POTD: U.S. Marines with M27s & M38s in Japan

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joseph Pinhasik, an infantry rifleman with 1st Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, currently attached to 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division, as part of the Unit Deployment Program, fires an M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle during advanced marksmanship drills during exercise Fuji Viper 21.1 at Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, on Oct. 29, 2020. Throughout this evolution of Fuji Viper, Marines demonstrated proficiency in infantry and combined arms tactics through a series of distributed lethality exercises. Pinhasik is a native of Weehawken, New Jersey. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ujian Gosun)

Photo Of The Day: The caption above says the U.S. Marine above is firing his M27, but I’d say he’s using the M38 Designated Marksman Rifle because of the Leupold TS-30A2 Mark 4 MR/T 2.5-8x36mm variable power scope and the QDSS suppressor. You can read Leupold’s description here:

Earlier this year (2018), the Marine Corps began the process of fielding the M38, which features a TS-30A2 Mark 4 MR/T riflescope atop an M27. The configuration is to be known as the Squad-Designated Marksman Rifle. The TS-30A2 Mark 4 MR/T was also featured on the MK12 MOD1 weapon system, which had a long history of service with SOCOM. It’s perfect for any MK12 clone build or military historian looking to add to their collection.

The M38 is named after the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines. Can you guess from where the M27 got its name?

These pictures are from an advanced marksmanship drill during exercise Fuji Viper 21.1. The location is the Combined Arms Training Center, Camp Fuji, in Japan.

U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Nathan Lynch, an infantry rifleman with 1st Battalion, 2d Marine Regiment, currently attached to 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division, as part of the Unit Deployment Program, fires an M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle.