Fixed! Tour favorite WWII battle rifle(poll)

Einstein said, "everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler"

You need more choices I guess technically the Springfield '03 is a Mauser action, but I'd hesitate to say the same for the SMLE.

The Garand would be the best choice from the list, but lots of folks also like the M1Carbine, and the Thompson (which is what my Dad was issued as a B17 crew chief)

There are WAAAAYY too few choices on that poll - sorry, but you've left out at least two dozen designs that I can think of.

As much as I love Garands, I love the Enfield more. Too my way of thinking, it's more rugged. I've seen and shot, and owned my share of both. Faster than any other bolt action, carrys twice the capacity of other bolt guns ( two more than the M1, and my Ishapore 308 carries 12 ), less to go wrong internally versus a gas rifle. There were times in WW1 that the Germans thought they were facing machine guns and it turned out it was many infantry shooting instead. About the only thing I love more about the M1 are the sights.

Garand by a long shot. Its success had as much to do with its design as it did with America's industrial capacity to turn one out every 40 seconds or so.

I would pick the STG-44 as a better weapon, but it was too few, too late.

Thompson SMG's and their like really aren't battle rifles.

Unless you can stuff a full-length .308 Win, .303 Brit, .30-06 Springfield, 8x57 Mauser, or 7.62x54R Russian round into them.


I'm slightly biased towards the Mauser design. That includes the subsequent Springfield variations.

I thought at first it said "Tour favorite WWII battle(field). I was getting excited . I just can't pick a favorite WWII battle rifle though, it's too tough!

I would pick the STG-44 as a better weapon, but it was too few, too late.

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I agree, the STG44 was the best to come out of the war.

I went with the Garand. I like semi-autos and I've had occasion to fire them at a the last THR shoot I attended. I'll get one one of these days. . .

M1 Garand.

OK, The Gunmans Timeline,

B.G.E. = Before the Garand Era.

D.G.E. = During the Garand Era.

A.G.E. = After the Garand Era.

The man and his time defined the things to come in rifle developement.

My vote? The M1 of course.

the Garand, without a doubt.

Never shot a Garand yet. Of the guns I have used, definitely the Enfield. One smooth, fine shooting rifle.

I own an Enfield, Mauser, Mosin-Nagant, and a Garand. They are all nice guns, I can see why there are so many Mauser and Enfield fans, and the Mosins are just cheap and fun. But the Garand is just a much finer example of machinery, plus, the sights are pretty damn good and the recoil doesn't kill you!

The M1 Does My Talking!

M1 Garand

Oh come on...You aren't gonna storm a bunker with an M1 with eight rounds of 30-06, are ya?

All the SMGs and Assualt rifles rock.

M1 for a battle rifle

Having several copies of each, except for the Subguns and early assualt rifles. I'd have to say the M1. The quicker follow up shot, and quicker loading, easy recoil make it best in my book. Not that I'd want to be in a position to have to, but I can shoot hundreds of rounds through a Garand in one sitting and not have my shoulder tell me anything. Any of the other bolt guns, and I start to flinch a little after 60 rounds or so unless I'm in a coat and sweat shirt.

Aside from that, the subguns and lots and lots of men to throw into the meat grinder won the war on the eastern front.

If you want to know which WWII battle rifle was the best, ask the men who fought AGAINST it.

If the Garand WASN'T the best, why did every nation we fought try to copy it, or produce their own semi-auto?