by NRA Staff - Wednesday, September 18, 2013
At the 2013 Weatherby Writer's Conference, the California company unveiled a limited-edition rifle built on its Accumark platform that pays tribute to the late Navy SEAL sniper Chief Chris Kyle. Kyle and his heroism on the battlefield protecting U.S. troops were the subject of an American Rifleman article by Maj. John L. Plaster, and we ran an article out of Kyle's book "American Gun" on the Kentucky longrifle.
Sadly, Kyle was murdered by a troubled young Marine he was trying to help. Before his death, Kyle was working with Weatherby on becoming a member of Team Weatherby—and a valuable member he would have been. But it was not to be.
Weatherby decided that they wanted to do something for a Kyle's wife, Taya, and the couple's children, so the company will make 26 rifles in .300 Win. Mag. with hand-laminated composite stocks in Kryptek Highlander camouflage. The metalwork is Cerokote flat, dark earth, and the barrel is a button-rifled No. 3 contour with fluting and a recessed target crown. The Kyle family had input into the rifle's final design and markings.
A certificate of authenticity signed by Ed Weatherby will accompany each rifle. The floor plate bears an inscription and Kyle's logo. The price is $3,400, and a portion of the proceeds from each rifle will go to Kyle's family. Images of the rifle can be found below.
