I always loved bolt-action rifles. I have a Type 99 Japanese rifle and VZ-24 Mauser. I enjoy shooting these weapons( the Japanese rifle when I can afford the rounds).
With that said, which is your favorite Bolt-Action rifle of World War Two?
Mauser K98 what all other bolt action rifles strive to be.
The Lee Enfield a real close second.
yes, indeed the mauser.
Yup, Kar98 would definitely be the big dog. But I do like the Lee Enfield as well, just for the 10 round magazine alone.
I was confused by the Type 99 as I was thinking of the LMG.
Mauser all the way. While it arguably could be considered inferior to other weapons, it’s reliabilty and accuracy amazes me. I’ve held an original German 98k, I’ve never had the priviledge of firing one. The very fact that the snipers used it along with infantry, the only difference being a higher ballistic round and scope says a lot about that weapons accuracy.
I love your polls AB!
I also voted for the K98.My absolute favourite :mrgreen:
Love buying lots of German Inf in my A&A games, just to see that advancing Wermacht and their K98’s :-D
Here is a pretty cool video about it,lots of other vids on Bolt-action rifles if you search hard enough also.
Surprised to see that the M1 Garand wasn’t up their, a secret Canadian gem :wink:
I had to limit the poll, so semi automatic weapons had to go. They deserve a different poll.
@ABWorsham:
I had to limit the poll, so semi automatic weapons had to go. They deserve a different poll.
Of course, my mistake :-P
I’ve fired the bottom four in the poll. I to have a VZ-24 and love it. So the Mauser got my vote. My grandfather had a Jap rifle he got to keep from WW2. I was a child when I saw it and can’t tell you what it was. I do remember him and another WW2 vet telling me they had fired the weapon and were not impressed. They both said they preferred the Springfield to my grandfather’s war trophy by far. I think it was a late war production rifle. I struck me as crude even in my pre teen years.
I’ve fired the bottom four in the poll. I to have a VZ-24 and love it. So the Mauser got my vote. My grandfather had a Jap rifle he got to keep from WW2. I was a child when I saw it and can’t tell you what it was. I do remember him and another WW2 vet telling me they had fired the weapon and were not impressed. They both said they preferred the Springfield to my grandfather’s war trophy by far. I think it was a late war production rifle. I struck me as crude even in my pre teen years.
My VZ-24 is a post war production rifle. I love that gun. My brother has offered me twice what i paid for the gun, which was 120 dollars. I do not plan on selling.
My grandfather brought back a Luger, i have not forgiven my uncle for stealing it and selling for drug money along with an Iron Cross. :x
I have fired all but the japanese rifles and I own a K98, a 1903, a Carcano, and a Mosin.
The 1903 is the most acurate and has the best range. The Carcano is too light for a bolt action. I would have a hard time saying between the Carcano and the Mosin which is least acurate, they are both weak. All that said I love my K98 it is an original 1942 with matching numbers and I fire it all the time. It is more acurate with iron sights than my garand, I supose because of the semi auto. I love my 1903 as well, but the Kar edges it out for me.
By the way all four are original WWII rifles and I shoot them all from time to time.
I love my K98 it is an original 1942 with matching numbers and I fire it all the time.
Wow. That’s awesome! What I wouldn’t give to own and fire that weapon often. Very impressive collection I must add.
I agree with dezrtfish. The '03 is just edged out by the Kar 98. I wonder if the three people who voted for the Enfield have fired it and the ‘03 seein’ as how the '03 only has one vote right now.
I do have a positive for the Enfield, if you’ve fired it you might have noted that it can be fired comfortably while holding the bolt between the thumb and index finger using the second finger. This enables the shooter to fire more rapidly than any other bolt action. I believe it was designed intentionaly so.
Also of note, the rifle that Lee Harvy Oswald used to shoot President Kenedy was the Italian Carcano, mine is the Carbine Version and his was a sporterized full length rifle. Of course that’s if you believe that theory… ;)
I have fired all but the japanese rifles and I own a K98, a 1903, a Carcano, and a Mosin.
The 1903 is the most acurate and has the best range. The Carcano is too light for a bolt action. I would have a hard time saying between the Carcano and the Mosin which is least acurate, they are both weak. All that said I love my K98 it is an original 1942 with matching numbers and I fire it all the time. It is more acurate with iron sights than my garand, I supose because of the semi auto. I love my 1903 as well, but the Kar edges it out for me.
By the way all four are original WWII rifles and I shoot them all from time to time.
I wish I had a German Mauser with all matching numbers! I do have my father’s K-98, its all matching, but my father in the 60’s took everything military off the rifle. Shot his first deer with that 98, his longest kill ever- 400 yards.
Well, I can keep a 1" group at 100 yards with my 98, I havn’t tried shooting it much further than that.
Dezrtfish I didn’t try shooting the Enfield the way you discribe but I can picture it being done. Two things are going to keep me from trying that for a while. First the SMLE I fired was my ex-brother-in-law’s. Second my torn rotator cuff. No bolt action for a while. Don’t get me wrong though I think the Enfield is a fine bolt action weapon. I just prefer the 03.
Ouch, well the 03 is definately a beter rifle, the thing about military rifles of that time that gets me, is the kick. I’m kind of a big guy and it dosn’t bother me too much out shooting, but rifles like the 03 and the 98 kick like mules. I inagine using them in combat and the inacuracy must have been tough to over come. Nothing like shooting an 30-06 with a metal but plate ;) and that 8mm mauser will jump up and smack you too.
When I think about some of the guys in my unit I wonder how they did it back then.
Wow. and I thought the old 4 10 shotgun I first fired kicked like a mule. I can only imagine. Soldiers back then had a lot to compensate for. I sitll hope to find an original 98k someday at a gun show or somewhere. That’s the ONE weapon I want to own the most.
I have a Mosin-Nagant that has been stripped down to the bare rifle. It also has been shorten to an extremly short carbine. The gun has knocked one guy should out of socket and left an empression on everyone who has shot it.
I bought the 7.62 rifle for 80 bucks at a pawn shop. It’s a perfect gun for heading to the bottom lands tracking hogs.
