Hi Jaeger,
You might get an argument from Mauser fans on the "best bolt action." I agree that the L-E was a good battle rifle, but it had problems. The two piece stock was not great for accuracy and the rear locked bolt had a tendency both to spring in firing and to compress over time. Under high pressure, the No. 1 bends, letting the bolt head come clear of the breech. The escaping gas blows out the magazine and usually the extractor and stretches the action. This is with pressures that a Mauser, Springfield or Pattern 14/Model 1917 would take with ease. While the rifle in general is easy to clean, disassembly of the bolt was (deliberately made) impossible in the field.
The L-E gets high marks for rapid bolt manipulation (the Rifleman says the trigger was pulled with the little finger; it was the middle finger), ease in cleaning, and the No. 4 had good battle sights. (The U.S. Model 1903 sights are a joke, designed for sunlit ranges and bullseye targets.)
Jim