Most accurate military rifle, bolt and auto

[tark]

What is the most accurate military rifle you have ever fired? I want guns you have actually fired, "I've always heard" or "I read somewhere" doesn't count. And I mean "as-issued" not highly tuned match rifles. Ammunition can be whatever you can find or handload yourself. There will be two categories:

Bolt action. Any standard issue bolt action rifle from any war will count. All straight pull action rifles will count, including Swiss, even though they never were fired in anger. Standard issue iron sights, aperture sights are fine. 03A4s are not allowed.

Semi or full auto. Here again, iron sights only. Sorry, Styer AUG owners. I will say that I have fired a civilian AUG exactly three times, from the bench at 100 yards. It cut a one hole group.

My choice for the bolt guns is my Ross Mk III. If you have ever seen a Mk III up close you will immediately understand how they can be so accurate. A 31" heavy barrel is combined with finely adjustable aperture sights mounted at the back of the receiver. The sighting radius is a full three feet.The Mk IIIs may have failed in the trenches but they were highly prized by Canadian snipers, who never relinquished their's. Mine will shoot M.O.A. out to two hundred yards with factory 180 gr .303 hunting ammo.

The most accurate semi I ever owned was an HK -91 I bought in California back in the 80s. It would shoot with the Ross, even with that ridiculous diopter (<?) rear sight. Wish I still had it!!!

 

[dak0ta]

K31, Swedish Mauser, Ross Rifle, Springfield 1903

 

[troy fairweather]

To many to list.

 

[Random 8]

The most accurate I have fired for bolt actions would be a tossup between my Swiss Gew 11 and my Swedish M96. The K-31s come darn close, but I think the sight radius holds them back slightly with issue sights vs the long rifle, In terms of semi and full auto rifles, I've fired a couple of HK variants, a mixed mfg civilian metric FN FAL, Austrian STG58, Italian BM59, M14, a Swiss PE-57, AK 47 and 74 variants, SKS, Tokarev 40, AG42, Hakim, Galil, G43, FG42, STG 44, VZ 58, and various AR based military rifles. Of those, it's a tossup between an M16A2, and the PE 57. I would give the nod to my M1 Garand, but that would be cheating as it's a "built" match gun firing handloads. Most of the rest were with military issue or high quality commercial ammunition.

 

[ridgerunner1965]

swedish mauser in 6.5x55. auto ive not fired that many of. i did have a sks that would hit a brick everytime at 125 yrds. never put it on paper tho

 

[entropy]

Bolt: M1903
Auto: M16A2.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

Bolts: a friend had a Swedish Mauser that shot amazingly well with factory ammo. Out of the rifles I own, probably a Turkish Mauser. Just a combo of an intact barrel and a silly long sight radius, I suppose.

Semis: off my head, I think the only surplus automatics I've fired are an M1 Carbine, a Chinese SKS and a Romy AK. All of them frankly shot pretty poorly. I guess I'm most inclined to be forgiving of the Carbine.

 

[Steve S.]

The only military rifle I am familiar with is the M16A2 issued to me in BCT in 1972. I was a decent shot prior to the military and the rifle I was issued was very accurate. I was the first and only trainee to zero my “weapon” on the first round of firing. I shot Battalion high score of 98 which earned me an expert medal an a 3 day pass. I heard a lot of bad about that design but that was not my experience - it was a joy to shoot and I hit everything I aimed at - the design was good to me.
Edit: Entropy, I thought it was an A2 (Fort Leonard Wood, BCT, October, 1972) - with your dissent now I am wondering myself - what military designation was it - I am curious?
2nd Edit: According to Entropy, I shot an A1, not an A2. Entropy states that the A2 was way more accurate than the A1. I must have been issued a good A1 in BCT as it was extremely accurate - as accurate as any rifle I own today. I had much younger eyes then.

 

[entropy]

You were not issued an M16A2 in 1972.

It was an M16A1. The A2 wasn't issued by the Army until 1986. The Marines were issued it in '83.

My issue rifle was an A1 also, as we were a REMF unit. I borrowed some A2's from a friend who was in the CAB for the Ft. Ord post matches. Way more accurate than the A1.

 

[cfullgraf]

My Service Rifle Competition AR-15 is crazy accurate but I guess that does not qualify for this thread.

My M1 Garands and Springfield 1903 are accurate within standard military specs but not what I would call super accurate.

 

[guns3738]

I've always had great accuracy with my Swiss k31. Gp11 ammo works great and I've had good luck with ppu. Also can't say anything bad about my type 99 arisaka, only shoot handloads out of it tho

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

At the present time, the best milsurp groups I've achieved have been from my G98 Wehrmanngewehr. However, technically it is a single shot target rifle conversion of an infantry rifle, in a non-military chambering (8.15x46R) shot entirely with handloads.



My K31 and P14 also seem to shoot quite well, but I haven't fired either very extensively as yet.

 

[call1911]

I have shot maybe a dozen different bolt action military rifles. Only European makes.
But the best I've shot and therefore also collect are Swedish Mausers in 6,5x55mm.
The M/96 and the M/38 are almost identical in precision. And even the very short M/94 is still very very accurate.
I'm not there with my AG42B - yet.
Cycling the mechanics AND accuracy at the same time is something I'm still working on.

 

[Alaskan Ironworker]

Ive always been curious how ljungman rifles performed.

