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XM21 at National Museum of the USAF

5K views 41 replies 25 participants last post by  Earthquake 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I live in SW Ohio and have been to the National Museum of the United States Air Force many, many times. Went there again with the family today and saw this display for the first time. It is an H&R Arms Co. XM21 Sniper Rifle. This is the first XM21 I've ever seen and noted that the front and rear sight components were all marked NM. I attempted to get a good shot of the markings on the rear of the receiver but access was limited as was my camera's capability. Just could not get a clear shot. Looking closely at some of my images it appears that the "M14" portion of the heel stamp is ground off or obliterated. Also on the flat behind the rear sight a number has been added with electro-pencil but I can't make out if this is "01" or "21". Anybody have ideas on the markings? As soon as I saw it I knew I had to post pictures.

BTW, if you've never been to this museum add it to your bucket list. It is outstanding - and free to the public!







http://s205.photobucket.com/user/M1Collector_CMP/library/M14-M1A%20Builds
 
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#36 ·
Do you have a reference for that? I have read every good reference I can find on the history of the M21 including R Blake Stevens, Peter Senich, and all the US Army manuals and I've never seen it stated that way. I have read that the very last of the M21 rifles were in fiberglass stocks, this is late 1980's, but I assumed that by then they were in McMillan fiberglass stocks. By this time, the NM rifles were all set up in McMillans, so it makes sense that the M21s would have been also. This is a mushy area of M21 history, not much written about it, and if there's an authoritative reference that states that M21s were built with USGI fiberglass stocks I'd love to see it.

Please understand I'm not trying to argue, I'm interested and I would like to learn. GI1
 
#39 · (Edited)
The TRW rifle in the photos above was originally a M14 NM then turned into an XM21. It would have been built with an epoxy impregnated walnut stock in the late 1960s. Later, the walnut stock could have been replaced with the fiberglass stock. The XM21 marking on the receiver would have remained as is.

According to an Army sniper who served in the Republic of Viet Nam, he told me that there were a few XM21 rifles in fiberglass stocks while he was there. My guess is that original walnut stocks were damaged in the field. The expedient repair was to give those rifles a fiberglass stock. FWIW
 
#40 · (Edited)
Ironworker,
Thanks for posting those photos. The features on the XM21 in the your top photo appear identical to the pictures of the rifle I posted (welded selector knob pin, ground out "M14", electro-penciled markings, etc.). Very cool!

A3Middie,
I was bummed too when they didn't get a shuttle. However, they are doing the next best thing by creating a full size Shuttle mock up that the public will be able to walk through. They are working on this display right now and have significantly rearranged the Cold War (3rd) hall. Really looks great. I'll have to make another trip next year to see if it is done.

Someone was asking about ground radar. Can't recall seeing one, but that doesn't mean they don't have one. The museum has rearranged multiple displays since my last trip so I saw things I had never seen before (like the XM21).

For those that can't get to the museum they have a really nice website with a great virtual tour. Here's the links to the home page and virtual tour.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/

http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/full/tour-std.html

Cheers,
MD
 
#41 ·
Thank you for posting the photos. I was in the Museum in late July and missed this display. When I drive through Dayton in March or April, I will have to check out the display. Thank you for the wonderful photos. And to everyone else, thank you for the wonderful history lesson. There is so much to learn.
 
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