Ah okay, learn something new every day! Thanks for that! (I would have picked the '03 Springfield myself, but that's because I have a special place in my heart for it)
its funny he what he says about the enfields sights: "good but not exceptional, nothing like the peep sights on a garand". then why the hell didn't you get a No.4 mk1 which did have a peep sight lol, that's a No .1 mk3 you got there.
The Lee Enfield rear locking lugs are plenty strong enough for the .303 Mk7. I have worked on hundreds of these and they very rarely need re headspacing due to bolt/lug stretch or bolthead wear. If you were to look at the No4 rather than the No1 you would find the rear peep style sight far superior to the old school notched sight of the WW1 vintage No1 (note Australia did not manufacture the No4 at any stage, it only upgraded the No1 MkIII to the No1 MkIII*) and the ladder type sight is comparable to that of the M1 Garand (though no windage adjustment is available). Interesting video all the same, thanks :)
Aaron Kellar i had a no4 mk1, but it was a US produced SAVAGE lend-lease, and unfortunately only had a dual flip aperature sight. and the length of pull was WAY too short. so i sold it. but it was in unissued condition.
yes, and the bolt action on the No.4 Mk2 is tighter smoother and more silent than any other and twice as fast as any Mauser, Swiss Rifle, or the MAAS which tells me the narrator knows jack shit about Rifles because the Maas was considered a little darling by most allies. Also, Mk 1 and MK 2 were turned into sniper rifles
I have all five. Just got a Krag-Jorgensen model 1898. But my favorite (which was not on the list) is the Lee-Enfield No.4. Great sights, 10 rounds, smooth action.
I don't like the Enfields bolt. Iron sights and a long shot, I don't like having for force the bolt forward. I prefer the K98 and Mosin Nagant one finger bolt.
@@supaheat1486 looks a little bulky, but otherwise quite fine. Many people say the K98k looks the best because of its slender design; I cannot disagree.
***** I agree a no4 would probably be the king of rifles for that time. the rear sight is amazing, the gun was wicked accurate, still fast to operate, and the action was stronger than the SMLE. and it held ten rounds.
***** i deer hunt with my great grandpas no4 mk1 with the peep sights and never fails to only need one shot in the heart at 100 yards every year. and im not BSing. its certainly the most reliable action ever made
Gen Scinmore i had a no.4 mk1, SAVAGE, unfortunately it didnt have the nice precise sights of the other no4's but it was an excellent gun. but i would argue that its not the best. for one .303 isnt that great, (subjective, but i hate cock on close) the length of pull is uncomfortably short, and im not an overly tall person.
Aaron Kellar anecdotal at best. none of that makes it "most reliable action ever made" in fact with post war test, the arisaka had the strongest action of its era.
neverknows best This was just the top 5, and I would still rate the Enfield over the Arisaka, although I will say you are right about the action. Its right up there with the M1917 in terms of strength.
My first deer rifle was an original (except for a sporterized, shortened front handguard) U.S. Model of 1917 Enfield. Excellent rifle. It was the Winchester made 26 inch barreled sniper version. Bought it in about 1978 -79 for $65.
I love that the MAS 36 was included. After watching your run and gun video with it, I'm convinced that it was pretty much the best bolt action rifle concept. Short carbine, smooth action, powerful round. WWII rifles had such a crazy long range that most standard infantry didn't have nearly enough opportunity to utilize the full range of the rifles they had. Shortening the rifle really didn't sacrifice anything in the way of tactical advantage, and definitely helped in medium range engagements.
