[boonedockssaint]

Did you see this show and do you agree?
http://military.discovery.com/technology/weapons/rifles.html
I would have like to see the m14 a little higher, but I understand the reasoning they are using!

 

[Cavitation]

I think the 98 mauser should have been higher also. I also would have included the Lever action. It was the grandpa of all the repeaters. and used a lot in battle.

 

[wyoman]

I think that the Henry should have been in there, the assault rifle of the civil war, and giant step forward for military small arms. The M-14 and the STG-44 should have been higher up than they were. I'm not sure if I would have the FAL in the top ten.

 

[jmortimer]

I've watched the show a couple times and read your link. The problem is that they have really conflated " Top Ten Battle Rifles" with "Top Ten Rifles" in the sense that neither the highly rated Steyr Aug or FN FAL really saw much "battle." Is AK 47 the best battle rifle ever? - historically it is possible to make that argument but it is not the best rifle. When they do shows like the "greatest fighter planes" they pick the A-10 "Wart Hog" as one of the mid-level "top" fighters but not as the "greatest" fighter of all time as the A-10 is the aircraft equalivent of the AK 47. It's no F-22. The AK is reliable but crude and easy to manufacture. It is not that accurate and somewhat anemic. If we are to use history and how good the rifle is as our guide I would agree with Patton and put the M-1 Garand as the greatest ever.

 

[boonedockssaint]

If we are to use history and how good the rifle is as our guide I would agree with Patton and put the M-1 Garand as the greatest ever.

Well I wonder what "the duke" would say? I thought Patton was the fan of the pearl handle colt?

 

[jmortimer]

The Henry was a game changer and belongs on the list and the Duke would approve. I'm a fan of Patton's Colts as well.

 

[mikenz]

It is all opinion in the end. I would rank the M14 higher also and the FnFAL probably only at 10. However when you are considering battle rifles you must remember that most people holding a firearm in battle have no or little interest in firearms. Personally as a rifleman's rifle I think the M14 has no peer, but in the real world the AK rules as a peasant weapon that you can fix with a hammer.

 

[pisgah]

> I thought Patton was the fan of the pearl handle colt?

Ivory, my man, ivory. Patton was once asked about his "pearl-handled" revolvers and rather famously replied that pearl grips were the choce of pimps.

 

[gunho1954]

for length of service in wars,being the fastest loading bolt action ever made and good long range accuracy,the 303 lee enfield definitely deserves a place in the top ten. the slr 308 is one good piece of gear but i dis like the steyr.the garand would leave a steyr for dead,for all money.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

All of these shows, despite the best intentions, are pretty subjective, and biased. Please don't misunderstand me, as I would love to own one, as a "sporting" rifle, but the '03 doesn't belong on the list.
It just wasn't used in very large numbers. One that wasn't on the list was probably the second most produced rifle in history, the Mosin-Nagant. Certainly not pretty, but very effective. Perfect tool for the particular job it was used for. M-14, probably the nicest, just ahead of the SMLE.
All subjective, but it is an interesting exercise.

 

[gunho1954]

m14-nagant

All of these shows, despite the best intentions, are pretty subjective, and biased. Please don't misunderstand me, as I would love to own one, as a "sporting" rifle, but the '03 doesn't belong on the list.
It just wasn't used in very large numbers. One that wasn't on the list was probably the second most produced rifle in history, the Mosin-Nagant. Certainly not pretty, but very effective. Perfect tool for the particular job it was used for. M-14, probably the nicest, just ahead of the SMLE.
All subjective, but it is an interesting exercise.

well put-the nagant does have the runs on the board,but not in tmes of service.-still a top military calibre

 

[BigBill]

The garand is one of the best war rifles in its day. And the ak47 is in the present. I think we need to have different years or go by each war. Plus semi auto's and bolt actions in different catagories too.

Why was the FAL in there?

Isn't the mosin nagant the longest running bolt action military gun? Were talking '91 thru '59 but probably a little longer in service.

No swedish mausers too.

The 303 britt does have the fastest bolt.

Its the garand, the jeep and the sherman tank that won WW2 for us on the ground. There like the P51 mustang, the B17, B25 and the B29 was for the air.

 

[boonedockssaint]

> I thought Patton was the fan of the pearl handle colt?

Ivory, my man, ivory. Patton was once asked about his "pearl-handled" revolvers and rather famously replied that pearl grips were the choce of pimps.

Patton was a pimp! Fo shizzle! LMAO!

 

[pisgah]

Patton's point was that only a pimp would choose pearl -- his were ivory.

 

[boonedockssaint]

Ivory!

Patton's point was that only a pimp would choose pearl -- his were ivory.

Datz wha I sed! LOL Ivory was the original choice of PIMPS before the discovered diving and found pearls! LMAO Any way Patton rocks so no disrespect. The DUKE is way cool too!

 

[Combat Diver]

Didn't see the show but the FN FAL is a great battle rifle that was at one time used by 90+ different countries (carried one in Iraq in 05 and 08). The Steyr AUG, M14 and 03 Springfield don't have the wide spread useage like the Mauser 98, SMLE, Mosin-Nagant, AK47, M16. The M14 use only officially used for 5 years as the standard rifle before replacing (I say that even though I carried a M14 National Match in Iraq in 04, but its usage is a stop gap measure) The M1 Garand had more impact then the product improvement M14. The Henry wasn't the only lever action metallic cartridge rifle used in the American Civil War there was also the .56 cal Spencer. The Civil War also saw another development that we still use in Iraq and Afghanistan in a updated form and thats the Gatlin gun with a electric motor attached and now chambered in 7.62mm NATO, 20mm and 30mm.

CD

 

[Huntdaddy1]

I think there are plenty of logical choices for a top 10 rifle, but battles were fought in different ways by different armies. The battlefield has changed dramatically over the years and so have the rifles that were used in them. No single rifle ever used was "Completely" successful for every role on the battlefield. Some came close, but if there was ever a do-all rifle, I'd like to see it !!! It doesn't exist......yet. HD1

 

[gunho1954]

Didn't see the show but the FN FAL is a great battle rifle that was at one time used by 90+ different countries (carried one in Iraq in 05 and 08). The Steyr AUG, M14 and 03 Springfield don't have the wide spread useage like the Mauser 98, SMLE, Mosin-Nagant, AK47, M16. The M14 use only officially used for 5 years as the standard rifle before replacing (I say that even though I carried a M14 National Match in Iraq in 04, but its usage is a stop gap measure) The M1 Garand had more impact then the product improvement M14. The Henry wasn't the only lever action metallic cartridge rifle used in the American Civil War there was also the .56 cal Spencer. The Civil War also saw another development that we still use in Iraq and Afghanistan in a updated form and thats the Gatlin gun with a electric motor attached and now chambered in 7.62mm NATO, 20mm and 30mm.

CD

your personal opinion is well put and well founded.an ACTIVE view which hits the the spot.p.s.-hate plastic fantastics-styers.give me a SLR with a 303 backup any day,or an m14

 

[Wilhelm]

The Mosin should have been part of the group. Two world wars plus many engagements, such as the war with the Japanese in the late 1890's.

 

[cdl2]

I understand the AK being at the top, but I wouldn't want one. I served with the M-16A1, I liked it fast, light weight, lots of ammo without the weight. Plus I could put rounds on target.
Talked with other's & they liked what they served with, guess it's just the way it is.
I don't know anything about the new stuff, but I think I'll be finding out alot here.