Best Rifle Of Wwii

But the K98 shot with 7x98 x 57mm (8mm Mauser) and has effectivly range 500m.It is not so hard to carry the gun and maybe to shot.And i have read that it is easy to put a scoup on it.The riffle is really beautiful and deadly.Yes your right Einfield has 10 ammo clips and the Kar has only 5 but thats not really big problem.I havent shot with Kar or Einfield.I have shot only with Shpagin known by you all as PPSH and Moskovec (Moisin-Nagant).

 

I have one quastion. Can put a knife on Einfield ?

 

Yes you can put a Bayonet on a Lee Enfield. As for range, both these rifles were effective to a distance way beyond the ability of the ordinary soldier to hit a target.
The first Lee Enfields were equiped with a Volley Sight that was ranged to 3,900 yards, so it certainly didn't lack power.

The Sniper Lee Enfields are collectors pieces and were specially modified by Holland and Holland. This is a company that specialises still in hand building rifles and shotguns for the very wealthy. As a result these were generally considered the best of the sniper rifles. It also helped that they had a particually good sight.

 

It all boils down to what you define best as , in respect of perhaps favourite or tactical use. "Best" gives too much scope for interpretation. If I had to pick one I would probably say like a lot of other the Lee Enfield....

 

Clips mean little because if you change out the floor plate and trigger mechanism with the sturm version you have a 20 round box clip that's ten more than the enfield. The Sturm truppen of WWI used G98s with these clips attached with great success. I'd have to say the 98 is more accurate than the Enfield. If I were to go to battle there would have to be a nice 6 power Carl Jena Zeiss high turret mount scope on that 98, else I'd have to go with the M-1 or G-43.

 

It is good that there is a bayonet for Einfield.I never seen or read about a soldiers of Brithis army who use bayonet
In the Eastern coutrys this knife was a vital part of the Army.There are many battles that Bulgaria win only with using bayonet put on the rifle.I have read a story about a Russian and Bulgarian sailors who was surounded by German ships.And the soldiers get on a land and get rifles.After a few days the germans come and russians and bulgarians attack only with bayonet put in front of the rifle and win a lot of battles.The Russian comad tell to soldiers that they will send amoition and food but the soldiers say that they dont need nothig.They doesent use ammo

 

Clips mean little because if you change out the floor plate and trigger mechanism with the sturm version you have a 20 round box clip that's ten more than the enfield. The Sturm truppen of WWI used G98s with these clips attached with great success. I'd have to say the 98 is more accurate than the Enfield. If I were to go to battle there would have to be a nice 6 power Carl Jena Zeiss high turret mount scope on that 98, else I'd have to go with the M-1 or G-43.

If your talking about absolute accuracy then the Lee Enfield has the edge. The Lee Enfield had the ideal barrel length for the power of the bullet, i.e. the gas from the cartridge had reached its peak velocity when the bullet leaves the barrel.
If the barrel is to long then the gas has stopped expanding at the same speed as the bullet is travelling causing a slight suction effect on the bullet when it leaves the barrel. This causes the bullet to 'wobble' slightly.
If the barrel is to short then when the bullet leaves the barrel the gas is still accelerating 'pushing' the bullet on exit from the barrel, again causing a slight wobble.
The K98 used in WW2 was a carbine or shortened version of the original rifle and as such was shorter than ideal causing the latter effect.

That said the differences we are talking about are really small and to the average soldier made little, if any difference. If however you are talking about a sniper, who needs long range accuracy and a one shot hit then the Lee Enfield has a slight edge.

The note about the clips is interesting and something I didn't know. I admit to having a doubt about the effectiveness of the 20 round clip. The only reason I say this is because if it was that successful, why didn't the Germans incorporate it into the design when they made the changes to the K98 in the 1930's?

We are talking about bolt action rifles but if I had to go to war I would rather have the M1 or the G43. In close quarters fighting you really need a Semi Auto at least.

 

Here comes your resident Texan. My vote would have to go for the old Springifeld 1903. First off, Not to dis the M-1 or the K98 but the '03 was bolt action. THerfore it was less pronged to jam, and quieter since it had less moving parts. You didnt get that infamous bang when you empitied a clip of eight round like the M-1 or 5 rounds like the K98. It was probably one of the best sniper rifles, ever made and we stuck with it until Remmington came up with the Remmington 700 bolt. The Chinese had a saying for the 03. They called it the whistling death. It had a kill range of up to half a mile in the hands of someone who knew how to properly work it.

 

It was a fine rifle and very accurate the problem was the telescopic sight that was used.
The Army used a 2.5X magnification which limited the range available because you couldn't see the target.
The US Marines used an 8X magnification which allowed a much longer range. The problem was the scope was very long something like 75% of the length of the barrel which meant that it was liable to get knocked around in the field. The obvious danger being that it could knock the zero out at long range.

 

Here comes your resident Texan. My vote would have to go for the old Springifeld 1903. You didnt get that infamous bang when you empitied a clip of eight round like the M-1 or 5 rounds like the K98. It was probably one of the best sniper rifles, ever made and we stuck with it until Remmington came up with the Remmington 700 bolt.

Welcome Lonestar,

I am confused, I am familiar with the ping when 8 rounds are expended from my Garand. Are you saying that the K98 makes a ping too, or are you saying that the weapons are loud when fired?

The 03A3 is an excellent sniper rifle but a 2.5 power Warner Swayze just doesn't cut the mustard. It's got to be a 4X or 6X to get a good head shot at 600M.

Glider is the opinion you hold Enfield over Mauser from personal experience?

 

I don't have personal experience in firing these rifles (wouldn't I love the chance) but I belong to a rifle club and one of the members is an armourer by trade who has examples in his collection. John has let me handle them a number of times so the handleing, reloading and general feel I have experienced.
I have shot the L42 which was an updated version of the Lee Enfield sniper rifle on the long ranges at Bisley up to 1000 yards but we used target sights not telescopic sights. The L42 was the standard British sniper rifle for many years after the war.
In the rifle club I am a qualified instructor and have had to take exams in the theory of ballistics as well as practical tests in instruction.
In Target shooting one very important aspect is the matching of ammunition to a particular rifle and the tunning of the barrel for the shooter hence my comments about the K98 and its shortened barrel having a marginal effect on accuracy.
As you will have guessed this is an interest of mine and over the years I have read up on the topic. My comments have been based on a combination of the above.

 

Excellent, I am glad we share something in common.

Hope you enjoy the range as much as I do.

 

I have always hunted yet never used an official range. I will have to re think this as I do not get the opportunity to get away hunting these days as much as I would like.

The .243 and .44 Winchester rifles are not exactly ww2 however I wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of either.

 

Excellent, I am glad we share something in common.

Hope you enjoy the range as much as I do.

Enjoy is relative. I have just come back from an outdoors .22 shoot at 50 and 100 yards. Its a cold miserable day today and it chucked it down with rain at the end so enjoy is relative.

I don't know where you are based Herroberst, have you been to Bisley?