Thread: WW II bolt-action rifles: Your choice?

Picked the MAS, as I really enjoyed the two I've shot. Would have picked a small ring mauser had the very very very biased bastard of an OP allowed the option

Originally Posted by Tommy

Picked the MAS, as I really enjoyed the two I've shot. Would have picked a small ring mauser had the very very very biased bastard of an OP allowed the option

G33/40 is on my bucket list. Have the parent rifle VZ 33. Superbly slick action.

Originally Posted by Mauser308

Technical point, I've never seen a case that isn't rimmed in some form or another. Mausers used rimmed cases (Swedish). If they are sorted for the '08 or 8mm type cases, they can stuff up really easily through operator error (push and stop the bolt allowing the case to pop out from under the extractor).

This is true. Lee Enfield is also controlled round feed, something alot of people never talk about. I have seen guys at service rifle shoots get their Enfields locked up through a miss feed.

Dunno about rapid-fire battle operation but those '03-A3 Springfields are seriously accurate. Here's a 10-shot group my US buddy fired out of his in a Mil Benchrest comp. Remember, this is an as-issued rifle including the V sights:

Originally Posted by 6x47

Dunno about rapid-fire battle operation but those '03-A3 Springfields are seriously accurate. Here's a 10-shot group my US buddy fired out of his in a Mil Benchrest comp. Remember, this is an as-issued rifle including the V sights:

I had a fellow do something similar to us atthe range. We were busy practising and trying top improve. We were shooting about 2 inches at 100 with a 6x36 scope on a modern 308. This dude rocks up with a factory standard unmodified Mosin 91/30 shoots a 5 shot group with open sights then gives up in frustration as he was still over an inch at 100 with his handloads.....I couldn't see the target with open sights let alone get 1 shot inside a 25mm circle.....Here he is walking off like he bought a lemon and we would have been happy with the same group on the same rifle at 25 metres let alone 100....!!!!

I am an American and I have shot the SMLE #4, the German Kar 98, and U.S. 1903 Springfield WWII II variant with peep sight. HANDS DOWN...my choice would be the SMLE #4.....10 ROUND mag...quickest bolt operation...less felt recoil......tough as goats guts Kraut/Jap killer. I had one that was made in Pakistan. From a bench with sand bags it would shoot Remington FMJ to about the diameter of a tennis ball....
With 65 Y.O. eyes. I gave the rifle to my nephew and he is tickled with it.

Post Script: the Springfield was the most accurate.....but the SMLE was accurate enough for a G.I. rifle

The Springfield has to be it, you can't go past a good 30 06, damn good caliber either at war or on the game fields around the world.

Originally Posted by rossi.45

i have handled all but the Mas . . . the winner by a huge margin is the 3006 03 Springfield, to me it is a riflemans rifle, followed a ways back by a 98, preferably of BRNO manufacture but German or Swedish Mausers are good ( to me )

the others i wouldnt thank you for.

What makes it a "rifleman's rifle?" exactly?

Basically an American unlicensed copy of a Mauser 1898? The Mauser K98 and its derivatives are the most produced rifle of all time. There are more people not breathing today because of the K98 / K98k than there are Springfield 1903s. I don't know, to me it carries a bit more pedigree as a "rifleman's rifle".

Not having a go, just saying.

Originally Posted by Tommy

Picked the MAS, as I really enjoyed the two I've shot. Would have picked a small ring mauser had the very very very biased bastard of an OP allowed the option

For simplicity's sake, the poll options presented the most likely bolt-action rifles one would encounter during WW II otherwise we could spend all day sifting through archives and drip-feeding various types into the equation... Am pleased someone picked the MAS - it is an underrated rifle.

I have them all except the MAS-36 (please keen an eye out for me). 3 versions of the 303 (not the P14 (nor P17 for that matter)), 2 versions of Arisaka...the 1903 Springfield will be waiting for me at home tomorro so I am reserving choice until I have cradled it for an hour or 3. The Arisaka seems a beautifully strong action, pity about the 90deg bolt handle.

Originally Posted by Steve123

Lee Enfield, solely for the ten round mag and fast bolt.

Plus one it was a well built rifle

I'd have to side with the enfield as well. I've never been a fan of the cock on closing feel with enfields, but they're easy to load and 10 rounds is nice to have. I prefer the feeling of a K98 in hand, but don't know if that would trump mag capacity. Truthfully though, and well outside the scope of the discussion, an SVT, KP-31 (even if they weigh a ton) or Bren for me... Maybe an Owen for reliability, even if it does feel like you're holding all the parts of a kitchen sink in front of you.

The springfield has a beautiful action and impressive trigger. It gets my vote.





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No4 gets my vote.
Fairly short,sensible sights,reliable,accurate,double the magazine capacity of the competition as well as the ability to reload with stripper clips,magazine changes or loose rounds.

Kar98 is well down the list for me.Personally i find them horrible to shoot.I think the stories of them freezing up on the Eastern front were likely due to the lubricant freezing or melted snow refreezing in the action.