+FallaciousScotsman Sorry to burst your fallacy (lel), but practically every WW2 rifles had been shortened since WW1. Actually, almost all of them qualify as a carbine (like M31 and M35 FÉG-Mannlicher, K98K, No.4 L-E.)
you forgot a very important thing the mas 36 is very light and a platoon can walk longer than the others . in the french france we live with our rifles . and everybody shooted 5/5 his target ( an helm ) until 400 m easyly the mas 36 didn t need scope ,
@IFFs 35th no that's a stupid myth due to people using the wrong bullet size nowadays (since original ones aren't made anymore), also almost all carabines of ww1 and ww2 were under 95cm long (except the mosin-nagant 1m, the kar98 1m10cm and few other); the short barrel=inaccuracy stopped to be a thing past 1886
@IFFs 35th and again you clearly know nothing about how guns are made and why a short barrel is perfecly accurate as a long one (all modern ar are under 95cm); also the fact that you said the carcano isn't accurate clearly shows you know nothing about it at all and just belive fuds stories (check the youtuber mag30th and you'll see how accurate a carcano is)
I must say i do love the Mauser 98. I have a shortened one ( it was originally meant for a mountaineering soldier) from 1941 and it shots beautifully. The tigger on it is so fragile and i live it to death. If you want a older bolt action rifle for just about any reason, I would recommend this. BTW it runs like a glock, forever.
Though I'm a big fan of the Mosin I'm glad it didn't make the list. Mosin's should be considered the baseline from which all other rifles need to be superior in some way in order to be considered as great rifles. Ubiquity is where the Mosin & its ammunition get their status from, unlike all the other rifles on the list which exceed it in almost every area ( accuracy, reliability, smoothness of action, etc...). In 1891 when the rest of the world saw that Czar Alex ordered Millions of Mosins for Russia, the militarys of every other major power came up w/designs for rifles to deal with the "threat" such an order of arms constituted. And in all cases they did a great job or creating arms that were superior to the Mosin as Russia needed a simple & reliable ? & innexpensive weapon to provide its historicly massive army with
In my opinion as a mosin owner, there are infinitly better rifles than the mosin. That being said, I do enjoy the fact that they are simple and that the bolt itself can be taken apart if needed witout tools.
Eaglelord17 They are from 1921. That's after the US stopped using the Krag but other countries still used it. Had those speed loaders been around I think the US would of used the Krag a lot longer and they allow you to load the Krag faster then a Mauser.
Even the Norwegians never issued them to their military and it was them who designed them. It was a civilian only type thing. I also don't think the speed loaders would have worked for the American Krags as they are a rimmed round, vs the rimless 6.5x55 the Norwegian Krags used. Don't get me wrong they are cool rifles and I used to own a Norwegian Krag, but in terms of the best military rifle, they were far off the mark.
+TroopperFoFo The Krag speed loader might be from 1921, but to my knowledge, they've never been used Militarily. Only for civilian shooters. In the Military, the Krag was always reloaded with loose rounds.
Wow! Someone who actually knows how to sight in a MAS 36. Amazing. Thank you for spreading that information around. Unfortunately for the MAS 36, it's easy to be the best when you are also the last.
stafferoinen the Krag has a lot going for it. if youve ever fired one, you'd know that they have one of the slickest actions of the military bolt gun world. they are excellent handling guns. and .30-40 krag is a decent round. if you're measureing "best" by most effective then i wouldnt put it on the list. but "best" is subjective. and best at what is a valid question.
neverknows best , The Krag had one thing and that's a smooth action. It didn't have firepower. It didn't have over a century of in service longevity. It didn't have a strong action or any record holding military service or any other great attribute. I'm not saying it didn't have pleasant points but it just didn't rank as a great military service rifle up there with the Mauser or the SMLE or the Mosin-Nagant. If they had done the video segment only on the Krag and given a detailed history of their adoption, their use and their replacement, that would have been great. They do have the history with the Spanish-American War and aren't a well known or appreciated service rifle. It was as if they said "We got to come up with a video this week," looked through their gun closets and decided what to title their video based on what they could find.
The Laughing Hyenas they also were used with the Norwegians. the krag's only shortcomming was its single locking lug really. it did have firepower, the length of a rifles service is really irrelevant. it was innovative, smooth handling, accurate,powerful. if it'd had a way to use stripper clips during its time we'd be talking about it differently. and the mosin is about as crude as you can get. its basically a pipe rifle lol. the mosin is adequate. and thats all i can say about it.
