what the best milsurp rifle
- Thread starter smleno1mkIII
- Start date
Ignition Override
New member
G-man 26:
If you decide to pursue a Lee-Enfield #5 "Jungle Carbine" in .303, you might find one at a gun show for $400 or so. My second #5 was listed for $350 at the Sept gun show in Memphis, and is in really good condition.
There are bits of surplus .303 ammo out there, but time will be spent looking for it. New Prvi ammo can be easily reloaded several times, from what I've read.
P5 Guy: The LE #4 is also my favorite.
As a classic, handy, lightweight and powerful rifle for its size, it is hard to beat the LE #5 among surplus bolt-action rifles. They have stopped charging grizzlies with four shots. As for milsurps, I've never read that any M-1 Carbine or old Russian SKS could do that.
5whiskey and Fellow Shooters:
Although there are huge heaps of x54R available, with other surplus calibers becoming much harder to find than what people observed a few years ago, won't this accelerate demand and price increases for the x54R ammo and such rifles (by far, the best surplus ammo/rifle deal), especially a year or two after economic growth becomes apparent and with far fewer home foreclosures?
If you decide to pursue a Lee-Enfield #5 "Jungle Carbine" in .303, you might find one at a gun show for $400 or so. My second #5 was listed for $350 at the Sept gun show in Memphis, and is in really good condition.
There are bits of surplus .303 ammo out there, but time will be spent looking for it. New Prvi ammo can be easily reloaded several times, from what I've read.
P5 Guy: The LE #4 is also my favorite.
As a classic, handy, lightweight and powerful rifle for its size, it is hard to beat the LE #5 among surplus bolt-action rifles. They have stopped charging grizzlies with four shots. As for milsurps, I've never read that any M-1 Carbine or old Russian SKS could do that.
5whiskey and Fellow Shooters:
Although there are huge heaps of x54R available, with other surplus calibers becoming much harder to find than what people observed a few years ago, won't this accelerate demand and price increases for the x54R ammo and such rifles (by far, the best surplus ammo/rifle deal), especially a year or two after economic growth becomes apparent and with far fewer home foreclosures?
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Tikirocker
New member
There is no best ... just what a person likes and gets on well with; I like my Enfields.
Tiki.
Tiki.
aarondhgraham
New member
Wow,,, such choices.
First place = K98 Mauser-built like a tank, accurate, powerful.
Second Place = British Lee Enfield-10 round mag, accurate, powerful enough.
Third place = M1 Carbine with a 30 round banana clip-great zombie rifle.
Last place = 7.7 mm Japanese-they just aren't good rifles.
Worst place = 6.5 Italian Carcano Carbine-absolutely laughable.
Personal favorite for esthetics? = 30-40 Krag, How can ya not fall in love with that side load trap door?
I have owned or still own all of the above and more,,,
My 8mm and .303 were the deer getters of my sordid youth,,,
Alden's catalog was where I mail ordered almost every rifle from the WW's.
The 8mm was a present from my grandfather,,,
That's why I still one and use it today.
First place = K98 Mauser-built like a tank, accurate, powerful.
Second Place = British Lee Enfield-10 round mag, accurate, powerful enough.
Third place = M1 Carbine with a 30 round banana clip-great zombie rifle.
Last place = 7.7 mm Japanese-they just aren't good rifles.
Worst place = 6.5 Italian Carcano Carbine-absolutely laughable.
Personal favorite for esthetics? = 30-40 Krag, How can ya not fall in love with that side load trap door?
I have owned or still own all of the above and more,,,
My 8mm and .303 were the deer getters of my sordid youth,,,
Alden's catalog was where I mail ordered almost every rifle from the WW's.
The 8mm was a present from my grandfather,,,
That's why I still one and use it today.
Tikirocker
New member
.303 Brit surplus has pretty much all but dried up - if anybody really cares about accuracy and performance ( Not just plinking ) then hand loading is the only way to go. What is left of the .303 surplus stuff is pretty poor overall and corrosive - the benefits are essentially nil. There is still plenty of commercial .303 out there also ... I just roll my own these days - to me it's well worth it.
