What is the best rifle ever made?

Mine.

 

Another "Mine" But I actually made it myself, out of a block of 4140 steel. I made everything but the screws, the barrel and the rear sight.

It a rolling block action, it looks like a #5 Sporting Rifle and it is a 30-06!

 

I'd like to see some of these "mine" if you all are so proud of them.

 

It would depend on its intended use.

Overall? Probably something like an AR10 variant or an Remington 870.

 

The real deal original AR10. The Portuguese contract guns were the most durable.

 

84B20, my rifles are discussed at length, with pics, in a thread last year "Why no new rolling blocks?"

And the obvious question. What IS 84B20? I was 45B20, small arms repair.

 

84B20 was the Army designation for Still Photographer during the Viet Nam War. I don't know when it was changed but they use a different designation now.

 

Gotcha. I'm thinking that might not always have been a fun job....depending on what you were told to photograph....

 

Also mine.


The Swiss...helped.

TCB

 

This continues to be an interesting exercise.

For me, the most interesting part is watching how the question is interpreted in such diverse ways.
Yes, yes, of course, it depends on intended use. And it's cool to see that many specify that, either explicitly or implicitly.

Second, I'm learning about a ton of rifles that I've never ever heard of.
(Yes, yes, I've led a sheltered life; too busy professionally with other matters.)

Looking forward to more.

 

AR15
AR10

Just durable, rugged, but accurate rifles. They just work. We've been trying to find a better semi-auto forever. Scar, Masada, XCR, Sig 550, and we keep coming back to the AR's.

 

I'm gonna say the Short Magazine Lee Enfield.
Fastest bolt action ever made. Rugged, reliable, accurate and powerful enough for almost any purposes. Not scary looking.
Maybe it's just because I really want one...

 

I see your GAU-19 and raise you a GAU-8/A, though either are suitable for space combat at short distances.

 

For their respective times, I'd say:

Winner - Browning M2


Notables:

Spencer
Winchester 73
Garand

 

Why the Browning M2?

In service 1933–present


Wars:

World War II
Korean War
First Indochina War
Suez Crisis
Portuguese Colonial War
Vietnam War
Six-Day War
Iran-Iraq war
Yom Kippur War
Cambodian Civil War
Cambodian-Vietnamese War
Falklands War
South African Border War
Namibian War of Independence
Invasion of Grenada
Bougainville Civil War
Invasion of Panama
Persian Gulf War
Somali Civil War
Yugoslav Wars
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Mexican Drug War


This is the final answer, and as such, is beyond contestation.

 

^^^ hahahaha

Somehow, I suspect it won't be the last post.

 

Who has an M2 rifle?

Same question also for GAU-anything.

TCB

 

GAU-19.

Seems like
a worthy rifle
to ride on Fury.

 

I'll play...

My choice is easy.
Daisy Red Ryder

I have more happy memories involving a Red Ryder than any other rifle. I realize it does not strictly fit the definition of a rifle, but the Daisy is still my choice.

 

Well, what rifle currently has the highest sales numbers?

There it is, decided by millions of people voting with their own pay checks as to what is best for them.

 

Poor reasoning. Many people buy things because they are "trendy". The AR craze is an example. I will never, no matter how many "improvements" they make, trust my life to an AR design again! Once burned, twice shy. Or as another old saying goes, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

Or for another example "clean" burning VW's.

 

Here's a little non-gun factoid that illustrates jeepnik's argument.

I once met the president of the company that published Stephen Hawking's book, A Brief History of Time. He told me, quoting, "It was one of the best selling science books of the 20th century, and one of the most unread."

Translation: great scientists don't always make great writers.

And great gun makers don't always make great guns.

 

Best rifle is likely to remain a mystery. Though I think the M1, M2 and SMLE were clearly the best of their types when introduced. Best carbine on the other hand is obviously the Winchester 1892. With modern ammunition it's capable of taking any game animal in this hemisphere and almost any in the other hemisphere. 16" versions are handy enough to take in or on any vehicle, even four legged ones and compact enough to maneuver through the house for self defense. It's not a long range choice but authoritative within 100 yards.

 

"great scientists don't always make great writers.

And great gun makers don't always make great guns."

Why should a scientist be a popular writer (with necessarily broad appeal)? Hawking was an exception in that outside of academia anyone bothered to read his theories. A great gunmaker kinda makes great guns by default

While perhaps not the best, I am presently working on a marked improvement to what many think is the best subgun made; scabbing an MP5 upper onto a UMP lower, and chambering it in 45acp (to be SBR'd/integrally suppressed at a later date). Should be quiet, smooth shooting, much lighter, and even has a bolt hold open (so no stupid HK slap nonsense).

TCB