Not into AR/AK/FAL Rifles, Battle Rifle alternatives?

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CoyoteSix

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Hey folks!

So I've tried and tried to make myself like the AR-15's, AK's, And Etc.

Just can't do it. :rolleyes: I've heard they're beautiful weapons. Just not my thing.

I'm into traditional rifles (wood, blueing, etc.). So to satisfy my curiosity I wanted to know what my options were.

I don't really like most commercial hunting rifles though.

I love MilSurps. My MN 91/30, although the cheapest rifle I own, I adore it the most.

It does leave alot to be desired since it's my only "OMG ZOMBIES!" gun along with my Glock.

So what are my options THR? I love milsurps, but I'm open to some Commercial alternatives. EX: The Marlin's 336 at my LGS looks and feels good, where as Ruger's GunSite Scout just doesn't do it for me. Looks like a mutated Springfield M1903 to me anyway..... :D

The gun's gotta be a bolt/lever action (just not semi auto), and have an internal magazine of some sort.

Cost is also a factor since I'm young and don't make a ton. Luckily the rifle will only be chewing through ammo when the Commie-Zombies invade and will see some use to maintain familiarity with the weapon., So I'm okay with the ammo being a little pricey.

Thanks THR!
 
There's always another Mosin...

If you enjoy beating up your shoulder, look for a Steyr M95. Same price as a Mosin but twice the recoil! If you'd rather have a Mauser, look for a Yugoslavian example; they tend to be the least expensive of the Mausers (well, except for the Turkish models, but those are usually pretty rough), they're easy to find, and they're nice shooters.
 
As a milsurp fan myself I have a Garand, M1 Carbine, and a repro 1903-A4 (love em!).

Of course it doesn't have to be a semi-auto. The Swiss K-31 is a very unique and very accurate milsurp.

If you're considering a lever-action I just picked up a Winchester 94 and love it. It has that cowboy western look to it which the Marlin just doesn't have.
 
M1 Garand and M1 Carbine.

The Carbine is quite possibly one of the most fun firearms to shoot anywhere.
 
They are...BUT...I don't know of any other semi-autos that make that lovely 'ping' after firing eight rounds.
 
The gun's gotta be a bolt/lever action (just not semi auto), and have an internal magazine of some sort.
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Not leaving very many choices... most "Battle Rifles" in this category (Bolt action) would be WW2, Korea, and older.... not limiting Winchester M70 and Remington M700 for military sniper duty in Vietnam. Even Communists in the Vietnam war were already using SKS/ AK-47's buy the time we got there for sure. With this being said you pretty much will be limited to 7.92X57mm, 7.62X54Rmm, .303 British, and .30-'06 Spfld. all have "bolt-action's" > Along with some French, and Japanese calibers but many of these the ammo can be very difficult to find and can be expensive to shoot. Otherwise going further back into history with lever action post "Civil War" rifles. Pretty much what I have said is a no-brainer really, many more I have not mentioned would be great to own as well but very few "Bolt-action/ Battle Rifles" out there past (Meaning after) Korea, pretty much limited to sniper duty.
 
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I've owned and shot just about every common milsurp out there. For NON-semiautomatic weapons, I would rank the following 3 as top:

1. SMLE No. 4 Mk. I - .308 power level, reasonable recoil, extremely fast action, 10 round magazine capacity, usually very accurate, excellent sighting system. The No. 1 Mk. III is also a good rifle, but the No. 4 Mk. I is a better design (better sights, free floating barrel, etc)

2. K-31 Schmidt Rubin - All the reasons as above. Extra advantages: Lightning fast action. Drawbacks: poor factory sights, 6 round magazine capacity, hard to find ammunition (7.5x55).

3. Mauser 98 - Comes in a distant 3rd. Poor sights, 5 round magazine capacity, action is much slower. Advantages: very rugged, available in common calibers (7.62x51/.308 and .30-06), readily available parts.

My suggestion would be to go with whichever of the first two suits your fancy, and get into reloading now. Once you get started up, ammunition supply is never going to be a problem again. I load for a lot of oddball calibers (7x57, 6.5x55, 8x57, 7.5x55, .303 British, 6.5x50, etc), and have never had a problem keeping up.

