Bolt actions from WWII

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A bunch of 1917 US Enfields were issued to Chinese troops during WWII.

I've got a book somewhere "The Forgotten War", about the China, Burma theatre of operations. The Chinese allied troops carried a variety of gear, much of it German WWI gear!

The book has pics of General Stillwell's Chinese troops carrying P17 rifles.

Also used by British "Home Guard" troops I believe. I think(not sure, can't remember where I read it!), the British got these lend lease after the Dunkirk thing forced the expeditionary force ditched a lot of their gear to survive. Don't hold me to the British useage, I ain't sure they used it except to guard the local pubs, and those maybe are P14 .303's
 
Don't hold me to the British useage, I ain't sure they used it except to guard the local pubs, and those maybe are P14 .303's
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actualy theres a move called "Whiskey Galore" the movie is about ww2 whiskey rationing and locals of a small (Scottish?) island are ot of whiskey, and must raid a ship that ran aground before the local guards can secure it. good movie

in the movie the local guard commander is in a dispute with the ferry captain.the commander has 30-06 rifles (.300 in brit terms), but got .303 ammo. and the ferry captain wont take the 303 ammo back to the mainland because its "explosives" and "regulations are regulations".

but yes, the brits did have a number of our 30-06 rifles. M1917's, 1903's, and even M1 Garands.
 
M1917s were also used in North Africa by US troops. They may have been used as late as the Sicily campaign, but by then, they had probably been replaced by M1's. M17s were used by Free French forces as well (along with the previously mentioned forces, etc.).
 
Greeks, Italians, and Norwegians had 6.5mm rifles. Argentina had German gear but I'm not sure about other South Americans.

French rifles were 8.8mm.

Slavic, Hungarian and Romanians were issued 8mm rifles. I think Bulgaria had 30-06 rifles of Mauser design.

Finns had Soviet gear.

Denmark, Belgium, and Holland bought USA surplus after WW2 but I'm not sure what their in-effective militias were issued prior to the Blitz.

TR
 
Finns had Soviet gear.

Not at all. They did use captured Soviet stuff, but the vast majority of their equipment was manufactured themselves. There were plenty of Czarist weapons to be sure, but most of the weapons, either Mosins, submachine guns like the Lahti, and aircraft were not Soviet. The Finns carried Carcanos and Swedish Mausers and Soviet stuff they captured, but most front line were issued M27's and M28's, depending on either Civil Guard or regular army, plus a fair number of M91's either built by the Finns or captured when Finland gained its independence.

Ash
 
The US Marines carried 1903 Springfields throuout the war. Did not get suffecient Garands till late 43. The Army had first dibs on Garand production, and the Marines drew thier small arms from the Army!

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas
 
I seem to recall reading that the Marines used the M1903A3 on Guadalcanal. That experience convinced them to move to the M1 Garand!
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They used 1903s on Guadalcanal, not the A3s. Possibly some made it there late in the campaign? It was still a great rifle but but as oneshooter says, the Marines got Garands after the Army.
 
I would keep it simple first,stick to the main ones.

M1903
K98
Lee Enfield .303
Carcano
Arisaka
Mosin

to many variations and minority countries involved that trying to collect all sorts will be a worthy but costly adventure


and snipers? lol will run 2k to 3k for each.Except maybe the Mosin
 
to many variations and minority countries involved that trying to collect all sorts will be a worthy but costly adventure
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I remember Tamara commented on her blog (booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com) some months ago that she was maybe 2 or 3 rifles away from completing her collection of bolt guns from WWI and WWII. Minor countries included.
 
the real question is what would it cost for a sniper version of each with period correct glass?
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A whole lot more than most of us can afford.


The problem with collecting WWII rifles is that it doesn't end with one from each country. Pretty soon your chasing one of each model from each country. Then one of each model variant. Then one of each variant from each arsenal. Then the bayonets for all those rifles..................

IIRC, the last time I figured out how many Carcano's I'd need to have every variant from every arsenal, the total was 44 rifles. That is just one model of rifle from one country.

Trust me, while the individual weapons are usually not too expensive, it's the quantity that gets you. To have a truly full WWII rifle collection (No hanguns, MG's, SMG's), you'd probably have more than 500 guns.
 
After seeing that Mauser, holding it in my hands, seeing the Nazi Eagle, and noticing that parts of it were stamped 4-43...

I gotta say, it creeped me out. Some poor German boy probably shot at, and maybe killed Russians... French... Brits... Americans... with that rifle?

...Um, no thanks, I don't need that kind of bad mojo in my collection.
 
Well MachIVshooter, that seems like an admirable goal. I think we should all work together to achieve the goal of having all those rifles in one place. I will provide my help in storage and display of these rifles. I'm selfless like that, just send the rifle to me!
 
There are many ways to take the collector's route here:

1. General Issue to troops.

2. Neutral rifles that saw little, if any conflict.

3. Supply troop rifles.

4. Support Weapons.

5. Sidearms.

6. Reserve Weapons pressed into service.

Pick one, or more, make up your own and have at it!
 
The same will be said of any Enfield, Garand, Mosin, Arisaka, or other combat rifles of WWII. Only the K31 and non-SA marked Swedes would be pretty safe as far as Mojo goes.
 
Ash, for some reason I don't have as much of a problem with guns that weren't pointed at my grandpappy and his brothers-in-arms.
 
I won't own SS marked Mausers (or any firearm, for that matter) because of the wicked use put to them, but in reality, they are just wood and metal. In any case, you can do what you will and nobody will think ill of it. Just consider the chances of an Arisaka bayonet killing a baby or POW.

Ash
 
How is the M1903A3 correct for WWII but not the M1917? Plenty of both saw action in the second world war.
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Neither saw action with frontline troops in WWII.
Don
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I think there are a large number of marines (1903a3's) who would argue with that as well as regular army units in the pacific before the fall of the phillipines (1903, 1903a1, 1903a3's). Moving later into the war the "colored" units were often equipped with model 1917's as their main weapon. The sniper version (1903a4) was used in both theatres as well...
 
Just consider the chances of an Arisaka bayonet killing a baby or POW
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bayonet didnt do anything. a cowardly nationalistic soldier killed a baby. i wont connect a rifle to its owners action anymore than id blame some one for thier brothers actions.

each his own.
 
as well as regular army units in the pacific before the fall of the phillipines (1903, 1903a1, 1903a3's)
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Do you mean the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese? There were no 1903A3s then. After the fall of the Philippines to the U.S. there were 1903A3s.
 
I was merely pointing out the potential ills of any milsurp used in combat. I have a Type 99 with bayonet, just as I have a k98K and Mosins.

Ash
 
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