Alex C. that's really weird.... nobody I know has ever said it "lith-gaow". ive never been to the museum, so maybe its just a regional pronunciation difference in Australia. like how some people in the south U.S. say pecan like "pican" or "peecan"
+Alex C. It's actually pronounced Lith-go, as I visit the place frequently as it's an hour and half drive from Where I live, the museum tour was probably done an by American because almost everyone I know calls it Lith-go even the people who live there call it so
+Gen Scinmore Thanks! I have been saying it wrong. I love that gun. After I cleaned mine up a bit more and researched the stamps and marks I found out that mine was prone to stock splitting due to having no recoil lugs and a coachwood (?) stock so I replaced that section with walnut since I still shoot it and when I took off the original I saw the splitting. I forget at the moment the meaning but mine has a kangaroo stamped into the stock. I love the history of this gun. Thanks for helping with the pronunciation! RB
***** that's awesome! mine has an Australia stamp under the hand grip but no kangaroo like yours, im incredibly jealous. did you keep the original stock?
+Jared Hawken no its not the M98 or K98 how u like it is the Best action bolt rifle on the Planet the Mauser brothers work hard and long to get the M98 System thats just Perfekt
My great grandfather made his longest shot in WWII with the lee enfield, a head shot at that. it was estimated to be 1800 yards, lets goin Canada (yes he had a scope on his enfield, good luck doing that shit with open sights)
MAS 36 is an interesting choice, dont particularly care for the lack of a safety. I would have put the Pattern 1914 or Model 1917 Enfield, or the Mannlicher 1895/30 Models.
Everyone love the Springfield in multiplayer but zombies you cant pay me, okay you might be able to pay me to use this worse version of the garbage rod.
Good list. Only one I would’ve changed was the Krag with either the M1903 Springfield, or M1917 American Enfield. It’s the best of both worlds from German, British and American design.
One notable bolt action rifle is finnish m-28 and m-39. Better quality variant of mosing nagant. Its sights gave it the famous name "pystykorva" which is Finnish for "long ear" a dog breed.
neverknows best All mosins were required 1 MOA before leaving the factory, if not they will keep rebuilding it until it was 1 MOA at 100 meters. Not a single other rifle in ww2 had such detail put in their rifles as the Finnish and their mosins. Every kar98k action that I have touched has been garbage compared To an m39.
A better candidate for the Lee Enfield would be the No4 Mk1. It has the awesome rear peep sights and a stronger action. I would say it is arguably the finest military bolt action to ever serve. The Mauser is stronger, sure, but it's somewhat irrelevant. It's not like Lee Enfields had a problem with their actions failing. The Mauser's strong action makes it good for modern hunting rifles because it can be easily modified to chamber magnum rounds and whatnot, main reason why it is so copied. But when talking about the merits of these rifles as military "battle rifles", the No4 Mk1 is better in just about every way. Faster action, twice the magazine capacity, better sights, and plenty accurate. It is the true king.
+Dan Butler lee enfields are built to looser tolerances, that's why their so reliable but they are not as accurate as the 1903 or garand. Nice rifles but not that perfect
+mike C You dont need them to be that accurate. You need them to have a high ROF at targets within 300 meters which is why the Enfield is considered the best bolt action battle rifle ever made, its the perfect balance of traits . A bit unfair to compare it to the Garand as well, the Enfield was a 30+ year old design by the time the m1 rocked up, its like comparing the M1 to a FAL.
sgtcrab1 well allied troops anyways, yanks had the most troops deployed but most allied Nato forces had troops in there as well. Brits got killed by Brit rifles. quite ironic
Personally I think the mosin 91/30 is the best bolt service rifle of all time,because of its accuracy,durability,and reliability,and also has been used for 107 years by the Russians
Simo Hayha had tons of Soviet mosins to use. But he only used a Finnish one. Granted, if a Mosin was made by Finland, or like pre 1944 Germany with a Mauser action, it'd probably be number one.
