Random Thoughts
 I first ran into Secret Service Counter Snipers in Russia, when President George W. Bush came to visit. I was a young Marine on Embassy duty at the time, and the CS team came in ahead of the visit to do what they always do. They quietly and methodically took the measure of every angle, every rooftop, and every line of sight that might matter all while their FSB "minders" took notes. I watched them work the way I had been trained to watch everyone, and these guys knew their job. They didn't talk much, they didn't strut, and they had the kind of competence you can spot from across a rooftop without anyone ever saying a word. That trip was also the first time I got my hands on a JAR. Putting hands on the rifle that defines an entire unit's mission is a small thing in the moment, but it is the kind of thing you remember.
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 It's been 20 years since the XM3 project got under way. The original post from 2013 (below) has been updated with new info, and a comprehensive list of almost all of the XM3's sold by CMP to date. Semper Fi Steve R
Over the years, I have been asked a number of times what my handgun caliber choice is & why. It’s not a simple, nor fast question to answer so I’ll make an attempt to provide a comprehensive answer here.
I remember the first time my father taught me how to shoot in the basement of our house. I was twelve. He took out an RWS pellet rifle with a six-power scope, and when he pulled it from the case, I felt like I was taking a big step toward becoming a man.
Most people have heard of Tier 1 Group, but few know where the company came from. Here's the story.
 Finally, after more than sixty years of Marine snipers making do with the 7.62×51 NATO cartridge, the Corps has given our long-range death dealers a tool that brings them into the 21st century. Little is known outside certain circles about the Navy's MK13 series of rifles and how they came about. I thought I would take the time to share what I know about the .300 Win Mags the Navy has been building for more than thirty years.
Goal: Provide vetted, trained, and equipped armed low-profile presence in public and private schools, with little to no impact on existing budgets.
 I recently read the article the Washington Post put out asking why the Corps hasn't fielded a long-range rifle to keep up with the other branches and, more importantly, with potential future adversaries. The article, I can only assume purposely, glanced over two larger-caliber rifles already in use by the Corps. Even so, it has once again brought a real deficiency to light.
On April 9, 2004, we found ourselves participating in one of the fiercest battles ever fought inside the Triangle of Death. What began as a routine squad patrol with fifteen Marines ended with hundreds of Marines fighting their way through a town. For years I have thought about my actions that day and what could have been done differently. This is why I tell anyone who carries a weapon for a living to train hard. You never know where you may end up or whose life may be on the line. What follows is my account.
 More often than not folks that don’t directly know me assume that I have some high-speedo Ninja type SOF background based on what I have done since retiring from the Marine Corps. While I find this humbling, I’d like to clarify that I have never been in Delta Force nor a book writing/movie producing SEAL unit. I’m not some high-speedo Marine sniper or pipe-hitter with MARSOC. I was never in the Air Force and am not a PJ/CCT sky-god. Never did any time as a member of the Marine Corps reconnaissance community (BN or Force). I have been fortunate to have been exposed to great people over the years both in the military and out. People that I have learned a tremendous amount from. This has enabled me to be successful in business and build companies whose primary clientele consist of thousands of our nation’s finest SOF forces.
Semper Fi Steve Reichert |