Top 10 Combat Rifles of All TIme

[lencac]

Deer Hunter was more serious that you may think. Just cause what he said was so rediculous doesn't mean he was just "pullin our legs"
And yes I have had a malfunction with one of my Mosins ........ just can't think of what it was right at this moment Truthfully y'all know I'm partial to American iron but in all seriousness the Mosin should definately be on the list for an assortment of reasons. And also along the same lines possibly the two most significant cartridges of the last 100 years are argueably the 30.06 and the 7.62x54R. Sure you got your Brit .303 or the 8mm Mauser or even the 7.62 NATO but none of those have the longevity AND are still going strong.
Which leads me to this question. In the last 100 years which round do you think has killed the most people?

 

[elmerfudd]

7.62x39. It's just been used all over the world in dozens upon dozens of brutal little wars and often by both sides.

7.62x54R? It's been in use since 1891, through both world wars and was used by most of the communist world as a machine gun cartridge. The Finns used it against the Russians in both the winter and continuance wars and reportedly inflicted devastating casualties on them. It's still being used today, so I think a good case can be made for it as well. I'd probably rank this one #2.

8mm Mauser probably isn't too far behind. The Germans killed one hell of a lot of people with it in 2 wars and it was used by a lot of other countries as well.

30-06? Probably not. We got into WW1 late and although we kicked some ass in WW2, we didn't face anything like the carnage of the Russian front.

.303? Also probably not. The Brits used it through both world wars and throughout their empire, but Britain's a small country and it's doubtful that they killed as many people in WW2 as did the Germans or the Russians. Also their colonial fighting is more notable for them fighting small wars brilliantly than for large amounts of bloodshed.

7.62x51? It wasn't used until after the Korean war and then it was primarily a machine gun cartridge. By the 1980's the battle rifle had seen it's day and was being phazed out of most armies. I can't imagine that the 7.62x51 is even close to the cartridges mentioned above in regards to number of people killed.

5.56? It arrived too late and wasn't in widespread use until the 70's. I'm sure a lot of people have died from it, but nowhere near as many as from the first 5 cartridges listed.

5.45? Well it was used in Afghanistan and Chechnya, but I don't think it's even in the running.

 

[lencac]

elmerfudd, for the most part I think I would have to agree. Considering that all the rounds mentioned were designed as military cartridges, meaning to kill people as opposed to by design hunting cartridge i.e. 300 Win Mag or 270 for instance. So what you are saying is if it were a ball game the 7.62x39 would be the winner with the highest score. Heck for that matter would not surprise me if the 7.62x39 has killed more of its own countrymen than any other. Boy, what a claim to fame.

 

[Ignition Override]

Elmerfudd:

The RAF used the same .303 caliber (fired from much longer shells?) in both their Hawker Hurricane (which shot down more planes than the Spit.) and Spitfire fighters against the Luftwaffe in 1940 etc.
I seem to have read that the British Lancaster, Halifax, Stirling and other bombers used this caliber in their defensive guns also.
And although this is even further from the combat infantry gun topic-pardon me-British bombers only had one pilot (!) , whereas we always had two pilots. Many nasty missions with only a Crew Chief to back you up with one failed engine's prop windmilling (pulling you out of formation and in a descent...) and another engine on fire .

Most US fighters and bombers had .50 caliber guns.

My brother plans to bring down his Lee-Enfield rifle to store here!
Looking forward to shooting it-but might be pricey ammo. Ironic, my German friend here has a Walther pistol and an AR-15.

Just a novice middle-aged semi-beginner with limited shooting experience but making the exciting transition from a .22 single-shot to the M-1 Carbine.

 

[elmerfudd]

Heck for that matter would not surprise me if the 7.62x39 has killed more of its own countrymen than any other. Boy, what a claim to fame.

That's what communists have always been best at.

 

[elmerfudd]

Ignition Override,

I don't really know that much about planes, but if you're anything like me, you'll love the Enfield. I think they're really the best of the bolt action battle rifles.

 

[lencac]

Amen to that Elmer

 

[HorseSoldier]

7.62x54R?
8mm Mauser
30-06?
.303?

7.62x51? It wasn't used until after the Korean war and then it was primarily a machine gun cartridge. By the 1980's the battle rifle had seen it's day and was being phazed out of most armies. I can't imagine that the 7.62x51 is even close to the cartridges mentioned above in regards to number of people killed.

All of the rounds mentioned primarily killed and incapacitated people when used in machineguns, not in rifles. All five rounds have been associated with very bloody conflicts, but most of that blood was shed by artillery and MG fire, not the individual guy with a rifle.