@@scuderiatororosso1422 yes I originally wanted a 91/30, but I didn't check the one I bought,I got a Finnish one,its a 31/44 or something but its more accurate than my friends and I love it
While I like the video and the thought you put into it, I honestly cannot agree on this choosing at all. To me it felt very much like you were less trying to come up with the actual best bolt action service rifles and more like you were trying to showcase some weirder rifles that an unbelievable amount of people should know about yet don't. While I believe the standard choosing being the World War II grouping (Lee Enfield, 98, Mosin Nagant, Arisaka, and K31) is a bit bland, it's definitely correct for the most part. Sure, it's what everyone parrots, but that's because it's mostly true. I'd give the P17 and the 1903 notable mentions, but they're just modifications of other rifles (the P17 being an Enfield and the 1903 being a Mauser.) The reason these rifles are so often chosen as the best isn't because people don't know what else is out there but because they really are the "best." They were the rifles that countries stuck with and upgraded even though there might have been better rifles to upgrade out there. They stuck it through to the end and, in some cases, are still being used (the Canadian Rangers still use the Enfield, the Russian still use PE Rifles as their reservist marksman's rifle, the Mauser action of the 98 has become one of if not the most popular hunting rifle actions around the world, and the K31 has seen popularity in Switzerland, the US, and Canada as a surplus rifle for a long time as well.) The most controversial one on my list might be the Mosin, but I feel like it deserves the spot for its derivatives. Finnish Mosins, in particular, are quite a bit higher quality than your average Mosin. I want to say the M39 had to be capable of shooting 1 MOA before it was allowed out of the factory (which is pretty damn good for a military rifle, if you ask me) as well as I've heard reports of it having an absurdly nice trigger pull (a bit of travel, but I've heard reports as low as 2lbs from some people, though I'm not quite sure if I believe that myself.) As I said, I like the video, but I really do not think that you were actually picking what you thought were the absolute best bolt action service rifles.
FR4NCH3K All things being equal (ammo supply, spare parts, training etc.) I don't think any WWI or WWII solider would choose a Mosin over any of these rifles. The Mosin is cheap and reliable and thats what we love about it.
FR4NCH3K The P17 was utterly rubbish. Even the British shunned it when it was given to them during WW1 and WW2. The only thing they took was the sights and made it for their Mk4 No.1 Lee-Enfield.
TFB TV The 1891/30 Mosin Nagant rifle refurbs really are nothing more than cheap and reliable, yes, but there's so many other variations than the Mosin Nagant as I said. As I said, a great example is the Finnish M39, which is about as far as you can get from your traditional Mosin. From personal use I've found them to be incredibly comfortable, to have well designed sights, and to have an extremely nice trigger pull. The ones I've handled are also rather well off accuracy-wise. I've only used the broad categorization for rifles as I believe that it's better to judge a rifle by the entire range of firearms rather than just the good or bad ones. Of course there are a lot of crappy Mosin variants, but your average Mosin on average is much worse today then when it rolled off the factory because they're poorly done Ukrainian refurb rifles that were all force matched. To me, the Mosin is rated similarly to the M4 Sherman tank: everyone gives it way less credit than it deserves. The variant that everyone thinks of isn't great, but the ones that are often overlooked are way better than a lot of the competition. Speed Reaper Weird because from what I've heard American soldiers absolutely loved them during WWI.
FR4NCH3K Americans don't really love it. It bolts faster than the M1903 and the sights were great but the workmanship of the gun vs the M1903, the P17 was crap and the Americans did not receive huge amounts of it while the British and the Filipinos did in WW2 and they absolutely hated it due to the fact that it's the same complaint the Americans give, poor workmanship. The Pattern 1914 Enfield that it copied from was built better than the P17 thus there's a reason why the British hated it. The bolt rattles when you grab the handle and shake it. There are also tons of gaps on certain rifle from the stock to the metal parts of the gun. These are the few issues I know of but there's a tons more.
