The most reliable, rugged, accurate rifle EVER.

[Art Eatman]

For rugged and reliable, bolt actions are better than most semi-autos because of the vulnerability of the detachable magazines.

Among bolt actions, the Springfield's bolt mechanism isn't as rugged as the Mauser and others.

For accuracy, it's less the inherent accuracy than it is the ability of the user to shoot accurately: The location of the rear sight. The Mauser, easily among the most rugged and reliable, loses out because the rear sight is mounted ahead of the receiver ring. Rear-mounted peep sights make life easier for the shooter.

Among bolt actions, the SMLE and the 1917 Enfield rate high in all three categories. The SMLE likely gets the nod from TV folks because of the 10-round capacity. The 1917 is 5+1.

As far as semi-autos, I'd give the nod to the Garand because of the magazine vulnerability issue--remembering that "firepower" is not at all important in this particular discussion.

The question of quantity produced, and over how many decades, involves such parameters as, "It works okay," and "We're tooled up for it, already."

Art

 

[Ruggles]

In response to why I sold my Garand.

It was a nice looking gun, a six digit Springfield from 1941. In truth it has a reliability (FTE & FTF) issue that I did not want to mess with. I know the legend of the Garand and really wanted to love that rifle but the SMLE to me is more fun to shoot. I am not saying I would not like a Garand again but I just never felt the "magic" that some do with the gun. I like the M1 Carbine better than the Garand in fact.

 

[NotSoFast]

The ones I own.

My vote is the M1 Garand in semi-auto and the Swiss K31 in bolt action.

 

[SammyIamToday]

The mauser on paper and design wise is a better rifle.
But on the Battlefield the Lee Enfield dominated its now been in service for over 100 years and two world wars years still on issue in India and by the Canadian rangers who rely on it because it will go bang in some of the most extreme conditions on earth.
mauser military rifles no longer in service.
Think that settles the argument longest serving military bolt action rifle. With a powerful round like a .303 it will put most creatures down so why bother designing something else? with 4 million made you could get one cheap enough.

Isn't that probably more because both of those places were part of the British Empire and had them around than any argument that it's better than the Mauser? Personally, I have no preference between them, but the Germans never really had a world spanning empire that would lead to other former colonies still having old weapons around.

 

[esmith]

My main argument was the fact that these countdown shows shouldn't be saying such and such guns are the best. I wasn't defending any said rifle. I was just pointing out how the shows are jokes and shouldn't be believed word by word.

There are countless arguments that defend all types of military rifle styles. The fact that enfields have been in service for decades past WW2, the fact that guns today are still being modeled after traditional mauser type actions, and the fact that AKs are so widespread in their usage, all prove to say a "best" rifle doesn't exist, and that many people dispute what is the "best."

To put it shortly, im going to say that the best rifle is the one that goes bang when you need it to.

 

[Wheeler44]

The Germans made the best "hunting Rifle" the Mauser
The Americans the best "Target rifle" the Springfield
And the Brits the best "Battle rifle" the Lee Enfield
It's pretty hard to beat 38 aimed rounds on target in one minute.
Try that with a Mauser or Mauser clone.
I like my Enfields both the Lee Enfield and the Model of 1917

Wheeler44

 

[elmerfudd]

The Mauser is undoubtedly the better base design to build a hunting rifle from, but as far as being a battle rifle it's markedly inferior. It's slower, has much worse sights and a much smaller magazine. It's one real advantage is that it's a stronger, safer design, but since the Lee Enfield was and is a reasonably safe weapon to fire, it's a minor advantage.

 

[dscottw88]

I saw that top ten show. It gave number 1 to the AK, number 2 to the AR. The nonsense spewn from the screen of any television should be taken with a very large grain of salt.

 

[madcratebuilder]

The best battle rifle is the one YOU are best with.

 

[jpwilly]

What can be said of the rifles being discussed, all have a good service record with each of the countries who fielded them. They were fielded after a selection process in each army with ruggeness, accuracy, and ability to produce them as key factors. The Nagant was the right rifle for the Russians just as the M1 Garand was it for our boys. I think it's absolutely necessary to pick a rifle by action type, era used, see how it was deployed and the rate it based on the success and failures of the design. I would have wanted a M1 or Tommy gun if I was in WWII. Right now I'd pick my DPMS LR-308 AP4 over my M1, Enfiled, Mauser, 1903, Nagant, AR-15, or AK-47!

 

[Beagle-zebub]

I'll second the comment to the effect that the Enfield's speed is a key advantage. I hadn't thought of the sights vice the Mauser, good call. I guess I just take it for granted that the iron sights on the military rifles of every non-America country are mediocre, which is generally the case. (I'm not being at all nationalistic--I just think open sights suck.) I sometimes wonder what an FAL could do with a more precise rear aperture.

 

[elmerfudd]

The sight difference goes beyond just open sights vs. peeps. The #4 mk1 had a nice peep sight, but the SMLE, while it didn't have a peep sight, still had pretty good iron sights. They were easily visible and reasonably precise. The K98 on the other hand had an awful set of iron sights. They aren't easily visible, nor are they precise.

