Favorite military rifle?

[jonk]

Wow, what a question.....I've got about 50 of them.

For accuracy, it's hard to top a Swede 96 or Swiss Schmidt-Rubin of any vintage. My 03 and 03A3 are right in there too.

For quality of craftsmanship, a pre-WW1 Mauser.

But the one that speaks to me most is the Gewehr 88. Butterslick action, and essentially a free-floated barrel in that jacket... very accurate gun, very cool looking. I have 2. One beater from OWS that LOOKS just awful, but with a mirror-shiny bore that will shoot 2" groups all day- about the best I can manage with those sights. The other not so shiny but still strong, and will shoot 3" groups. Not my most accurate but certainly my favorites.


How about you?

[ebner glocken]

Hard to say but for accuracy my 96 swede has shot .75" @ 100yd with hornady 129s and varget or 4064. I had no idea I could shoot that with sights.
The pattern 14 is fun to shoot but nowhere nearly as accurate as the swede and M1 and for some reason I can't get the pattern 14 to shoot cast w/o keyholing.
The 98 mausers are fun.....but seeing those sights that come to a point are an aggervation to say the least.
I don't own a schmidt-ruben or a gew but have heard nothing but good about them.

[MtGun44]

I love the Swiss K31s and I have several 1903 Springfields and 03A3s
that are real shooters. One Finn M39 is pretty much a tack driver with
the right loads. Several 7x57 Mausers will shoot really decent groups,
even with the pointy front sight. A 29.5" barrel gives a really nice
sight radius. So far I have never had an 8x57 Mauser that shot worth
a hoot, still trying. My Carcano is a mess, trying to figure out the sight
picture and find big enough bullets. The SMLEs are kinda in between, OK
shooters, but slick bolts, and pug ugly in a friendly sort of way.

I have a 7.7 Jap (mum, sight wings, monopod, dustcover and sling!) that
is a real shooter, too. The Rem 7x57 RB will do under 2", close to 1"
when I do my part.

By real shooter, I mean 5 shots under 2", and the best of the milsurps
will put 5 into just a bit over an inch with their favorite ammo - all at 100 yds,
with my old eyes and the stock sights.

Milsurps are fun!

Bill

[singleshotbuff]

Hmmmmm...

Most accurate is my K-31 Swiss. I have fired numerous cast boolit loads, 5 shots under 1/2" at 50 yards from sandbags.

FAVORITE, just because I like em, are the Mausers. Current favorite is a Yugo M48 (1 of 3 I have), the action is as smooth as butter. Just feels like a rifle outta to me. Not the best shooter, but I could keep someones head down a LONG way out with it. Nice looking rifle too, very classic IMHO.

Just my $0.02 worth.

SSB

[NVcurmudgeon]

Best milsurp for what they were made for? Lee Enfield No. 4.

Most accurate? 1891 Argentine Mauser.

My favorite? 1898 Krag, converted to carbine, maybe for the NRA, with Lyman 57 rear and ramp front. Good accuracy, great handing, slicker than snot feeding, and a remote connection to TR and the Rough Riders.

[Kraschenbirn]

M-1 Garand. My limited collection also includes a couple of Mausers, a K-31, a Longbranch #4Mk1, and a Trapdoor...all of which I truly enjoy shooting...but if I had to go with just one, it would have to be the Garand.

Bill

[mooman76]

I have allot and love them all (well maybe not all)but the one that edges out is the M1garand for it's originality. My Swede for accuracy. M1c for just fun plinking!

[versifier]

Swiss K31, no question. For accuracy and quality workmanship nothing can beat them. But pre-war (WWII) 98 Mausers and M1 Garands come close behind.

[BruceB]

In all my years of messing-about with firearms of all sorts, from flinter "rock locks" to machine guns, and everything in between, I have FINALLY met a question that I simply can NOT answer. Hopeless. A bottomless quagmire. A "how-many-angels-on-the-point-of-a-pin" impossible quandary.

WHY DO YOU FELLERS DO THIS TO ME?

I won't be able to sleep for weeks......

Durn it all anyways.

[standles]

1903 springfield

[Buckshot]

.................M1891 Argentine Mauser. Anything else is like a club

................Buckshot

[Bret4207]

Jeeze! The Swede? The #4 SMLE?, The '91 Argie? The Yugo Mauser 8mm? The K-31? The '93 Mauser 7x57? The Jap 6.5x257Roberts? All fun, all nice, most are good shooters.

Ah well. The '95 Steyr 8x56R is my favorite today. Short, light, handy, hits hard, accurate enough for hunting to max cast boolit range.

[Shepherd2]

This is really a tough question. I can't decide between a Swiss 1911 and a 98/29 Persian Mauser.

[wiljen]

He did say military rifle not surplus rifle, so just to be difficult I'm going to pick the M1A. And before somebody reminds me the the M14 was the service rifle, the M21 and M24 are both in service and both M1a based systems.

[Ivantherussian03]

i like them all. I'm mesmorized by them

[Ricochet]

My favorite's the one I've got in hand at the moment. I love 'em all!

[waksupi]

In all my years of messing-about with firearms of all sorts, from flinter "rock locks" to machine guns, and everything in between, I have FINALLY met a question that I simply can NOT answer. Hopeless. A bottomless quagmire. A "how-many-angels-on-the-point-of-a-pin" impossible quandary.

WHY DO YOU FELLERS DO THIS TO ME?

I won't be able to sleep for weeks......

Durn it all anyways.

I agree, Bruce. It's obviously a trick question!

[Larry Gibson]

My favorite's the one I've got in hand at the moment. I love 'em all!

That's about the way it is with me.

Larry Gibson

[jonk]

I'll step back in and say that all ladies have their charm, as do all guns......so my answer today might be different from my answer tomorrow!

[sundog]

Easy..., it's a..., well, no it's the, errrrr..., uh. Oh, I know, a, mmmmmm, naw. Hmmmmm....

Yup, trick querschun.