There are a number of varieties of Lee Enfield's, some were even made briefly in the US. The work horse of WW I was the Mo. 1 Mk III, many of these were converted to a sporterized version after WW II where they also saw brief service along with the No. 4 Mk. 1, the No. 5 Mk 1 was the shorter jungle carbine, a nice gun to fire. Some of the No 4 Mk 1's were converted to 22 LR and used by cadets in Canada up until the 1990's, these were the No 7. As for the sights there were several, the rear sight on the No 4 Mk 1 had a calibrated sight and latter with mass production, a flip peep sight. The issue with many of the No 1. Mk. III sporterized versions is they are nearly 100 years old, have shot many large game such as moose and have not been properly cared for. That being said, I have taken down a 600 lb moose in 2014 with one.
İt wasn’t used in large quantities during WW2.Most of 1 million of MAS-36 produced after WW2,there were just about 250.000 MAS-36s were avaible for French Army in May 1940.
One bolt action rifle that arguably has the toughest action is the model 99 Arisaka. The action is very smooth to operate. The one I have is quite accurate. I have shot 2 - 3" groups with it's iron sights at 100 yards. For an old WWII military rifle that has never been refurbished that is pretty good in my book. It will hold it's own against any of my old Mauser rifles.
I like the inclusion of the Krag, and would like to add something about it. I work in a gun store, handling actions every day, and the Krag is by far the smoothest cycling action I've ever held. It's like cutting butter with a hot knife. Now I presume modified or higher end versions of the other rifles may be pretty smooth, but every Krag I've held has been like that, even the beat to hell ones. I also appreciate the exclusion of mosin and arisaka. Together with the Remington 710 and some old French rifle I forget the name of, they're the least smooth bolt actions I've held.
I have a finish, and a 91/30 and both of my Mosins are one finger operation. I prefer it over every other surplus rifle i have, but I don't have the Krag yet. K98 design is beautiful but it doesn't cycle as well as the Mosin
i would love to see an update to this list. I mean for my two cents, I'd have dropped the krag, replace that with the M96 (which while a mauser predecessor, is different enough (being cock on close for one) and frankly with the ammo available it makes for a very very good shooter at the range, and while it's length makes it less ideal for hunting, it is more the accurate enough to make most game fall (also, I've found it feels much nicer than any of the many m98/k98's that have passed through my safe) and as someone who has been shooting comp's with the old .303, this is (in 6.5swede) a sweetie of a gun to fire without shoulder pain later (it is also a gun that i've found new to shooting people have an easier time with over the others, as the sights action, and tigger as a little nicer than later mausers, enfields, and even modern full bore rifles!) lee-enfield family is a stayer, but it should be stressed, first lithgow, is lithgo, much like john lithgow likes his name said and second, other than the k31, this is one of the very few battle rifles that dont have a 5 round mag (infact it is a mag for 1!) and while there is some debate on the whole headspace thing, I think it is something people who like to think they know a little worry far too much about, it's only one place that has forums pages long about this terror (the US) and all the other places that are heavier users of this fine weapon dont see the use (as a side one of the old shooters at my club (now in his 80's, and only able to fire prone, but at his peak, won a queens) had been using for years a bolt that his fine m'erican friend had said was unsafe and "out of head space" and every year he sends this chap a 10 round grouping from 300mts that has a 1 1/2 grouping, still! as would be the k98, is a given, but I would love to see what breed of this very wide family is the "best of breed" not just in terms of bang, but easy to obtain, and easy to feed the k31, enough said, it is the only rifle I still has a burning lust to get, but where I am from, they are not thick on the ground, and importing is more paperwork than I'm willing to tackle at this time! (plans are afoot however, and as a rifle i've used a few times, there is a love of that action) now, I've not ever seen in the flesh a MAS 36 (maybe they are something that just never found their way down under) but I know finding the ammo for it wouldn't be easy, where as say a mosin, easy enough to feed, and is kinda in that middle ground bolt wise between the mauser and the lee-enfield, and in terms of what the finn's did to it, I must say it was a surprise, having fired a few mosin's in my time, I knew they came in a wide....ummm, spectrum? of niceness of action, feel and use, but the few finish ones, all have been damn fine shooters!
