5th Marines Staff Sergeant John
E. Boitnott of Kentucky, credited with nine
kills, poses for a combat photographer during a
break in the action in July 1952. Having a PFC
volunteer draw enemy fire by walking around,
Boitnott was able to identify and sight-in on
enemy positions.
Note the extremely worn finish on
the M82 sight. The M82 had a magnifying power of
2 1/2 diameters, a field of view of 35 yards at
100 yards, and universal (fixed) focus. The tube
diameter was .866 inch, and the overall length of
the scope was 12.875 inches with the rubber
eyepiece and objective shield extended.
In Korea, snipers achieved
reasonably consistent results with the M1C
between 400-600 yards, with 600 being the maximum
effective range. Partly this was due to the poor
resolving power of issue scopes, and partly the
lack of match grade ammunition. USMC snipers used
regular issue .30-caliber ball ammunition. When
obtainable, the heavier .30-caliber
armor-piercing ammunition was used, for its
increased stability at longer ranges, although
both lighter and less accurate than match
grade.
Like the M1, the M1C was a robust
weapon, maintaining proper function and accuracy
very well under combat conditions.