 

[ZGunner]

My K31 is one my most accurate rifles with iron sights, period. I usually use GP11, but more recently have been using Prvi Partisan and reloading those cases with some older 175 gr A-Max. If I can get my hold overs right the gun will ring steel as far as I can go at my local range (~550 yards).

The only semi-auto military rifles I have experience with are the M-16 and M4. I won’t pretend to know what variation they were, whatever the Air Force would have had after 2006. We qualified on the M4 with a red dot though, so for this conversation it doesn’t count. They were accurate enough and I qualified “expert” a few times. The AR-15 will probably be my favorite rifle platform for the rest of my life, it’s just comfortable to me and easy to work on.

 

[Old Stumpy]

Ive always been curious how ljungman rifles performed.

As I recall, mine was very reliable. The design was long and a bit cumbersome, but that's something that you get with tilting bolt rifles and full length cartridges.
I loved the bolt carrier and cocking design. Highly clever and innovative. Very, very easy to field strip.
Direct gas impingement into the bolt carrier. No moving parts there.
The magazine locks in front and rear. Very sturdy.
Accuracy? I don't recall. It wasn't one that I shot very much.

 

[earlthegoat2]

It could have been any of them. After 50 yds, I can’t hold any group with irons.

 

[call1911]

As you might know, the AG42B gas no adjustable gas port like the later produced Egyptian Hakim rifle.
I guess it was in this early stages of semi-auto weapons development that they didn't think of one for the AG42B at this time (the early 1940s).
But that's just my guesstimation.
I could make an adjustable port but to be honest I don't want to change anything on such a wonderful rifle. It is now 75 years old and deserves to stay in its original state if I have a say.
So at the moment it is an wonderful 1-2 MOA shooter but it is not working semi auto.
And with a load where it works semi auto it's not that perfect shooter it could be.
I have ordered some other brass and maybe I can get it working and accurate at the same time.
But reloading is sometimes a process where one has to show some patience so this might take a while.

 

[Old Stumpy]

My recollections of my most accurate bolt actions were:

1) an FTR SMLE rebuilt at Ishapore Arsenal in India, with a new barrel, and forestock wood, with a Lithgow receiver and buttstock. Offhand, I could not miss with that rifle.

2) a Mosin Nagant carbine with folding bayonet, newly made in Poland and still in the grease, unfired.
Beautifully made with a peacetime commercial blued finish. Looked like something that Sweden would have made. Shot 2" groups off the bench at 100 yards with the factory irons. (younger eyes then)

My semi-autos were:

3) an M1D Garand with a silver parkerized finish, without it's scope. Very accurate.

4) an 1980s AR-15 with a heavy barrel. Colt-made. A tack driver from the shoulder and the bench.

 

[AMraider]

1) 1942 Finnish M39 VKT. Groups great in hot or cold weather.

2) 1943 Swiss K31. So consistently accurate that it is almost boring...almost.

3) 1908 Chilean Mauser. 7x57. This would be my hunter. First shot from cold barrel at 100 yards is always spot on.... If I do my part.

 

[1942bull]

In my limited experience I have fired th M1, M14, M16, and Springfield 1903. I only got to fire the 1903 for part of a day. At the time I was issued a M1. However, in 1960 the 1903s were still around in the Corps. They were considered to be the most accurate rifle in the Corps’ arsenal. The few rifles were kept in case of need for long range combat shooting. The Corps held that the rifle has proven in WWI to be accurate out to 1,000 yards. In fact in Nam the first Marines to act as snipers used 1903s. Them Winchesters as I recall, replaced the Springfields. Anyway, my experience was that the sights of the 1903 allowed me to shoot better than I did with the M1. Firing on the 500 yard line with the M1 I consistently shot at Shrpsotter badge level. With the 1903 I shot at Expert badge level. Of course, that did not count in terms of my badge. So from my experience I think the 1903 was a more accurate rifle that the M1 which itself beat the M14 and M16.

 

[Laphroaig]

I think that my M96 Swede is potentially the most accurate, but is limited by the open sights and my aging eyes. The straight stock makes it difficult to shoot standing well also.

The one I've posted my highest scores in CMP Vintage matches with is a M1917 Eddystone. I must admit I've modified the issue sights somewhat by filling the battle sight aperature with JB Weld and drilling it out along with installing a higher P14 front sight.

l've only shot an actual M16 a couple of times and the triggers were terrible, but the AR15 platform is potentially very accurate. I don't think that match grade AR15's should count in this survey but would easily win if allowed. I've never shot an M14, but tuned M1A's are very accurate as well.

 

[magyars4]

My ParkerHale model 98, while technically not a military firearm....is the most accurate I've ever fired, followed closely by 1903 A3

 

[GooseGestapo]

Bolt action: 03A3 Springfield; ‘43 Remington as issued w/. 9-43 2groove barrel.

Semi-Auto: AR15. DPMS lower, PSA A3 upper (FN A2 barrel, Flat top reciever with carry handle sights). MOA or better with capable ammo.

5-shots @100yds, first five after picking up at CMP South.
Hornady 155gr Amax, Federal brass, CCI milspec primers. First shot cold bore, last 4, two clicks right to center!

 

[Texas10mm]

M40A1

We had the LAPD SWAT guys down to the range. We had the close targets at 300 meters. They were a bit humbled as most of their training at the time was under 150 meters.