The Mosin to get, IF you can FIND one, is a Finn, preferably. Made by SAKO, Tikkakoski, and VKT. Or a Finn rebuild of the Russian-made Tula and Ishevsk captured during the Winter War (1940) or the Continuation War (1941-1944). The Suomi didnt mess around with their rifles, they made them well, or refurbed the Russian rifles well. I let a Finn slip thru my hands a few years back and have kicked myself whenever it comes to mind.😢
Nice countdown, though I am disappointed in the lack of a Winchester 70. Here's why: Reliable? Definitely. Innovative? Yup. Nice looking? Certainly. Military Proven? Of course. ((Used in the Pacific Campaign, Korean War, and Early Vietnam, and has been in use by the RCMP since the start of WWII)). There's a reason it earned the nickname "The Rifleman's Rifle."
Honestly Man... To Me It's Always gonna be them, pre 64 Winchester Model 70's. And you're talking to someone who made a Custom Mauser during Gunsmithing School.
@@looinrims Mosin-Nagant is a simple, reliable and cheap rifle that was meant to equip the millions of soldiers in the Imperial Russian Army. And even despite that some of history's deadliest snipers used the Mosin-Nagant. I will say its overrated but definitely does not deserve all the hate its getting.
crazy potato reliable as a punctured condom It’s cheap and that was the whole point, it met the important criteria or ‘is a gun’ and not much else Also the worlds deadliest Sniper from Finland used a rifle that he straight up said was not sighted in properly, you can shoot with any piece of shit if you put the time in, doesn’t make it good
The Mosin Nagant is good for the time, but I'd prefer a Steyr Mannlicher M.95 over all, but the Mosin is still a recommended gun for hunters and enthusiasts and also collectors, along with the average gun shooter
The nazis didn't fuck with the Swiss for one reason only and that was because they did there banking had Germany wanted to it would have took Switzerland and its malitia military
D5quared91 The video is "Top 5 *Military* bolt action rifles". Not "Top 5 combat-proven military bolt-action rifles". I am nitpicking here, but so are you...
Mike Pipher The only reason Germany didn't mess with the swiss is because they didn't want to waste their time or man power taking over a country that is surrounded by mountains, which would have given Germany no tactical advantage geographically in taking over the rest of europe.
D5quared91 battle proven or not. they were extensively used in the mountains and harsh conditions. modern testing shows that they are robust, accurate, and strong rifles that use a fantastic cartridge. your argument against it is basically moot.
Ima be honest, if I were to chose a rifle to arm my army, out of these, I would chose the lee enfeild. Easy to use, relatively accurate, and cheap. Higher capacity than other rifles, and faster firing, for the average rifleman.
"Relatively accurate" LOL. I did my first RAINF Sniper Course on the SMLE .303 Rifle way back in the 1970's, they were Armoury stored, reconditioned Australian WW2 Sniper Rifles and perfect for the role in those days. "Relatively accurate" is a huge understatement, BTW a good Sniper rifle has to be Stalking worthy, its nothing to do with comfortable bench rest Range practises.
My complaints on the Enfield is the spring tension on the bolt, which makes me wonder why people prefer them over the Mosin, and the off-center strap rings dig into my pectorals.
The arisaka type 99 is my favorite, I have one that that someone ran a 30-06 reamer threw, the barrel diameter is .311, 30-06 is .308, I loaded up some rounds for it with the .311 bullets and it was grouping a 3 inch patter at 200 yards
if the list didnt include the Mauser K98, Lee-Enfield, and the K31, then it would have been really weird... Makes sense that you would just lump all the guns that are derivatives of the Mauser, else this would be a very boring list indeed.
The Springfield 1903 is the best bolt action rifle, and I just shot one a couple of days ago. What an accurate rifle, and you have to love that 30-06 round! It's absolutely beautiful too!
