Milsurp Bolt Guns

Swede M96

As far as accuracy is concerned, the hands down winners are the Swiss and Swedish Rifles. While I have never owned one of the Swiss K31's I have owned a couple of the Swedes.

These have been the most accurate military rifle I have owned short of a matched tuned Garand or maybe the 1936 vintage '03 National Match I had once upon a time.

This one wears a rear Swedish Soderin diopter sight and a front target sight with interchangeable posts.
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Enfield

I bought a1943 Maltby Enfield No. 4 Mk. 1 about 6 years ago from an on line auction for $100.00. It came with a no gunsmithing scope mount and an inexpensive 4X scope. I had planned on returning it to it's original condition, but tried it out with the scope first. With late 1940's vintage surplus ammo it shoots 1 1/2" groups off the bench all day long. Best C note I ever spent.
 
To me it seems to be a crap shoot buying a surplus rifle. I had an ugly MIII and an ugly Carcano that were really good shooters and about everything else in between too. I have a 6.5 Arisaka with a really bad looking barrel that is just great. You never know.
 
My order of choice would be:

1903
1903a3
Swede
K-31
Swiss 1911
K98
Ariska
SMLE
Yugo
Mosin Nagant
French junk
Click to expand...

I would gladly put my MAS-36 or Berthier m.34 up against any of the above junk any day. :D I've given many on the above list a run for their money at the range before, and I'm sure I could do it again.

One rifle I've never fired, but have one in my closet, is the m98/29 Persian Mauser long rifle. Mine is minty and I would like to keep it that way, though I am curious how it shoots. I've heard decent things about their accuracy, though I'm more impressed by it's quality of manufacture.
 
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Vba,,,,,,, Yes the barrel is a two groove barrel. I love shooting that rifle with my handloads just to see it group up real nice and it's my main deer hunting rifle when a longer shot may be required.
 
Thanks for the response BamaShooter... I was pleasantly supprised by the accuracy of the two groove barrel.
 
I don't shoot surplus ammo in any of my rifles. I think too much of them, even my Mosin.

I reload with brass cases.

As to accuracy; its hard to beat the Springfields. Fact is they arn't beat. Look at the scores fired in CMP GSM matches. The Springfield has its own catagory and the scores, on a whole are higher then the rifles used in the Vintage Military (all other surplus military rifles) including the Swiss, M1917s, swedes, Mosin, Mausers, Enfields etc etc.

To give you an example, the CMP gives achievement medals based on certain scores in the GSM matches.

For the Garand, Gold 281 and above
Silver 273 - 280
Bronze 264-272

For the Springfield, Gold 282 and above
Silver 274-381
Bronze 264-273

For the Vintage military Rifles (all others)
Gold 277 and above
Silver 269-276
Bronze 257-268

The above, and the scores for the matches speak for themselves as far as accuracty.

The same with the Vintage Sniper Matchs. The Springfields rule there also.

Sure there will be exceptional rifles and shooters that step forward, but over all, the Springfield wins.
 
FAMAS ... thanks for jumping in. As a life-long Milsurp collector, I love all my children. My French Family has some very interesting and very accurate members. Coming to mind is my Mle-1886 M-27 which will shoot to point of aim at 100 yards and stay under 3" if I can keep my concentration up (at 67, it's getting more difficult) as it has GREAT sights. My Italian Family is capable of doing the same kind of work if I use the CORRECT sized bullets and the CORRECT sight picture.

Kraigwy ... I too respect my rifles and pistols ... avoid corrosive surplus and just reload. I find I can make a more accurate load, temper it for my old shoulder so I can keep shooting, and avoid the danger of "cranky, old ammo of dubious manufacture and more dubious storage". Besides ... reloading for them is FUN! Over the years, it's been a hoot having someone come up to me while shooting at the range and ask what I'm shooting. Then, when even more surprised that I was able to find ammo, I get to tell them that no, it's not old military ... it's home grown. THAT gets their attention.