Tiki.
Those are two pretty ridiculous statements.The Arisaka 99s have the strongest action out of all the WW2 bolt actions according to blow up tests done after the war.The T99 held up better than the 03 Springfield and the mauser during the tests.All the T99's Ive encountered including "last ditch" models are very accurate.It may be true that the fit and finish arent as good as many other bolt actions of the era but as far as durability and accuracy go the Arisaka's are near the top of my list.
The Carcano if used with proper ammunition is capable of great accuracy and the 6.5 is a good round.The only Carcano Ive had a bad experiance with was a cut down long rifle but that was due to the shortening of the barrel which was very detrimental to accuracy because Carcano rifles were made with gain twist rifling.
aarondhgraham
New member
We've had different experiences my friend,,,
I've owned three Japanese rifles (two in 7.7 and one in 6.5),,,
Even with with the proper milsurp ammunition,,,
they were marginal performers at best.
I and a friend both bought Carcano carbines,,,
As I stated before, their performance was laughable.
This opinion isn't due to what I have read somewhere,,,
This is due to my experience with the rifles.
If your experience with these guns was different,,,
I laud your good fortune.
Aarond
I've owned three Japanese rifles (two in 7.7 and one in 6.5),,,
Even with with the proper milsurp ammunition,,,
they were marginal performers at best.
I and a friend both bought Carcano carbines,,,
As I stated before, their performance was laughable.
This opinion isn't due to what I have read somewhere,,,
This is due to my experience with the rifles.
If your experience with these guns was different,,,
I laud your good fortune.
Aarond
johnwilliamson062
Moderator
IMO, K31.
Everyone should own a MN @$75.
For a semi-auto the Garand has to win hands down.
Everyone should own a MN @$75.
For a semi-auto the Garand has to win hands down.
smleno1mkIII said:
With a screen name like that, who would have guessed?
Putting aside the fact that "best" is an awfully vague term (best at what?), I'd say that the one I'd be most likely to want to carry on a two-way rifle range would be my Garand. If we're limited to manual repeaters, then I'd go with my No.4 Mk.2.
RamSlammer
New member
M96 Swedish Mauser for me. I have a K31 and it's just as good, accurate, etc., but the Swede is perfection.
Gator_Weiss
New member
The German Gew.98 or the K-98; followed by the 7.65 Argentine
You have to go a long way to beat the 98 rifle.
I have both German and Jugoslav. The Jugoslav is a heavier piece of wood with "just OK" machining. The German is excellent, and it hits right on the money with factory loads, or duplicated JS loads made on the loading bench.
If you are not going to load many rounds for these rifles, the little Lee Loader handkits will work just fine for you.
The 7.65 Argentine Mauser has some of the best steel and some of the best machining that Mauser ever did. Surplus Ammo is all but gone. Norma loads are way, way, over priced. So you have to handload your own. Cases are available. You can convert 30-06 cases, but sometimes the neck stock is a little bit thick in some of the 30-06 cases you find. Especially the military cases. Doesnt hurt to polish the neck it down on a lathe or drill press after re-forming the 30-06 case in your forming die. The 7.65 Argentine has a slightly thicker barrell wall than the other guns, and it may add to the accuracy of the gun.
I hate to see anyone chopping these guns into experimental dear rifles. If you feel you have to make an experimental rifle, then look for one already choopped. Dont chop a pristine piece.
You have to go a long way to beat the 98 rifle.
I have both German and Jugoslav. The Jugoslav is a heavier piece of wood with "just OK" machining. The German is excellent, and it hits right on the money with factory loads, or duplicated JS loads made on the loading bench.
If you are not going to load many rounds for these rifles, the little Lee Loader handkits will work just fine for you.
The 7.65 Argentine Mauser has some of the best steel and some of the best machining that Mauser ever did. Surplus Ammo is all but gone. Norma loads are way, way, over priced. So you have to handload your own. Cases are available. You can convert 30-06 cases, but sometimes the neck stock is a little bit thick in some of the 30-06 cases you find. Especially the military cases. Doesnt hurt to polish the neck it down on a lathe or drill press after re-forming the 30-06 case in your forming die. The 7.65 Argentine has a slightly thicker barrell wall than the other guns, and it may add to the accuracy of the gun.
