What's your favorite military surplus rifle?

[Publius1688]

I'm a milsurp junkie, and couldn't pick just one; but the K31 has to be high on the list, along with the Garand, the K98 and the Lee Enfield.
My grandfather was a paratrooper with the 505th/82nd Airborne during WW2. He fought his way across France, Belgium, Holland and Germany with a M1 Carbine and said it was the best rifle he'd ever shot. Sadly, I've never had the opportunity to own one, although there's a nice one at a local gun shop right now (if only I had the $$)!
Incidently, I recall him mentioning that the wire "para" stocks that collectors pay so much for now weren't any good. I'd like to talk to other vets out there about this issue, if given the chance.

 

[tribbles]

Mosins and Mausers. Three of one, four of the other (so far). If I had to keep one of each, it'd be my Finnish M/27 Mosin-Nagant and my 1895 Chilean Mauser.

 

[P.B.Walsh]

1903A3 Springfield rifle!!

 

[BersaFan]

My favorites are what I shoot:

M1 Garand, Springfield 03 and Mauser K98.

 

[fireside44]

For semis I'd say an FN49.

For bolts I'd say a M1917.

 

[benzy2]

It doesn't get better than the M1 Garand in my book when it comes to milsurp. It has something about it that I can't quantify that puts it ahead of every other milsurp I have had or shot. The rest are fun, no doubt. The Garand is just a bit more fun. Its no match shooter but it puts lead down range quick and with power while still being accurate enough to scare anyone down range. Oh and "PING". I like the others but they will come and go. The Garands will always be a part of my collection.

 

[PzGren]

American Finn,

that is a very nice collection of clean rifles that you have there. My favourite surplus rifle is a K98k, made early in the war by Mauser. It is not as accurate as the Finnish M39 that I got for my son, nor like the Swedish M38 and M96 that I have owned but its history is the history of my family.

 

[ccsniper]

turkish mauser I have 3

 

[Cosmoline]

I love the Finnish Mosins. They're great rifles with a great story behind them.

 

[bullturkey]

My MAS 49/56 and Inland M1 carbine.

 

[skidooman603]

Gosh...It's like asking which one of your kid's ya love best. All well loved but different. I own:

3-M1 Garands
2-M1 Carbines
2-1903A3s
1-303 Enfield
1-1917 American Enfield
2-1903 Springfields
3-96 Mausers
If I had to pick a favorite..Probably the Garands followed closely by my 1903A3s.

 

[.45Guy]

Flame suit on: Carcanos... Especially the moschetto truppe speciali...

 

[CZguy]

Flame suit on: Carcanos... Especially the moschetto truppe speciali...

 

[.45Guy]

Break out the extinguishers: The 7.62x39 T.S. I had was one of my favorite rifles. Some day I'll have to pick up another and possibly one in .35 Remington...

 

[American Finn]

Edstephen, my father would agree with you on the choice of the M14 as his favorite mil-surp! He carried it in Vietnam, and swore by the rifle as one of the finest in the world. Accurate, dependable, and with a cartridge that has power and reach, there wasn't much more that could be improved upon. The M16 he was issued with when he returned to the US to finish out his tour was a toy gun in his opinion. It was light, but that was about all that he could say positively about it.

Which begs the question of you gentleman: how close is the M1A (besides being semi-automatic only) in design, fit and function to the M14? I have been talking it over with my father and we both are considering purchasing one. Are they made here in the USA (no Poly-Tech Chicom stuff, please)? I want a rifle that is a quality piece of hardware that will last a lifetime, and is as close to GI as possible.

Now, as for expanding my collection. I have seen many other rifles posted on this thread, and all of them are exciting. I would like to get a 1903 Springfield, a 1917 Enfield, a Lebel, a Mannlicher-Carcano, and a K31. When I was married I had a nice M1903 and a Swedish Mauser that I sold (been kicking myself hard in the rump since then).

I have had a lot of people ask me why I collect surplus rifles, and I tell them because these rifles speak to us of history. Our grandfathers (my paternal grandfather fought against the Soviet Union in the Finnish Army during World War II, he was one of the famous "White Knights" of the forest, serving as a machine gunner and later in the war as a sniper, and my maternal grandfather was in the US Army during WWII and the Korean War) carried these firearms and fought with them in some of the most disparate places on earth. These are a testament to an age of when honor, loyalty, and self-sacrifice were taken seriously, and this nation, and many other nations on this earth, were locked in a desperate struggle for survival. What factory new sporting rifle could speak to that?

 

[Brenjen]

I don't own any true military surplus rifles even though 3/4 of what I own are considered by the moron at large to be army/military guns.

I'd have to go with an M1 if I can ever find two nice ones when I also have cash that's not allocated for something else. Two, because I'd like to get my old dad one for nostalgic purposes.

 

[Pilot]

Russian SKS.

 

[61chalk]

Nice M14 edstephen post 12.....an that thing does have the go fast switch...wow..

The M1 Garand is #1.....with a little work an knowledge even a CMP Field Grade can
still be very accurate...hows 2 out of 8 shots hitting a 9" steel triangle, open sights at 540 yds trip your trigger.

 

[swiftak]

I like bolts, aimed shots, my favorite is my 03A3.

 

[sniper5]

OK, just got back after trying out the K31. Oh, choices, choices. Swede. . .Swiss. . .Swede. . .Swiss. . .Oh, I don't know. Now I'll have to try out the Finn when it gets here. I hate decisions.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Mauser M98,ALL versions.

 

[rogertc1]

Becaue I have been buying them for years my favoriate usually turns out to be the next one I buy and there always is a next one. I like them all as they are all related so to say.

 

[nody]

Little surprised by all the fans of the M1 Carbine. Crummy little round, short range weapon, little knock down power. Only of any use for close range fighting.

Talking what you'd prefer to carry into combat, if you are thinking M1/M2 up through Korea, I'd rather have a Thompson, though for this discussion, that's not a rifle and it does weigh more.

As a peacetime civilian owner the Carbine has economical advantages. So does a 10/22.

I think a lot of GI's liked the Carbine because they were city folk and afraid of recoil/noise/weight/complexity of the Garand. Not to mention they liked their thumbs. The ammo was lighter to hump, too.

Where did I just read it? Once an Eagle, by Anton Myrer. A must read novel for you guys. In the intro, Myrer, an Marine infantry veteran, says it is a fact a large percentage of men in combat NEVER fire at the enemy, can't bring themselves to do it. Call it "spray and pray" or what you will. They figure making noise is enough. I wasn't there, so maybe I'd do the same thing.

The carbine was light and makes noise, and that is enough for some perhaps. I can't say. I'm a vet, but I dropped bombs and only in peacetime.


p.s. Great pic, CZGuy

 

[BornAgainBullseye]

Id almost pick the order of the pictures from top to bottom, but put the french rifle at the bottom, and move the Lee Enfield rifle above the M1 carbine. Order would go as this 1. Garand 2. Mauser 98 3. Lee Enfield No. 4 mkII 4. M1 carbine 5. Mosin and the french rifle can go to someone else cause we know those rifles were never fired and only dropped once.

 

[dispatch55126]

I'll play.

I'll take my 1938 Tula 91/30 or T53 followed by my M95 Sturzen. Both MN's have great feeling bolts and cheap, readily available surplus. There's something to be said about a caliber that's been in military service for over 100 years.