By Kelly Young, American Rifleman[1]
Friends of NRA[2] is commemorating the long service and lasting legacy of Major Edward James Land, Jr.—to both his nation and the National Rifle Association—with a run of 50 limited-edition tactical rifles built by Virginia-based Ashbury Precision Ordnance[3] (APO). Crafted to Maj. Land’s exact specifications, the SABER M700 Major E.J. Land Signature Edition Tactical Rifle is built on Remington’s Model 700 bolt-action receiver, comes paired with Leupold’s new Mark 5HD 3.6-18x 44 mm riflescope and is chambered for the highly efficient 6.5 mm Creedmoor cartridge. Offered exclusively through FNRA’s National Sponsor program, each of these rifles is custom-engraved with both an individualized lot number and Maj. Land’s signature.
“I’ve spent seven decades involved with firearms—from hunting and marksmanship training to shooting rifles as a competitor and an instructor to being a sniper in combat,” said Land. “I follow a few simple rules that have not changed over my career: keep it simple; stick to the basics; and use technology to only supplement the basics. These rules have served me well, and I feel we’ve incorporated this spirit into these NRA tactical rifles which bear my name.”
Major Land enlisted into the United States Marine Corps (USMC) as a teenager, where his skill as a competitive shooter was immediately recognized and cultivated. During his 24-year military career, Maj. Land would serve as captain of the USMC Pistol Team and as the USMC’s marksmanship coordinator, and, in 1961, he was instrumental in founding and organizing the modern Scout Sniper program for the Marine Corps. He would then go on to serve as officer in charge of the First Marine Division of Scout Snipers during the Vietnam War.
