The Greatest Battle Rifle Ever Devised

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the mauser makes for a good hunting action.
but not a combat weapon especially against the lee enfield
10 round mag vs 5
much faster to shoot and easier to load.
was winning battles and wars before the m1 and m14 existed and was still on issue when those two had faded away.
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The Enfield had much better sights too.

I actually think the K98 Mauser was a pretty poor battle rifle. It had bad sights, a slow action and a low capacity. The only reason I'd rank it ahead of the Mosin Nagant would be the better craftsmanship and safety.
 
onmillo,i have to disagree with you on the g3,i consistantly hit targets out to 600m with one.best battle rifle would be an ak series(sig 55x in 6.5 or 6.8)
 
In terms of overall effectiveness and taking into account the combination of reliability, long term durability and service life, accuracy and ergonomics, shooter friendliness, as well as influence, I would have to rate the M1 Garand as first among the semi/fully autos and the Mauser first among the pre-autos. I believe Patton got it right when he called the Garand the best battle implement ever devised, and certainly is imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the Mauser deserves its spot at the top of the list for its pre-Garand era. To the Garand, I would of course add the M14, because while it was never as revolutionary as the Garand, it did refine it and make it into a weapon that would continue to be relevant, despite the denial of its critics, for the next fifty years or so. Saying the M14 has only been used to shoot mines or as a DMR isn't technically correct. The Navy SEALs never stopped issuing it as a standard battle rifle alongside the M16 and other weapons, for situations that required a little extra authority.

Though technically an assault rifle, for the purposes of this thread, the Kalashnikov would have to be next. No other weapon in history can claim the numbers, distribution, or influence of the Kalashnikov series. It has proven durable and reliable in every part of the globe, simple to operate and maintain, adequately powerful and accurate enough in trained hands to kill reliably at the limits of most modern combat (300 meters).

Next among the battle rifles I'd list the FAL. It is the only modern battle rifle to compete with the influence of the Kalashnikov. I commonly refer to it as the Capitalist Kalashnikov.

Then you'd probably have the include the M16/M4, then the G3, among modern designs.

But all said and done, I'll put the Garand firmly in the lead.
 
The Greatest Battle Rifle Ever Devised
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That would be the M14


Don't give me an M-16,
Whose bullets all seem so green,
Up close, it's just fine,
But for my peace of mind,
Don't give me an M-16.

Don't give me an M-21,
For long distance, it was great fun,
It's optics were Starlight,
And made the whole night bright,
But don't give me an M-21

Don't give me an M-24
It's recoil made me so sore,
It's heavy and slow,
But accurate...... I know,
Still, don't give me an M-24

Just give me my old M-14,
Her's lines are so basic and lean,
She's no lightweight hitter,
And never a quitter,
Just give me my old M-14.


Long live the M14!
 
Patton died in 1946.
He would have changed his view if he lived long enough to admire the M14-FAL-G3

For M1 lovers, and I count myself among them, read Julian Hatchers views on the shortcomings of the M1.
If that isn't enough, read Roy Dunlaps views on the weapon.

It was a good weapon for the time it was used.
It was improved upon to become the M14.
 
1. M14!
Because: It proved itself in limited service in Vietnam. The weapon excelled as a replacement for the M1 Garand rifle, fixing many of the previous rifle's shortcomings. Shooting through heavy brush and cover at high velocities even at extended ranges with knock down power. Large caliber, high capacity magazine, Selective fire, the many different platforms it offers and it breaks down pretty much the same as the M1 Garand and is easy to clean. All of these reasons the M1 Garand has except the bottom feed magazine well, and selective fire. I owned a M1 Garand and loved it but really didn't like only eight rounds, loading enblocs by hand with no bullet guides and loading from the top.

Although I consider this rifle my pick for the greatest Battle rifle ever. I still have some issues with it but they are outweighed by the other competitors on the list. Because of the M14's powerful 7.62x51 mm cartridge, the weapon was virtually uncontrollable in fully automatic mode. The handle acted as a pivot point for the repercussion of the round going off. Earlier somebody said a pistol grip would have solved this. It did, this is where Mr. Stoner come up with his idea for the M16. To be honest, I hate full auto anyways. You can't hit anything, you waist ammo, endanger the lives of your soldiers and make yourself a marked target for the enemy. Also mudd is a M14 killer as it is for any weapon except the AK platform. Even though I was in the service for almost 10 years and cut my teeth on the M-16A2, A3, A4 and M4 platform and consider it a great platform, despite my biased opinion, I have to say the M14 takes the cake.

