16? >> Yep. That's the Marine Corps. And then I had an M40A3. [music] Remington 700 short action. The Marine Corps shooting team likes very heavy guns because they're more accurate when they're in a bench. But, they designed them and we carried them. So, I had a 24-lb sniper rifle. It weighed as much as a 240 Bravo. And then I had like an M9, the Beretta sidearm. Like I would sooner throw the pistol at somebody than [0:30] >> [laughter] >> Suppressed? I didn't…
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