Carlos Hathcock's First Rifle

Carlos Hathcock's Stevens Model 15-A

This Stevens Model 15-A belonged to a family from Arkansas, and one of the boys who learned to shoot with this gun was Carlos Norman Hathcock II.

Regarded as one of the most accomplished Marine Corps snipers in Vietnam, Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills. The key word there is “confirmed,” as Carlos estimates his actual number to be somewhere between 300 and 400.

Carlos Hathcock’s story is the ultimate testament to what can be done when a small spark from a gun like the Stevens Model 15-A ignites the passion for marksmanship.

Donated by his brother, Billy Jack Hathcock, the visually unremarkable rifle on which one of the Marine Corps’ most celebrated snipers of all time learned to shoot is in the collection of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Virginia.

For a more detailed look at this gun and Hathcock's story, check out my video below:

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