Baddest, Meanest, *** Kicking Rifle ever used by America......

[onlycrimson]

...U.S Rifle Cal. .30 M1

[D-BOMB]

M1 Garand for sure, for already mention reasons.

Also I have to say a Lee Enfield, in particular a SMLE. The pure shock factor that the brought in the opening days of the first world war.

[Gibbs505]

Bolt action Rifle, has to be the Lee Enfild, either the SMLE, the #1 rifle or the #4 rifle. Ten round magazine and the slickest bolt action. Not the most accurate, but it was accurate enough. The most dependable in all conditions. Just all round the most dependable rifle for the average PBI.

[Former Cav]

BAR (Browning Automatic RIFLE). yes, yes... I realize that was the "Squad Automatic Weapon".
2nd Choice.. M1 Garand
3rd Choice.. M-14
4th Choice.. FAL (actually number 3 and 4 to me are a toss up..it would depend on who else is around you for parts, magazines etc.)

If you go back to WWI it would probably have to be the Mauser.

[aqbill]

Hands down, the M1 Garand. When every other nation's main battle rifle was a five round bolt action, the USA put the first auto-load, eight shot, .30-06 weapon that was devastatingly accurate, efficient and deadly.

Given the whole context, my vote goes to the M1 Garand.

I do believe the venerable Enfield No.4 Mk.1 was usually fitted with a 10-round magazine. But, certainly, the Garand was ahead of its time.

[RobSmith]

Out of all the rifles used in the Americas, the Lee-Enfield probably killed more people and critters than most of the other .... Combined ...

[tx81]

For sheer numbers, reliability, and accuracy in the worst of conditions -- my vote goes to the Mosin-Nagant.
Yeah, it's "only" a five-shot, bolt action rifle, but it was a solid performer in the very WORST of conditions.

RR

[muffett.2008]

Out of all the rifles used in the Americas, the Lee-Enfield probably killed more people and critters than most of the other .... Combined ...

So you lot are finally admitting that you reckon you own the world.

[Amsdorf]

Was watching American Rifleman last night, airing the second part of their biography of Garand, and one of the guys on it said simply that the Garand is the greatest battle rifle in American history because it opened the gates of the concentration camps, and defeated the two most evil political dictatorships in history: Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

That comment clinched it for me!

M1 Garand!

[2AD_Vet]

Also I have to say a Lee Enfield, in particular a SMLE. The pure shock factor that the brought in the opening days of the first world war.

I would also add the Spencer lever action to the list for rifles that had significant impact and 'shock factor' and was in use by the US Military.

It was a multi-shot tube fed magazine rifle that enabled the North to overpower the South in numerouse battles at a time when the South had numerical advantage and would have most likely won the battles if the Spencer wasn't deployed by the North.

The National Firearms Museum: U.S. Spencer Lever Action Repeating Carbine