What is your Favorite weapon of WWII?

[HankB]

Well, WWII gave us what may be the most powerful shoulder-fired gun ever deployed . . . the US M18 57mm recoiless rifle. Hatcher's Notebook reports the ballistics as being a three pound (21000 grain) projectile fired at 1200 ft/sec, which equates to slightly under 70,000 ft. lbs of muzzle energy. Plus the explosive charge.

I'd really like a Thompson SMG, like the one my late father carried in the Pacific.

But since I can't get the former and don't want to pony up the dollars for the latter (unless I somehow knew it was Dad's actual gun) . . . I'll have to settle for the M1 Garand. (Just took delivery of a couple more CMP rifles.)

 

[Coronach]

Spitfire.



Okay. M-1 Garand. Followed by the Lee-Enfield.

But there is just something about the Spit...in service from beginning to end, and a truly capable front line fighter at both extremes. And beautiful, too...

Mike

 

[sterling180]

I don't have a favourite weapon of ww2-I have several,that I like,but the main ones are the Lee Enfield N04 .303 and the Mauser K98 7.92mm rifles.
I haven't included anymore,because in the UK there are two acts of parliament-that outlaw semi-auto centrefire rifles and pistols-so I can't shoot them.

 

[Vex]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_man



Ended the war quicker than any other weapon.

 

[eab]

M3A1 grease gun, close to prefection in bullet hose technology, only surpassed by the UZI in .45....

 

[Cosmoline]

M28-30. The rifle of the white death.

 

[Roadwild17]

German-MP44
American-BAR & Tommy

 

[DMK]

#1 definately the Garand as I'm sure will be more than 80% of the posters on this thread. I love that rifle. Mine's been rebuilt by DGR and will outshoot any of my other centerfire rifles except the ARs.

#2 the Swiss K31. I only recently got a couple of those and I don't know why I waited so long. Very fun to shoot, satisfyingly accurate. That straight pull action is so cool. It was on the sidelines in WWII, but it's still a really nice rifle from the period.

#3 the Finnish M39 Mosin Nagant. It's just dripping with battle history, and has an interesting story. The stiff bolt is the only drawback to this fine weapon. Mine are very nearly as accurate as my K31s. The fact that it can shoot some of cheapest surpus ammo available is a nice bonus.

#4 is the No4 Enfield. None of mine are as accurate as the others on the list, but it's got great sights, nice trigger and a smooth action. Lots of fun to shoot. It's a real shame that the ammo is so hard to get for a relatively decent price. Even reloading for these isn't cheap.

 

[Kymasabe]

I've got a few favorites, a few old guns that just do it for me.

Sorry Garand fans, but it takes a back seat to the M1 Carbine.
The BAR is fun but the Thompson is the right gun for the job.

One last one...not sure if it qualifies as a WW2 rifle...but I always loved the look of the Enfield Jungle Carbine.

 

[Old Time Hunter]

Little Boy!

 

[pcf]

What no love for the greatest machine gun ever designed. The Browning M2 .50 caliber machinegun in service since 1921, during WWII was used by every service in every theater, in the air, on land and at sea, in almost any role imaginable. My favorite and the greatest gun of WWII.

For things that I can afford to own. M1 Garand.

 

[RugerOldArmy]

- P-51D (6) .50 BMG, RR 12 Cyl w/2-stage Supercharger (you gotta hear the motor).

- K98
- 1911
- Garand

 

[sturgis]

Ma deuce!

It worked well for my uncle in the Mighty 8th.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

Stg44

 

[Will Learn]

The boy's 14mm anti tank rifle.http://files.uzitalk.com/images/usma/museum/british-boys.jpg

 

[hank327]

Hitler's Zipper

I've gotta go with the MG-42 GPMG.

It still is in service with many countries in 7.62X51mm as the MG-3. I think Serbia and other countries of the former Yugoslavia still issue it in the original
7.92X57mm.

I fired the MG-3 when I was assigned to our sister battalion of the Bundeswehr.
It was SO much better than our M-60.

 

[hoji]

The Enola Gay.

 

[Hypnogator]

MP 38/40.

And 9mm in bulk is cheap!

 

[CAnnoneer]

Tiger I.

Okay, okay, small arms: 1911, PPSh, Luger, STG44, MG34, Webley VI.

Why I did not choose some of the afore-mentioned favorites:
MG43 - heats up very fast, uses up impractical amounts of ammo
Garand - low capacity, no detachable mag
M1C - low stopping power
bolt-action rifles - low capacity, low rate of fire
MP38/40 - low rate of fire, susceptible to dirt

 

[Xigris]

Make mine a Tommy gun.

 

[pauli]

i gotta go with the bar.

 

[beerslurpy]

DeLisle carbine bishes

 

[trbon8r]

Browning BAR and the Garand.............

followed by a Republic P47D Thunderbolt It's hard to beat eight .50s in the wings.

 

[TN_shooter]

- P-51D (6) .50 BMG, RR 12 Cyl w/2-stage Supercharger (you gotta hear the motor).

Got any video clips

 

[RecoilRob]

How about Dora and Gustav?

http://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/railgun/Content/Railwayguns/German/Dora index.htm