Author Topic: What was the greatest combat rifle of all time? (We need more gun threads) (Read 754 times)

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #15 on:** August 10, 2004, 05:42:48 PM »

Pongo
You have owned a FAL? Or you used one in the Army?

I have always wanted one, but you can not really buy them in Cali anymore.

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 10, 2004, 05:43:35 PM »

Interesting not one M16/AR-15 fan has popped in yet.

anonymous · « **Reply #17 on:** August 10, 2004, 05:43:42 PM »

if i didnt know where i was going or what i was going to be doing but had to pick a rifle id pick a g3k. 7.62x51 hits hard good range and the g3 has rails for goodies. ak is a great assault rifle but to inaccurate at range compared to contenders. love the m14 but no rails. m16 is very good weapon now has been for a long time it just has lingering bad press from long ago. and big problem with 5.56x45 was not size of round but type of round against type of target 5.56 does just fine in combat. as far as "greatest of all time" i dont know enough about older than vn era weapons to judge.

anonymous · « **Reply #18 on:** August 10, 2004, 05:45:44 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Pongo
FN Fal.

But I am only speaking from my limited experiance.

carbine barrel fn fal in 7.62 is very popular again in iraq right now. only reason id pick g3 series over it is not all fn fal have rails do they?

anonymous · « **Reply #19 on:** August 10, 2004, 05:47:45 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunslinger
I've been reading about the XM-8 lately. It sounds like Gods gift to riflemen.

Copmlpletly modular and lighter than the M16.

Anyone shot one of these yet.

yes. light and easy to move like m4 but better accuracy and newer design so recoil more managable than m4 if you using fa. didnt get to really run it through paces but very impressed with what i saw and felt.

CyranoAH · « **Reply #20 on:** August 10, 2004, 05:55:33 PM »

Ah ok, rifles only.

Then what about the Steyr AUG? Ok, it's pretty expensive, but apart from that? I'd like to hear from you guys. Anyone actually fired it?

Daniel

Martlet · « **Reply #21 on:** August 10, 2004, 05:56:30 PM »

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Originally posted by Hawklore
.

Mauser K98 for WWII

I've got one of those. Nice weapon.

VOR · « **Reply #22 on:** August 10, 2004, 06:00:07 PM »

My vote would be the AK series on the basis of having the greatest impact on the world like Grun mentioned. The Garand would be second only because of its relatively short lifespan but it certainly was superior to anything else on a mass production scale at the time. Plus, they're just soo cooool.

Quote

Originally posted by Gunslinger
I've been reading about the XM-8 lately. It sounds like Gods gift to riflemen.

Copmlpletly modular and lighter than the M16.

Anyone shot one of these yet.

Yes. Excellent weapon with a few shortcomings. It isn't quite "Joe proof" yet since some of the pins for the modular buttstock and a couple other pieces could easily get lost. Also, I'm not a big fan of the caliber although it has proven itself up to the task over the last 30-something years. It runs great tho and believe it or not recoil is actually less than the M16/M4. In fact, you can hold a full auto burst pretty steady on targets even from the shoulder. Personally, I'd love to see them issued after a couple small improvements are made to overall field serviceability.

VOR · « **Reply #23 on:** August 10, 2004, 06:02:36 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Martlet
I've got one of those. Nice weapon.

Me too. It's a 1938 machined code "42" from I think the Oberndorf plant? It's my fav rifle! I also have a Carl Gustav M98 made in 1902 Cal 6.5x55 that is an incredible tack driver. Mausers overall = great rifles.

Grits · « **Reply #24 on:** August 10, 2004, 06:04:37 PM »

Not a rifle, but the Tower Musket AKA the "Brown Bess" was the main service long firearm used by the British Army from the early 1700's to the mid 1800's at the height of its Empire. If it did not have more geopolitical impact than the AK-47, its a damn close second. If it has to be a rifle, then the Henry Repeating rifle (the cowboy's Winchester) would be my pick. It was used by many countries, not only in the US West.

Pongo · « **Reply #25 on:** August 10, 2004, 06:23:23 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by anonymous
carbine barrel fn fal in 7.62 is very popular again in iraq right now. only reason id pick g3 series over it is not all fn fal have rails do they?

Its just a different reciever cover if you want rails. What have they been doing with the 7.62 nato round? anything exotic?

Bluefish · « **Reply #26 on:** August 10, 2004, 06:36:48 PM »

Well, for geopolitical impact I would submit the Dreyse needle gun. It was the first breech loading rifle in widespread use by a major power, and was largely responsible for Prussia's victory in its 1866 war with Austria-Hungary, thus setting the stage for the emergence of a Prussian-dominated German nation.

Dune · « **Reply #27 on:** August 10, 2004, 06:36:57 PM »

One vote would be for the Enfield which was in service from before WW1 to the 80's as a sniper rifle.

However, in my experience shooting M16's, AK's, HK's, Galil's, Valmet's, AUG's, and any number of other weapons, my choice would also be the FN-Fal. The weight is not excessive, fires the .308 Nato round, can be modified in a short para version or the full size battle rifle, is realitively controllable in full auto and very accurate out past 500 yards.

Fruda · « **Reply #28 on:** August 10, 2004, 06:39:30 PM »

People give the Mauser K98 too much credit for what it was. It was a short, light combat rifle, with a painful recoil. Great accuracy, of course, and the ammo was quite powerful, but still, it comes nowhere close to the original...

Mauser G98 (Gewehr 1898, or Rifle 1898). This is the king of them all, people. Full stock. Better recoil. More accurate than any combat rifle ever made. Smoothest bolt action in history. Oh, and my grandpa took one as a souvenir from a deceased German soldier in WWII (yes, Germany had many G98's in use in WWII, more than the K43, or G43, in fact).

It had only been fired about 4 times before my dad sold it.

Anyway, the Mauser G98 is the German rifle that should be mentioned in all of these topics, not the K98. Oh, and don't forget about one of the finest Muskets of all-time... The 1810 Prussian Potsdam (percussion version). Not even close to being a rifle, but it's still worth mentioning.

The G98 wins the long-range firing battle... But for close quarters. I would take the AK-47. It's very tough, rugged, and reliable.

CyranoAH · « **Reply #29 on:** August 10, 2004, 06:53:11 PM »

Dune, how did the AUG fare compared to all others you mentioned? I'm just curious because I own an airsoft replica and I'd like to know how the real thing shoots

Danile