I hate to see anyone chopping these guns into experimental dear rifles. If you feel you have to make an experimental rifle, then look for one already choopped. Dont chop a pristine piece.
Radionicist
New member
Hard to beat a 1903A3 in my book:
I picked this one up this summer from the CMP. I was expecting a decent rifle with a dirty barrel, but got a beauty with a like new bore. It's a great shooter, and my favorite milsurp.
Keep an eye out for one - they show up for around $500 pretty often.
I picked this one up this summer from the CMP. I was expecting a decent rifle with a dirty barrel, but got a beauty with a like new bore. It's a great shooter, and my favorite milsurp.
Keep an eye out for one - they show up for around $500 pretty often.
Yep. I've an old family friend that made attempts at using a sporterized Carcano for hunting. He's also used a Mosin 91/30, Yugo Mauser, and even a Steyer M95 for the same applications. The conclusion he came to is that it's probably the only rifle he's used that would be more effective if thrown rather than fired.
How about the 7.5x55 Swiss cartridge that had no less than six (6) rifles designed around it??
The Schmidt Rubin 96/11
The 1911sr
The k11
The k31
The zfk55 Sniper
And the PE57 Selective.
All use the same cartridge and are inherently the single most accurate production military rifles ever produced.
ZFK55
The Schmidt Rubin 96/11
The 1911sr
The k11
The k31
The zfk55 Sniper
And the PE57 Selective.
All use the same cartridge and are inherently the single most accurate production military rifles ever produced.
ZFK55
What's the best Milsurp? I don't know. The question is too general. However I can tell you what Milsurp WW2 rifle really suprised me when I finally had a chance to fire one. It's a 7.7 Type 99 Arisaka. I had always heard that they were inaccurate and poorly made. That all changed now that I have one. It's a early WW2 vintage. The workmanship on this rifle is top notch. It handles well and the sights are a pleasure to use. As far as accuracy, it appears to be on par with any of my 1903's and 1903a3's which I consider to be some of the more accurate Milsurp rifles. The only downside to this rifle is the availability of ammo. Not a problem if you reload. The Arisaka probably got a bad rap at the end of WW2 when the last ditch rifles were being made.
Best milsurp rifle? For shooting, Here are my rankings:
1. U.S. M1 Garand
2. U.S. M1903 and m1903a3 Springfield Rifle.
3. k98 mauser (lump all 98 mauser variants in here for shooting purposes)
4. Swiss K-31
5. Enfield No. 4 mk-1.
This is an "I'm gonna shoot the bbl out of the gun" list, not an I'm gonna collect it list. That list would be a lot different.
1. U.S. M1 Garand
2. U.S. M1903 and m1903a3 Springfield Rifle.
3. k98 mauser (lump all 98 mauser variants in here for shooting purposes)
4. Swiss K-31
5. Enfield No. 4 mk-1.
This is an "I'm gonna shoot the bbl out of the gun" list, not an I'm gonna collect it list. That list would be a lot different.
Alright, I don't reload; is it even worth it to get a K31? Should I spend a bit more on a good Enfield, or should I get a good K31 now while they're about 100 bucks less than a comparable Enfield (and the K31 has the accessories!)
I don't buy guns unless I can shoot them, and if there's not going to be any ammo I can't shoot them. I don't want to reload and even if I did there's no room in my tiny apartment for the setup. Also, if ammo runs out for them, doesn't that bring their value down?
Also, are Finn Mosins generally considered "better" than the cheapo Ruskies going for 100 bucks nowadays?
I don't buy guns unless I can shoot them, and if there's not going to be any ammo I can't shoot them. I don't want to reload and even if I did there's no room in my tiny apartment for the setup. Also, if ammo runs out for them, doesn't that bring their value down?
Also, are Finn Mosins generally considered "better" than the cheapo Ruskies going for 100 bucks nowadays?
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