Now, if you open up your options to include Semi-automatic battle rifles, I see two clear leaders develop for your tastes: the M1 Garand and the FN-49. Everybody knows about the Garand, but not its slightly more expensive and much more versatile cousin the FN-49. It's the grandaddy to the FAL, but still a wood stock and blued steel rifle of very high quality. Available in .30-06, 7x57, 8x57, and in rare cases, 7.62x51, with a 10 round detachable magazine. If you want the Cadillac of battle rifles, get an FN-49.
 
I think what you are asking for is something of a contradiction. To say you want a battle rifle but don't want a semi-auto is kind of confusing since most people would include that in the definition.

If you want a "battle rifle" that has nice wood and feels traditional I'd suggest an M1A. Or a Garand. If you want a bolt action rifle that is "battle tested" or "battle worthy" then you should be looking at any if the surplus guns being suggested here.

Another option for you might be the "scout rifle" concept. It's been discussed pretty extensively both here and on other web sites. But it calls for a light, fast handling, bolt action rifle in a caliber like .308. That sounds like something that may fill your criteria.
 
I find the Garand to be amazing. The only reason I don't have one is that I have very limited funds, and got a great deal on a PTR91. I liked the idea of 20 round mags of .308 more than 8 round clips of .30-06. Like you, I wasn't really into the "black rifle" thing. I gambled. I did like the PTR91, and have grown to love it. More than the Garand? I don't know.

Bottom line, go with the M1 Garand!

EDIT: I forgot about the M1A. To me, nothing beats the M1A. Make that your first choice. If it's too pricey, go with the Garand.
 
They're not cheap, but if you could find a Winchester 1895 in 7.62x54R, 303 British, 30-40 Krag, or 30-06 it would fit your criteria perfectly.
 
If I were looking at a bolt action battle rifle, I think I would go with a '03-A4 Springfield. Now if semi-autos were added to the mix then I would go with an M1 Garand or an M1A from Springfield Armory.
 
If semi-auto is definitely off the table, it's going to be hard to beat a good lever action. I had a Marlin model 94 that was in .44 magnum which held 10 rounds. It was a beast.

I've always wanted a decent pump action in a serious cartridge. I eyed a Rossi Puma a few years ago and now wish I had purchased it. I'm not certain they're still making those.

Anyway, you could stand to do much worse than a quality lever or pump action.
 
The gun's gotta be a bolt/lever action (just not semi auto), and have an internal magazine of some sort.

Cost is also a factor since I'm young and don't make a ton. Luckily the rifle will only be chewing through ammo when the Commie-Zombies invade and will see some use to maintain familiarity with the weapon., So I'm okay with the ammo being a little pricey.
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You did say "Battle Rifle", no? 1st choice 1903-A3. What Hokkmike said would be my second choice... a Swede. Next choice would be a Savage No4MkI (ignore the "detachable" magazine, use stripper clips or chargers)

If it's a lever action "Battle Rifle" you want, I suppose a Winchester 95 might fit the bill (I seem to recall the Czar/Russia buying some for troops back in the day). Won't be cheap however.
 
The Swede Mausers are beautifully crafted guns, and very accurate. However, they are neither fast nor easily wielded. I find the cock on closing Mausers very difficult to operate without pushing the rifle out of your shoulder, making it difficult to fire rapidly from the offhand position. The 29" barrel is also not something that's going to be very useful on a "battle rifle".

A M38 would be better with the shorter barrel, but the action is still slow to operate, the sights are still terrible, and it only has a five round magazine. He's not looking for a target rifle here, he wants a battle rifle.

I don't see why you would pay top dollar premium for a Springfield either. Unless you're looking for a target rifle, grab the Enfield and don't look back. It fires faster, has twice the magazine capacity, and has better or equal sights to the Springfield (depending on which model you get). The only drawback is ammunition is harder to find, but you already said you don't plan on shooting large volumes. Stockpile a bit of .303, and you'll be set.
 
US Rifle Cal .30 M1

Popularly known as "The Garand"
Click to expand...

He already specifically stated that he didn't want a semi-auto. I don't know why people keep suggesting the Garand when it clearly doesn't meet that criteria.
 
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