WW2 Rifles?

[jmiller676]

I'm looking to buy a WW2 or WW1 bolt action rifle. Ialready have a .30-06 and .30-40 krag. What would be another .30 rifle that is accurate and somewhat lighter than the model 1917 Springfield?

 

[Scorch]

There was no Model 1917 Springfield. There was the Model 1903 Springfield (WWI), the Enfield Model 1917 (WWI), and the Browning Automatic Rifle Model 1917. The Model 1903-A3 Springfield was used in WWII, as were the M1 Garand, the M1 Carbine, the M1941 Johnson, and the BAR Model 1919.
Besides the US rifles, there were the European rifles: Gewehr Standard Modell 1898 (WWI)- Imperial Germany; Rifle, short magazine, Lee-Enfield aka SMLE (WWI & WWII)- England and all Commonwealth nations; Model 1889 Lebel (WWI)- France; Mannlicher 1895 (WWI)- Austro-Hungarian Empire; M1891 Mannlicher-Carcano (WWI)- Italy, and the 1891 Mosin-Nagant (WWI)- Imperial Russia. And don't forget the non-combatant and neutral nations: Switzerland, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Greece, Montenegro, Abania, and so on. Then the WWII rifles, the South American rifles, the African rifles, the Asian rifles . . . anyway, you get the idea, there are a lot of rifles to choose from.

 

[jmiller676]

I'm sorry I was thinking the .30-40 krag when I said Springfield. I'm kinda thinking the Karabiner 98, but I'm not sure how those things shoot and wanted some opinions.

 

[Scorch]

Generally, the Mauser K98 rifles will shoot well.

 

[jmiller676]

do you know how they match up to the enfield of the krag?

 

[Scorch]

Any Mauser 98 pattern rifle is far superior to either of those.

 

[jmiller676]

thanks for the info!

 

[jpwilly]

Here's a few ideas:

M1 Garand:

Lee Enfield No4 MK1:

M1903 Springield:

Mosin Nagant:

K98:

 

[carguychris]

do you know how they match up to the enfield of the krag?

Can't comment on the Krag, but compared to a Lee-Enfield, a Mauser Model 98 has a generally stronger action and a more failsafe extractor design, it won't double-feed because it fires a rimless cartridge, it's generally more accurate in its original military trim, and its bolt can be opened with the rifle on-safe. However, it can't touch the Lee-Enfield's rate of fire.

 

[SPUSCG]

i want a lee enfield, 10 rounds and then a k98 or arisaka. i want 1 allied and 1 axis milsurp. was thinking k31 too but haven't seen ammo for that around and when i reload i can use same bullets for both

 

[armsmaster270]

I had a Krag it was a tackdriver. Have an Enfield #4 MK? and a Asrika 6.5 Carbine

 

[SPUSCG]

they only make 7.7 arisaka around me, but thats what i plan on buying since i can keep the brass and load it with .303 bullets, which are plentiful

 

[Mike40-11]

K31s are generally among the most accurate milsurps. Ammo is a bit scarce and pricey, but it can be found. Ammoman has it for $275 a case.

I think this will be my next rifle. Need something else for the Vintage matches.

 

[mnhntr]

swedish mauser and nagant are both lighter than the enfield and garand and shoot well also

 

[Mike40-11]

Swedish Mauser shoots nice but I found the sights to be pretty user-unfriendly and not real conducive to accuracy.