What's your favorite Military Surplus Rifle?

Well heck, SKS's of course.
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Everyone should be issued one on their fourteenth birthday, pick-ups should come standard with one behind the seat, every rural home should have one leaning in the mud room, and ya oughta be able to check them out at the library.:p
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Every body shoulda bought five back when they cost $79.95, and they should still sell for $199.95. (and often do if ya keep your eyes open)
Ammo should sell for no more than five bucks/twenty at any mini-mart, (and sometimes does).
These little gems are the most underrated rifle that a guy is liable to save his butt with when SHTF. They are cheap--I mean inexpensive-- accurate enough, tons of fun, and reliable beyond belief. Best idea the commies ever had.
Do yourself a favor and pick one up if ya haven't already. jd
 
I had an M1 Garand in great shape and I let someone talk me out of it. I have a 03'A3 that I have had since forever, and I trust it with my life. When I used to check my bear baits in Colorado, that is the rifle I took with me, and I had a big selection of bigger rifles!

The 03'A3 is my answer, but I WILL get another Garand, if they quit melting them down like the South Korea boatload of Garands!
 
Tough questions. Each year it seems a different rifle becomes a favorite. For many years, my Garand was my favorite. Now my favorite semiauto is a HK91 clone.
In bolt action, it would have to be my Finnish M39 SKy.
Generally, what becomes my favorite is an accurate rifle that gets the job done at the range or in a hunt.
 
As it stands right now my favorite is the newest addition to my flock, a Finnish M39 (B barrel). I have handled most of the Mosins (M91, M44, M38) and this is everything those wished they could be. But to me what sets it apart from all the other surplus rifles is its wood stock. In a word: beautiful. Its hard to find a stock this beautiful on modern rifles that cost many times more, even more so when it comes to rifles less than $300. The action on a Mauser is arguably better, and a Garand is American and semi-automatic, but a Finn M39 is just such a cool rifle to own and shoot. Ammo is dirt cheap too!
 
MEATSAW, I agree completely. The Finnish M39's are a work of art. Somehow, I love the Mosin-Nagants. They are very well balanced, function well (though the sniper version is easier to use than the Dragoon rifle), and they shoot very well.

But the Finnish M39, that is as you say everything the Mosins aspire to be.
 
Oldied but goodies!

Well here in NSW, Australia semi auto's have been banned since 1996 & I do miss the thrill of them. Unfortunately I can only just remember my SKS & Swedish Ljungman & how much fun they were. Now I have a M38 mauser & its a nice old rifle(1944).
Rifles I never owned but liked the history & look of them were-
.303 Lee enfield, M1903 springfield, FN-49, M1 garand, M14, K98, K31,AK-47.
Im just lucky I grew up in a time that I never had to face any of them!!
 
sks and MN 91/30

only two i have right now but they are both a blast to shoot, ammo is pretty cheap as well as their costs, and are reviewed as some of the toughest most reliable rifles by most people. on top of the fact that there are tons of aftermarket stuff to customize these guns to make them suit your needs and if you keep the straight bolt on the MN they are both pretty left hand friendly
 
Tough call. I like my 1896 Swede 6.5x55. Svelte, it's a MAUSER :D, easy shooting, and pretty accurate for an old rifle. Just a trim little beauty and fun to shoot. You can tell the Swedes took good care of their rifles over the century it was in use before sold as surplus.

My M1 Carbines see a lot of shooting at the gravel pit. Loads of fun, easy to hit clay pigeons on the ground at 100 yds. Lightweight and everyone enjoys shooting it. Also has pretty good aperture sights. Favorite WWII weapon of Audie Murphy (who I think of any time I pick one up).

But the real queen of mil surplus has got to be my M1 Garands. Full of history (My Dad carried one in the Pacific in WWII). Hefty wood, forged and machined steel. About the best aperture sights of all time for a battle rifle (except the M16/M4 now). PING! This is a SOLID piece of weaponry!

OK, OK I like them all. Mostly for the history but also for the fine craftsmanship of wood and metal produced by the hundreds of thousands and millions.
 
1) Mausers [been sporterizing them for 46 years]
2) Nagants
3) AR15s [police surplus or civillian]


Also rans:
Enfields
Garands
FALs [aftermarket receivers]
SKSs
AK47 [civilian]
K31
Lebel
MAS 36
 
As I have trouble using my Yugo Mauser's iron sights and do not like them at all, the Enfield #4s,#5s and Garand all have aperture sights, and are my favorites.

If handling and carrying are also taken into account, the Enfield "Jungle Carbine" is the #1 favorite.
 
+1 to what Ignition Overide said. Enfields in general, but my #5mk1 8/45 Fazakerley is my favorite. Then, the M1 Garand, K98 Mauser.
 
Chris,
I sent that pic to my brother, who likes that movie, Jaws.

He says the blanks they used did not cycle the M1 Garand.
They cycled manually, and did not edit that part out.
 
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