rifle action for the arctic

cold-war_s.jpg


National Geo article with pix of Navy Submariner on polar bear patrol
 
I have been in some pretty cold weather sub-zero with my M-16 and never liked to put my face to the stock in the cold because the plastic aways irritated my skin. Never had that problem with my wood stocked riles and shotguns in very cold situations. Also a German that I used to work with said a wood stock was better in the cold and he would know: he fought on the northern front in Russia from 1941-45.
 
Plastic/composite stock, they'll last longer in extreme temperatures. Wood, while serviceable, will not hold up as well to a well-constructed synthetic. Metal fatigue & stress due to cold will be a great problem, as it was in WWII, firearms with lots of stamped metal & small springs have a good chance of shattering. The reason that polymer-framed weapons such as Glocks and Steyr AUGs were adopted due to specs for function in extreme sub-zero conditions.

The Russians, Finns and Germans used sunflower oil as lubrication in Actic Circle warfare in WWII. Second choice was nothing at all. They used mostly bolt-actions and LMGs with rare access to plastic weapons (mostly MG34 & MG42).

I also believe that their solution for frozen weapons was "fresh" urine.

The only other "cold" war fought recently was in Korea, using WWII surplus weaponry, but it wasn't as cold as Russia.
 
I am not sure about the firing pin problem but I would tend to think a Mauser or a Mosin-Nagant, or a 303British would work fine if the right oil or no oil was used. Also I would like to metion another rifle that has not been brought up but I have always heard that they were carried a lot by the Indians in Canada and that is the Winchester mod. 94 30/30 carbine. espacally the pre-64 model 94. I have hardly ever seen a pre-64 winchester that did not work 100% of the time even if it had received very poor maintance and even abuse for many years. It also has a big trigger guard for a gloved finger. I always heard that the most common rounds in Canada were the 30/30 and the 303 British so I would think they would have stood the test of time my now.
 
One bush pilot I flew with in Alaska thought the best survival "rifle" for the job was a pump shotgun. Slugs, buck shot, and birdshot pretty much covered all the squares.

Tom
 
For shotguns in the arctic I remember an old timer who was an SP staioned in the Arctic, and for perimeter security on his Airbase they Issued Savage side-by side shotguns. Because the shells would often freeze in the magazine and be stuck fast In pumps and autoloaders which caused a few AD's and one fatality.
 
good idea on the pump, not sure on the rounds freezing, but they can be ran practlicaly dry with no problem(how i keep my mossberg).
 
In cold weather your targets are wearing heavy clothes... Very heavy coats and multiple layers.
You need a heavy caliber. .308

My rifle of choice for severe cold is the M-14.
 
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