Marine Corps « Daily Bulletin

teslong borescope digital camera barrel monitor

As an Amazon Associate, this site earns a commission from Amazon sales.

July 29th, 2011

Schmidt & Bender Wins $34 Million U.S. Military Scope Contract

There are many quality rivals in the high-end tactical optics market, but it appears that Schmidt & Bender remains “top dog”, at least for the U.S. Special Forces community. Schmidt & Bender, was awarded a $34,209,500 firm-fixed-price contract for precision sniper rifle dayscope, mounting rings, spare parts, repairs and upgrades. The scope will be a special version of S&B’s 5-25x56mm PMII. It’s not clear how many scope units are to be delivered under the contract, which had five bidders. The Naval Surface Warfare Center is the contracting activity (N00164-11-D-JQ31), and the contract is expected to be completed by June 2016. The scopes will be built in Biebertal, Germany.

Schmidt & Bender SOCOM 5-25x56 PMII Dayscope

This is a special military version of the Schmidt & Bender 5-25x56 PMII. It will be provided in two versions, one with click values in centimeters and a Horus reticle, and a second with 1/4 MOA click values and a H2CMR reticle.

S&B Sniper Rifle Dayscopes to Be Used by Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines
The S&B precision sniper rifle dayscopes will be used by Special Forces for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The precision sniper rifle dayscope consist of several configurations that are required for use on existing and future sniper rifles. The configurations are tailored to the sniper’s training regimen, the weapon system effective range, and the weapon system caliber. The precision sniper rifle dayscope will be used around the world in extreme and adverse conditions including underwater, surf-zone, desert, arctic, jungle and urban environments. One reason S&B PMIIs were selected is this model has passed rigorous immersion testing. The 5-25×56 PM II was certified to show zero leakage after spending 10 hours in sea water at a depth of 25 meters (82 feet).

Permalink News, Optics No Comments »

February 16th, 2011

Hoppe’s Sends Cleaning Kits to U.S. Marines in Combat Zones

Bore Snake Kit USMC Hoppe’s has partnered with America 4R Marines to supply more than 5,000 BoreSnake gun cleaning kits to U.S. Marines currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. America 4R Marines is a nonprofit organization of volunteers that supplies much-needed items for battalions or units in the most remote and hostile areas of operation. The mission of America 4R Marines is to not only support the troops with basic human needs and comfort items, but also to provide tactical products that can help military personnel better maintain their equipment and remain safe in combat zones.

The Hoppe’s BoreSnake Soft-Sided Gun Cleaning Kit allows soldiers to quickly clean the bore of their weapon and get it back in to service. The patented product is also small and lightweight for easy transportation in the field. “We’re honored to partner with America 4R Marines and provide much needed supplies to the troops serving our country,” said Phil Gyori, vice president of marketing for Bushnell Outdoor Products, the parent company of Hoppe’s.

Bore Snake Kit USMC

Permalink News 2 Comments »

September 4th, 2010

Marines and Army Use Compact Leupold MK4 Spotting Scope

Leupold Mark 4 spotting scope Leupold’s Mark 4 Tactical Spotting Scope is now the standard Scout Sniper Observation Telescope (SSOT) of the U.S. Marine Corps, the first new spotting scope the Corps has used in decades. Leupold’s compact MK4 variable-power spotter replaces the fixed 20X M49 spotting scope fielded by the Marines since World War II. The Mark 4 Tactical spotter was also selected by the U.S. Army for use with its XM110 Semi-Auto Sniper System (SASS). This same Mark 4 spotting scope, with either Mil-dot or Horus reticles, is available for civilian purchase.

Only 12.4 inches long, the MK4 spotting scope is extremely compact for its magnification level. Though it weighs just 37 ounces, it boasts a rugged, armored magnesium body that is nitrogen charged and 100% waterproof. Other good features of the MK4 include generous eye relief, multi-coated lenses, and rubber fold-down eyecups. A front focal plane (FFP) reticle magnifies the reticle along with the image, so users can estimate range at any power setting using the Mil Dot or Tactical Milling Reticle. CLICK HERE for full MK4 Spotting Scope Specs.

horus reticle

Folded Light Path Design Yields High Power in Small Package
By “folding” the entering light in a ‘Z’-path, the Newtonian-reflector design achieves high magnification in a very compact optic that is easy to pack and carry. Leupold’s efficient Folded Light Path (FLP) lens and mirror optical system allow the Mark 4 to deliver the effective optical path of a scope twice its length. We have also found that, compared to conventional spotting scopes, the Leupold spotter is more stable in windy conditions because it has much less overhang and a smaller cross-section than conventional designs. The folded-path Newtonian design makes perfect sense for spotting scopes that need to be carried in the field. A similar folded-light-path design is used in the superb, $5000.00 Zeiss Optronics 20-60x72mm Tactical Spotting Scope.

Leupold Now Offers Horus Reticle Options in MK4 Spotting Scopes
While the Marines use the MK4 Spotting scope with a conventional Mil Dot reticle, Leupold now offers Horus H32 and H36 ranging reticles as options. The H32 has a mil line for target measurement and speed estimation, while the H36 features an inverted “L” in Inch Of Angle (IOA) for easy ranging. The Mil Dot reticle matches those found in military riflescopes, allowing a spotter to quickly range a target, while viewing the same sight picture as the shooter. The Horus H32 and H36 provide a more complex grid that allows range estimation, target speed calculation, and 2nd-shot-correction.

horus reticle