I know a few people have mentioned the Mosin Nagant and I'd have to emphatically disagree with that. The MN has the bolt handle placed too far forward for most people to cycle the action without lowering the rifle and the safety is virtually inoperable. The triggers generally are bad and as others have noted the magazine disconnector often doesn't work. It's also possible to jam the magazine badly if you single load a cartridge that isn't all the way back, (learned this from experience).

I'm not a Mosin Nagant hater, (I own 5 of them), and I rather like their sights and their rugged construction, but there's just no way they were the best bolt action battle rifle.

 

[Jefferson Herb]

Thru the ages,countries built the best design[they thought] with the best metalurgy available;untill demand during war dictated shortcuts.
Sweed 96 was obendorpf untill they got production up.Mausers,93's,95.s were very serviceable;as the us found out in the Spanish / American war.Smle's were built in several countries,with canada 2 groove rifles being the most accurate.Not so many years ago,after a fun shoot,a Friend and I baffeled shooters with a #1 ,cordite ammo ,and hitting targets [metal] at 440 yds.Smle's had lots of headspace to operate in dirty conditions,any handloader of this cartrige knows this.
The best one is the one in my hands with plenty of ammo.

 

[yokel]

The Mauser is undoubtedly the better base design to build a hunting rifle from, but as far as being a battle rifle it's markedly inferior. It's slower, has much worse sights and a much smaller magazine.

The Germans made the best "hunting Rifle" the Mauser.

Well, I would be willing to bet that a fair amount of Soviets, French, Brits, G.I. Joes etc. lost their lives or have been maimed by Mausers used to hunt and kill humans.

 

[woodybrighton]

true but a few Germans were killed by the Chauchat does not make it a great combat weapon.
The enfield was the pinnacle of bolt action combat rifles.
The British army also concentrated on marksmanship and individual zeroing of weapons while the Germans factory zeroed there weapons for conscripts.

 

[yokel]

Of course, we're all entitled to our respective opinions.

We have the curious notion of the best/greatest "hunting", "battle" or "target" rifle.

 

[Jerry D]

AHAH reading this is funny - I do watch those top 10 count down shows... You can never say or prove that one is better then the other really.

the Enfield though was the best bolt action design for WWII - good sights, good action, and 10 round magazine compared to the other bolt actions.

The M1 though I believe is a better rifle for war due to its semi automatic design - however warfare has changed - bolts worked fine in open areas and bombed flat urban areas - however when it got close having a semi became a lot nicer.

Basically these shows are not comparing 1 against the other in the count down, rather they are placing them in order of the effect they had on history and how well they worked.

For example the best tank of WWII most people would call the German Panzer as it was superior to the Sherman, however Russia's tank was superior to the German Panzer however it was not publicized to the extent as the Panzer was because the Sherman's never had to fight it. The best tank of WWII then might have to be the Sherman due to the fact that hordes of them were being produced. See the discrepancy? what one do you choose?

 

[earlthegoat2]

Terry Weiland says: In WWI the Americans had a target rifle, the Germans had a hunting rifle, and the British had a battle rifle.

I tend to agree.

 

[Old Time Hunter]

I thought the topic was "The most reliable, rugged, accurate rifle ever" Is that just military or any? Why a bolt action? You have to be more specific. based on the question, one would consider the Springfield Trapdoor the most reliable, rugged, and accurate if you place credence in the Sandy Hook trials, otherwise you might consider a modern gatlin gun in 20mm...all you would have to be is close. If bolt actions were the only criteria, wouldn't one consider the Swiss K31? A ton more accurate than the Enfield, faster rate of fire too because of one less movement and safer for the user with the rotating front lock up bolt. Don't get me wrong, I like 'em all, but the Enfield is nothing more than the Lee Navy rifle or even farther back the Lee-Winchester of 1882. Also, remember the Lee lost out to the Krag because of the Krag's faster, smoother action.

 

[elmerfudd]

The K31 is fast, but I think the Lee Enfield is faster. While the K31 only requires you to pull and push the bolt handle, it takes significantly more effort to do so. As far as accuracy is concerned though, you're right, it beats the pants off the Enfield.

 

[HorseSoldier]

Would have been interesting to have the "also rans" of the bolt gun world in the mix on the battlefield in WW2 or WW1 and seen how the K31 and the Swedish Mausers (AG-42B, too, while we're at it) compared to the SMLE, 1903 and 1917 or Garand, Moisins, Kar-98s and such. I guess the Swedes saw some combat late in the Winter War in the hands of the Swedish volunteers who fought there, but I haven't heard much about how they stacked up against Russian troops with M-Ns.

 

[30mag]

For the record, for a gun that is being sent to war, safety is a pretty relative term...
The safest gun in war is probably the one in your hands.
Unless of course it happens to be one of those glock grenades...

 

[paintballdude902]

this is quite possibly the hardest question to answer

its like what is the best caliber its all gonna be opinion

 

[aka108]

The weak point of the No 1 and No 4 Enfields is the extractor. Replaced two of them on couple of mine.

 

[lefteyedom]

BEST OF SHOWs... History channel The H stands for All Hitler all the time.
How about all the shows that are produce showing how advance the Germany weapons development was just before the end of the war. Super fighter and bombers, rockets and rifles. Worshiping the Teutonic master of engineering, as if Hitler had only funded them in 1938 the world would be better now.

Lets us not forget what other Germany engineers were delvoping..group showers and group driers.