2. AK- Damn near indestructible, reliable and easy to clean, high caliber, high capacity mags and has been in service since early 70's
3. AR
4. Lee-Enfield
 
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It's amazing that nobody has mentioned the "Henry Rifle." This rifle changed history as we know it. High capacity magazine, could be loaded in complete darkness, and could be fired from a running horse. Can you imagine going into a frontal assault with a musket and your enemy had this weapon?
 
It's amazing that nobody has mentioned the "Henry Rifle." This rifle changed history as we know it. High capacity magazine, could be loaded in complete darkness, and could be fired from a running horse. Can you imagine going into a frontal assault with a musket and your ememy had this weapon?
 
It's amazing that nobody has mentioned the "Henry Rifle." This rifle changed history as we know it. High capacity magazine, could be loaded in complete darkness, and could be fired from a running horse. Can you imagine going into a frontal assault with a musket and your ememy had this weapon?
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Actually, the Henry was not a battle rifle. Only a few hundred were ever purchased by the Union Army (and a few hundred more by private individuals.) In terms of power, it was a glorified pistol -- the case held 28 grains of black powder, making it much less powerful than the .44-40 which came later.

The Spencer repeating rifle and carbine, however, were purchased in quantity -- mostly the carbines. After the War, the Spencer was the standard cavalry carbine until the '73 Springfield supplanted it.
 
I'll vote for the AK, but if that wasn't an option I would vote M14.
 
garand ?!! gag me with a spoon! If it really was the greatest people would still be using it. AK pattern is rifles aren't THAT much younger and they are still being used.
Richard Venola, Editor Combat Arms "If I was to go to an unknown planet, and I was allowed to take one firearm it would be an AK-47. When western civilization melts down I want an AK-47." A pretty rousing endorsment
 
garand ?!! gag me with a spoon! If it really was the greatest people would still be using it.
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Garand is pretty much recognized as the best major production/standard service rifle of WW2 (had the StG-44 seen wider production that would probably be different). Given a choice between a Garand or one of the bolt guns that most guys in other armies carried, I think most guys in uniform -- not just American troops -- would have picked the Garand. It wasn't perfect for how combat is actually conducted but it was much more optimal than bolt guns. On the other hand, the Garand was obsolete by the end of the war -- StG-44 was a much better combat rifle, and the SKS was superior for combat shooting though not as much as the StG.

The AK probably had similar status as the best widely available combat long gun in the 50s and 60s but the differential between it and the M14/G3/FAL is narrower than Garand/bolt action rifle. The AK in 7.62x39 is pretty much obsolete today -- and recognized as such by pretty much everyone outside of the 3rd World who ever issued them to organized military forces -- but the differential between the AK-47/AKM and more modern, better optimized designs is also less pronounced than Garand/bolt gun.

So, on the one hand, I'd say you had a weapon that was more technologically superior for its time, and on the other hand you have a weapon that has aged better alongside current state of the art.

Which represents "better" or "greatest" is debatable. These threads always end up with different answers based on different criteria.
 
Greatest Battle Rifle

For me it was no contest. The SCAR comes in first, followed by the HK 416
 
For me (a 55+ year old coot) my preference is the US Rifle Cal .30 M1 popularly known as The Garand. I can reload it faster than anything else I have fired, and it just "feels right" to me. And it puts those 150-Gr chunks of pointy FMJ alloy where I point. Plus, if you get down to that situation, makes a better club and/or pike than just about anything else.

Now, Mr. Kalishnikov has made a fine weapon, but it feels 'clunky' to me, and that short sighting radius...well I need all the help I can get.
 
Brown Bess musket(in all it's forms)
Charleville musket (and the subsequent Springfield 1812)
Springfield rifled musket
Mauser 98 (and it's stepchildren)
Mosin Nagant (in all it's forms)
Lee Enfield (still see it today used by India policemen)
M1 Garand
AK (in all it's forms it's the most prolific)
AR (in all it's forms)
 
From American Rifleman, 2008 (all Credit goes to AR)

American Rifleman “Top 10” Infantry Rifles

1. The U.S. Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 “Garand”
2. The Avtomat Kalashnikov (AK-47)
3. Mauser 98
4. The M16
5. Brittish P1853 Enfield
6. Lee-Enfield
7. StG44
8. FN Fusil Automatique Leger (FAL)
9. Dreyse Model 1841 “Needle Gun”
10. The Henry Rifle

Personally, I believe the AK-47 is the best battle rifle. Why aren't militaries around the world still using Garands if they are better???
 
Actually, the AK 47 (and the M16) are assault rifles -- they are selective fire and chambered for an intermediate cartridge.

The M14 corrected all the minor flaws the Garand had.
 
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