What are the most reliable rifles in the cold (like really cold)
- Thread starter TxFlyFish
- Start date
Many of the older military issue rifles were designed for durability in harsh conditions. Most modern guns are designed to be built the cheapest and primarily for accuracy. Of the modern guns guns I'd take the Ruger Hawkeye over all others. They are the only company still using an open trigger design. It is pretty bullet proof. The pre-FN made Winchester 70's used the same design.
Gunplummer
New member
There is no adjustment, but there is a valve to shut the gas off.
Mausers, Mosins, and Lee Enfields have proven themselves over and over against each other.
As much as I dislike SLA Marshal's "research" he did note that the Garand did better in Korean winters than other weapons available to the Infantry. As far as the Battle of Chosin goes, I would say that being encircled by superior numbers of Chinese forces would encourage you to use all available arms and ammo because your supply lines have been cut. Logistics makes a better explanation why captured arms and ammo were used in light of the known performance of the Garand in Korean winters.
Of the rifles listed above, only the Mauser is still being manufactured, so if you want a new rifle that would be the one to get. If you don't mind buying used, any of them will work quite well.
Jimro
As much as I dislike SLA Marshal's "research" he did note that the Garand did better in Korean winters than other weapons available to the Infantry. As far as the Battle of Chosin goes, I would say that being encircled by superior numbers of Chinese forces would encourage you to use all available arms and ammo because your supply lines have been cut. Logistics makes a better explanation why captured arms and ammo were used in light of the known performance of the Garand in Korean winters.
Of the rifles listed above, only the Mauser is still being manufactured, so if you want a new rifle that would be the one to get. If you don't mind buying used, any of them will work quite well.
Jimro
Geezerbiker
New member
The Swiss seem to have had good cold weather results from the Schmidt-Reuben and K31 rifles. I think a lot of cold weather success is in prep work for cold and not as much as the rifle itself...
Tony
Tony
I was watching an episode of "survival in alaska" or one of those generically-named alaska reality shows. One guy and his eskimo wife were chasing a caribou herd with a Mosin; it looked to be a long-barreled 91/30.
When I rifle hunt in cold weather, I leave my rifle in my truck at night to keep the temperature variance down. (edit: not part of the original question, but I seemed to be on a typo-free roll, so I added that bit)
When I rifle hunt in cold weather, I leave my rifle in my truck at night to keep the temperature variance down. (edit: not part of the original question, but I seemed to be on a typo-free roll, so I added that bit)
Model12Win
Moderator
The Nagant rifles are the most reliable in the cold. The massive bolt lockup and generous tolerances make it so. Plus the heavy cocking piece and spring power.
Hitler learned just how reliable the Nagant is in the cold the hard way. The nazi's Mausers and sturmgewehrs froze up a lot. I think the Ruskies put diesal fuel in there gun grease to keep it from freezing up.
Hitler learned just how reliable the Nagant is in the cold the hard way. The nazi's Mausers and sturmgewehrs froze up a lot. I think the Ruskies put diesal fuel in there gun grease to keep it from freezing up.
The Swedes managed to use 96 and 98 Mausers just fine in the deep cold, the Norse used K98s as well after WWII. The Finns and Russians used Mosin Nagants just fine as well. I'm sure the Krag-Jorgensen did quite well in the Nowegian winters too.
The Sako and Tikka commercial rifles, along with some of the Husqvarna rifles should be more than up to the task of hunting in the deep cold, although I haven't tried it myself. Heck even the Rem 700 has been used as a sniper rifle in Alaska for a few decades now.
Jimro
The Sako and Tikka commercial rifles, along with some of the Husqvarna rifles should be more than up to the task of hunting in the deep cold, although I haven't tried it myself. Heck even the Rem 700 has been used as a sniper rifle in Alaska for a few decades now.
Jimro
Even modern rifles are sometimes designed/tested to extreme colds
the benelli argos is tested to below 40degress minus celsius
And the AI AW 308 bolt action is aswell.
I've had firing pins frozen on my shotgun but never my bolt actions
I was not gentle with my argo and it was reliable to a T. thru snow, mud, rain, fast firing you name it. now that I write this I can't fathom I sold it
the benelli argos is tested to below 40degress minus celsius
And the AI AW 308 bolt action is aswell.
I've had firing pins frozen on my shotgun but never my bolt actions
I was not gentle with my argo and it was reliable to a T. thru snow, mud, rain, fast firing you name it. now that I write this I can't fathom I sold it
reynolds357
New member
The keys to rifles working in extreme temperatures are the same; whether the extreme be cold or hot.
1. The cartridge needs a reasonable amount of taper.
2. Machine work needs to be precise.
3. Clearances need to be loose.
Despite Defying 1 and 3, the Weatherby Mark V has an excellent reputation in both extremes.
1. The cartridge needs a reasonable amount of taper.
2. Machine work needs to be precise.
3. Clearances need to be loose.
Despite Defying 1 and 3, the Weatherby Mark V has an excellent reputation in both extremes.
Low grade diesel gels in the mid teens (Fahrenheit) pretty easily ..... At really low temps it gets downright sticky.....
If you wanted to increase lubricity at very low temps, adding something lighter than diesel oil (maybe kerosene, with a gel point around minus 50F) might be a better answer ......
FrankenMauser
New member
Our high, the day of your post (the 30th), was 8 F on my back porch. The low was -5.8 F.
Yesterday, the high was 2.9 F and the low was -7.9 F.
The range recorded a low of -24 F and a high of -17 F.
I was going to go test a new rifle at the range, but my truck had a massive amount of ice on the inside of the windows (taillight housing must be leaking again
). Oh well, back inside where it's warm...Coldest I've personally fired was about 12 degrees on one session, got down to 10 as I was packing up.
Had a three-day shoot a while back with a handful of guns that ran 15-17 degrees as the high all three days.
I have to shoot for a paycheck & can't wait for perfect weather, but at this stage of life if it's below 15 or so when I start, I don't start.
Carried M16s below zero, never had to fire one that cold.
Never frozen a gun solid, or a pin. Nowdays, hunting isn't worth REAL cold temps.
FM- Where in Idaho did you end up?
Denis
Had a three-day shoot a while back with a handful of guns that ran 15-17 degrees as the high all three days.
I have to shoot for a paycheck & can't wait for perfect weather, but at this stage of life if it's below 15 or so when I start, I don't start.
Carried M16s below zero, never had to fire one that cold.
Never frozen a gun solid, or a pin. Nowdays, hunting isn't worth REAL cold temps.
FM- Where in Idaho did you end up?
Denis
"I think the Ruskies put diesal fuel in there gun grease to keep it from freezing up."
If this was WWII or earlier, it may not have been diesel, so this may have worked better. Benzene was a common fuel prior to that, for example, before people took note of how ludicrously dangerous it was (way too volatile, way too carcinogenic; bad combo)
TCB
If this was WWII or earlier, it may not have been diesel, so this may have worked better. Benzene was a common fuel prior to that, for example, before people took note of how ludicrously dangerous it was (way too volatile, way too carcinogenic; bad combo)
TCB
FrankenMauser
New member
Pocatello.
There are several places that I shoot, ranging from the Gate City SSA range just outside of town (0-600+ yd), to Marsh Valley (7-225 yd), to the Bear Lake area (0-1000+ yd).