I've found that unless the firearm has been completely crapped out, even ugly bores can be surprisingly accurate and that aside, I've not met a military rifle that won't do the job in the accuracy department, given the CORRECT sized bullet and understanding that you are shooting a battle rifle ... not a target rifle. If feel the need for 1 to 1 1/2" at 100 yards with iron sights and old eyes ... buy a target rifle with aperture sights front and rear.:D
 
From my limited experience

I would choose in this order:
Mosin Nagant M44: pretty accurate, ridiculously simple mechanics, powerful round, cheap ammo. Big enough to hunt with if you wanted. Buy a lot of the cheap surplus ammo now, if you go this way.

8mm Mauser: (I've had spanish M43 and German K98; I liked them both).
Longer than the M44, but well-balanced in the hand. Same pros as the M44, except for the availability of surplus ammo. You can still find surplus ammo that is cheaper than commercial, but it's just not falling off trees anymore.

I have a friend who loves, loves loves his K31. They are match accurate and the original military ammo was all originally match grade, according to him. Knowing the Swiss, I believe it. Ammo is pricey. I never had one, but he knows his boom sticks, so I trust his opinion enough to pass it on.

I loved my Arisaka type 38 carbine, but ammo is pricey. I love my Arisaka T99, but again, ammo is pricey.
 
MJ1....Nice shooting. A little more tinkering and you should be able to hang witth my springfield. Its shooting as good as my mosin nagant's now. Your getting there. :)
 
MJI: What is your connection to that very nice Corsair?

doofus47: An Italian guy at either Surplusrifle or Gunboards said about a year ago that he has a Swiss friend. The Swiss friend told him that that the Sw. govt. has vast quantities of GP-11 ammo.

My question regards whether they will continue to export GP-11 to the US at the present rate, being aware of a Brit/Euro "arms control" association.

Maybe that "arms control" organization has no influence in 'der Schweiz', but have used Brit/Euro money to pay some former Warsaw Pact and other nations (even South Africa) to destroy surplus AKs, Enfields and ammo.
I stumbled onto their website but forgot to bookmark it a couple years ago.
 
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So I've been thinking, and going a wee bit of topic.

Would I be a fool to trade in My 925M and 702 Plinkster towards another .22 bolt gun and a Nagant?
 
;)

Bamashooter: MJ1....Nice shooting. A little more tinkering and you should be able to hang witth my springfield. Its shooting as good as my mosin nagant's now. Your getting there.

Oh I'm Ok with the 03. You must remember that the Old Breed had more and longer training with the complicated sights and it was part of their pay packet. Spend enough time with it a professional army will shoot well at range. But factor in the citizen soldier and shorten his training time and results will change.

I enjoy shooting the 03 today as i did as a youngster it just takes a little more effort,,LOL, read eye strain there.

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Make it a great day.
...MJ...

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;) Off topic?

Nine The Ranger I'm not sure how we are off topic. It's all bolt guns i didn't see where it was only .22's but OK we can go there also. I find the .22 very relaxing and remember how excited I was in 1955 to get my first very own Marlin but today I have a back yard range just for the .22. These are two on my favorite rifles for this past time with the now had to find Russian sub-sonic 42g steel cased ammo. :rolleyes: Both are crazy accurate at 100+ yards.

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Cheers
...MJ...
 
@MJ1 - BEAUTIFUL collection!!! Do you do all the refinish work?
Wish I could have gotten into collecting way sooner - its getting pretty hard to find (reasonable) guns anymore in decent shape.
As nice as the rifles are - that Corsair in the background made me heart jump! :)
 
;)

That is the way I got them.

Every now and again I get a dry wood set and I will rub a little linseed and turpentine mix into the wood.

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MJ1:
It's nice to see that you also have the Romanian M-69 Trainer. Mine is really fun.
What a handy, light weight .22 rifle with military styling, and you know how to work with wood. What sort of sling is that?
 
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