M40A3

The M40A3 is a variant of the M40 bolt-action sniper rifle used by the United States Marine Corps. The M40 was introduced in 1966. The Marine Corps' transition to the M40A1 model was completed in the 1970s, and later adopted the M40A3 in 2001. Each M40 is a Remington Model 700 modified by USMC gunsmiths. As new M40A3s are built, M40A1s are upgraded to M40A3s when they are enter the armories for maintenance and repair.

The original M40 was a military type-classified version of the Model 700; it was factory-made, and had a one-piece wooden stock. The M40A1 and M40A3 switched to fiberglass, with new scopes added as well. The scope itself, the Schmidt & Bender 3–12 x 50 PM II Military is used.

Call of Duty 4
The M40A3 is only available in Multiplayer. It is the first sniper rifle to be unlocked. It is unlocked at rank 3, and is a favorite among the experienced and inexperienced alike. As with all sniper rifles, it is best used at long range.

The M40A3 is one of two bolt-action sniper rifles, the other one being the R700. It has low recoil, so it is easy to track targets if the first shot did not kill the target. It has a 5 round magazine that is loaded one round at a time. The M40A3 has one disadvantage that other sniper rifles do not have; it is comparatively difficult to use without Stopping Power. Without Stopping Power, the M40A3 is a one-shot kill only to the head and neck, and its rate of fire is too low to reliably two-shot kill. This means that Stopping Power is practically a necessity. This also means that the M40A3 is less than ideal for killing Juggernauts even when it has Stopping Power equipped, as Juggernaut and Stopping Power cancel each other out. However, with Stopping Power, the M40A3 is just as powerful as the R700 with Stopping Power and Barrett .50 Cal with Stopping Power against enemies that are not using Juggernaut.

The M40A3 has one unique feature not seen with any other weapon. When it is equipped with the ACOG, its base damage is raised from 70 to 75. This means that, when combined with Stopping Power, it is a one-shot-kill anywhere on a non-Juggernaut, and is still a one-shot-kill on Juggernauts when the round impacts on the neck or head. It also makes it easier to use the M40A3 at closer ranges and facilitates quick-scoping, due to the ACOG's reduced magnification and aiming time compared to the sniper scope.

Call of Duty 4 DS
The M40A3 is available in the NDS version of Call of Duty 4 as one of the two sniper rifles in game. It looks similar to the one on the console versions, but sports a black color scheme instead of green. The M40A3 has a slower rate of fire than the console version, and has no recoil at all when aiming down the scope. It also kills in one shot to any part of the body.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized
The M40A3 returns in Modern Warfare: Mobilized, as the only sniper rifle in game. Its 3-D model has been redesigned to resemble the M40A3 from Modern Warfare. Just like the other weapons featured in Mobilized, the M40A3 is more powerful than the console versions, being able to perform a one-shot kill to any part of the body. It also has near perfect (perfect when crouching) hip fire accuracy, making this sniper rifle even more effective at No Scoping. The only disadvantages are the fact that it can only carry up to 20 rounds of reserve ammunition and there are no crosshairs when the player isn't aiming down the scope.

Trivia

 * The M40A3 in Call of Duty 4 uses the Unertl MST-100 10× fixed day scope, but the windage adjustment is on the wrong side. However, it is possible that the scope could be for a left-handed shooter.


 * Because the M40A3's default color is green, Digital Camouflage can be used as an alternative to Woodland Camouflage in grassy environments.


 * The M40A3 is seen as the favorite choice for 'No Scope' snipers.

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