allisd17
Member
Personal preference is what this thread is all about.....OK, fair enough - your personal preference. Thanks for the clarification.
Personal preference is what this thread is all about.....OK, fair enough - your personal preference. Thanks for the clarification.
I have both and I find the enfield to be underwhelming. On paper it sounds like its really something but in practice I find I don't really care to shoot it.
Honestly, I like them both. Sometimes it's hard to decide which one to take to the range.That's interesting, just the opposite of my impressions. I could say the same thing in reverse. !! Different strokes, for different folks. The personal preference for sure.
Just a range gun.What are you doing with it? I’m a Mauser guy, but there are reasons one would want a No4 Mk1.
Just a range gun.
If you get an Enfield, I think you can get oversized bolt lugs to fix increasing headspace-and if you are going to be shooting it a bunch, I recommend picking up a set. The Mauser headspace cannot be adjusted this way, but I’ve never heard of someone needing to fix excessive headspace this way either. Mausers don’t usually just open up their headspace like Enfields.
The SMLE (oh excuse me, Enfield) uses a detachable bolt head, which comes in I think three different sizes to adjust head space somewhat. However, remember that the SMLE (excuse me again, the No.4 Enfield, no relation to the SMLE) headspaces on the rim. Where you get into stretched cases with the .303 can also be because the chamber was cut a bit long. But the cartridge does not headspace on the shoulder, as in a Mauser. So your headspace can be okay, but the chamber can be long and stretch the cases. does that make sense?
I think it's that maybe they're better balanced. It seems to me that the Enfield is more "comfortable" to hold and to handle. Also I like their "lines". They're just plain more visually appealing to me. And the early SMLE's with the walnut stocks .... oh my. All this is purely personally subjective, of course.....There is just something about the Enfields, both 1 and 4, that really appeals to me.
Well, the Mauser action anyway, if not the Kar98k rifle itself.....,often considered the bolt action rifle by which all others are judged.
Wow I did not expect it to be this close. I guess it really is just personal preference, but I think I might lean to the Mauser Kar98k just because it's a little more iconic and is often considered the bolt action mechanism by which all others are judged.
Yes, I agree, most of the K98k's available at any kind of a price I can afford are mix-master Russian captures anyway.Why not get a nice Czech or Yugo example rather than a K98k? Cheaper, often nicer from the factory (wartime production, and all that brings with it, is not good for quality control), and the same action.
So after watching a video on Youtube about picking the best bolt action and further consideration, I've decided to go with the Mauser instead of the Lee Enfield. The Enfields as cool as they are with their smooth bolt work 10 round capacity and rear sights, the headspace problems they have, rear locking lugs, rimmed cartridges and expensive ammo compared to 8mm Mauser just aren't as appealing to me now. Plus I'm more interested in post WW2 Cold War British firearms like the FN FAL (or rather their licensed version L1A1) and the Browning Hi Power (which I have as you can tell by my profile pic and it rules). Thanks for all the replies.
Ditto that!!Well, now you need a FAL
He actually asked which military bolt action WWII rifle people wanted…”military”.You are not answering the question being asked! The OP did not ask which is a superior combat weapon!!!