Which one do you think?

[1886lebel]

As much I love my Mle.1886 "Lebel"s and not to offend them to much by not saying that they are the best and they know they are, my other vote would be the Type 46 Siamese/Thai Mauser .... excellent workmanship and very accurate under-rated firearms
These weapons were used in combat:
1. Thailand fought France in 1940-41 over disputed territories in French Indochina ... Franco–Thai War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2. Thailand fought the Japanese on December 8, 1940 when they invaded Thailand ... Japanese invasion of Thailand - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
3. Thailand fought the Chinese in the Shan States from May 10, 1942 to January 15, 1943 ending with a mutual cease-fire after they had captured these States up to the Chinese border.
Patrick

[skeet1]

Without a doubt the 1903 Springfield fit and finish was by far better than any battle rifle I have seen. If the question had not involved being USED in WWI and WWII I would have said the Swiss K31.

Skeet1

[Dimitri]

Without a doubt the 1903 Springfield fit and finish was by far better than any battle rifle I have seen. If the question had not involved being USED in WWI and WWII I would have said the Swiss K31.

Skeet1

Was not really used by the Swiss in the War unless you count them pointing them at the imprisoned Allied Air Crews that bailed or crossed their territory to please the Germans.

Dimitri

[Flipper 56]

I have to go with my M96 Swedish Mauser from the Carl Gustav arsenal. That 6x55 mm just keeps on going and the metallurgy on a rifle dated 1900 is superb. With the right ammo my Finnish M28/30 is a little more accurate but it looks like a "canoe paddle" So if "fit & finish is the criteria I have to go with the Swede.

[oldhound]

A lee enfield for sure.

[DANCESWITHEMPTIES]

Big surprise, but for fit & finish I'd say a Springfield 1903 MK1 with a Pederson device in my kit. If was in battle though I,d say a M17 or P14 if in WWI or a M1-D in WWII.

[ar15a292f]

My Smith-Corona Springfield 1903A3.

[gunner]

My Winchester M 1917.

[hitch.bd]

.

I would have to choose an M1903-A3, the final and best
version of the Springfield series.

I have to agree with you completely on this finely crafted instrament of warfare!

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Of all the rifles you have owned or handled which would you pick? Which battle proven boltaction rifle used in WWI or WII has the best fit and finish, the "off the assembly line" quality?

I would have been proud to carry a No.I Mk.III Lee Enfield.

That's a very tough question Oatmeal Savage, but a very good question to ponder!

(PS - I'd really like to know sometime how you came up with 'Oatmeal Savage' as you user name!)

I mostly have American WWII weapons and I've shot them quite a bit and re-loaded them in the field, ect. At times I've thought to myself which one I'd actually want to use in battle during the war.
First hand knowledge is why I bought them to begin with and I've learned more than I ever could have from reading, watching archived films, ect.

(Hmm, just one gun...)

I love shooting M1 carbines because of they are light to carry, quick target acquisition, and semi-auto, but the actual quality, fit and finish, and firepower were minimal a best. (They were only 'tools')
They were a product of unbelievable American mass production from many different companies for a quick need of a small weapon that was easy to carry by officers and non-front line combatants, but they became popular with many front line soldiers.
Porbably because they were so easy to carry. (JMO)

All the parts were kept to extreme standards and any part from every manufacturer would work in every M1 carbine.

(Hmm?)
I wouldn't want an M1 carbine for actual battle though - They were never intended to be a front line weapon in the first place, and their durability and firepower is questionable at best.



For fit and finish, light weight, superb bolt action function, reliability, tack driver accuracy, ease of use, fire power, and shear beauty, nothing in the world touches the 1903-A3. (The final incarnation of the WWI M1903)
The 1903-A3's have some stamped steel parts replacing some of the milled parts of the earlier 1903's, but it was American production ingenuity for faster production without losing functional quality - The stamped parts were still blued and look great!




My 1903 Mark I is a nice piece of history, but I prefer my updated 1903-A3's for actual shooting. (For one, the newer sites work so much better)


I've thought about this before and If I was really going to war back then probably use my M1 Garand....
These rifles were the product of many years of development to perfection and developed over many years before WWII began.
Rapid semi auto fire, rock solid quality, fantastic fit and finish, easy to work on, very accurate, and they used the same standardized American hard hitting 30.06 ammo from WWI design that was also used in the WWI 1903's, BAR's, M1919A4 Machine Guns, etc. (Lots of ammo available)
It became the standard USGI weapon and the majority of US soldiers were issued M1 Garands by mid WWII. As good as any bolt action might be, could anyone say they'd rather have any bolt action against a GI with a semi auto Garand?




Still, I love shooting my 1903-A3 better than any WWII gun I own...
My son likes it the best of all too. Of all my rifles, my son chose 1903-A3 as his favorite rifle when he was 12 years old.




Hmm,
(Still thinking) --

To be ready for battle, I think I'd go with my Thompson SMG - (If mine wasn't 'de-milled!')
(The Thompson SMG was another 'Yank' work of art that was mass produced and refined for mass production needs, while keeping function intact)



Of course, I'd have a powerful 1911A1 too that uses the same standardized American .45 ammo dating back to WW1 that is also used in my Thompson. (1911's were also mass produced functional work of art manufactured by many different American companies, and all parts were interchangeable)




No apologies for leaning toward the American weapons of WWII....
I'm an American and I'm familiar with American weapons -
I have to admit British rifles have a certain mystic, but I don't know very much about them.
(Maybe my next venture someday!)

Dang! I didn't even think of German rifles when choosing 'any' rifle as the best ever!
How can you beat the quality and unbelievable quantity of the German K98's produced?



Then there were the MP-38's and Germany produced the first real assault rifles, etc, etc..

I give up and can't choose a battle rifle from the era, but I like my 1903-A3's the best of all. -