Hmm. The mauser shoots slower than the SMLE and has half the magazine capacity. But it's the king of battlefield bolt actions. Another "Hunter or target shooter rates a military weapon" vid.
Simon Watts the Mauser is more accurate, has a more reliable action (it doesn't need a spring to make its action faster) and is still considered by pretty much every army in the world the best bolt action rifle ever created.
Simon Watts the thing about the Mauser is that it has a stronger bolt, is easier to maintain, more reliable, and has a legacy that the enfield can't even touch, and most people will tell you that most mausers are more accurate and better made than any lee enfield.
smirklet. And you with respect don't understand about battle rifles. The Mauser may group half inch closer. So what. It's better to wound in battle than to kill. It may be a bit stronger, but soldiers rifles rarely if ever survive in combat long enough to wear out, and in peace time they are professionally maintained. It's not as though the Enfield is actually delicate, far from it. And the Mk4 is much stronger. The Enfield fires twice as fast, is almost as accurate and has double the magazine size. That, for a soldier, for an army, is vital. NEVER, EVER TAKE NOTICE OF HUNTERS AND TARGET SHOOTERS TALKING ABOUT ANY BATTLE RIFLE.
My favorite bolt action in general is the M38 Mosin Nagant. I got mine in unissued & unfired condition, all-numbers-matching, made in 1943. Can’t see myself ever parting with this rifle.
Same here, to always am shocked when people talk down about the Mosin. It is the longest running battle rifle in the world for a reason. Bolt is butter if you maintain your guns, one finger operation is hard to pass up. Got it unfired, but close to 1000 rds through it mine and it operates nearly as well as a modern Bolt action hunter.
the kragg sucks. It takes a while to reload the bullets can easily get jammed in the receiver. Also the kragg was not to first rifle to use smokeless powder. The lebel was the first rifle to use smokeless powder
Everyone here asking why the garbage rod (Mosin Nagan) isn't here. It's because it sucks guys, it's only boon is that its cheap or at least used to be.
My top 5 Bolt Action Rifles a) Lebel 1886- Reason smokeless powder b) Mauser 1898- set the standard, every rifle had to beat or emulate. Most bolt actions nowadays are Mauser clones. c) Mannlicher M95- Austrian Rifle WWI and other Balkan countries rifles WWI-WWII ( Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary). Reason: Rotary Bolt ( Most high tech modern selective fire weapons nowadays use a rotary bolt design. Unlike the Swiss rifle, the Austrian actually saw combat, so this is why I chose it to represent the rotary bolt category d) Lee Enfield - introduced a magazine e) Mosin Nagant- for the simple reason of the 7.62*54R cartrige- only one still in use nowadays, and closest thing to a modern 308 Winchester.
+This Guy Technically , yes : Blitzkrieg in 40 (Even if the Italians were obliterated in the alps with french rifles) , Vietnam , Algeria , and the free french forces used m1903 and captured kar98k during the liberation of france (atlantic pockets like Lorient)
Free french forces used mas 36 too (they used all weepons as they can) The mas 36 was use by vietcong against us soldiers equiped of m16 or m14 during vietam War
That's due to them not developing militarily after WW1, except for like their navy. With Vietnam, that's just kind of unfair. The Viet Cong had machine guns and guerilla warfare tactics.
11:31 is important too. When the magazine plate comes up and blocks the bolt it physically prevents the shooter in the confusion of combat from loading and reloading an empty gun. A genius little touch that probably saved lives.
You did Lee Enfield a huge disservice by not showing its best variant the No4 MK1. It has a better adjustable rear peep sights than any you mentioned. Why show the oldest model Lee Enfield. As far as a bolt action battle rifle (which is its intended purpose) It is hands down the best. Miffed. The mauser may make a better hunting rifle but these were designed to be battle rifles so in that sense the Lee Enfield takes it home. A faster action, 10 round removable mag feed with flyaway stripper clips, The best sight system (No4 MK1) and durability. Correct me if i am wrong but it is the longest serving military firearm and it is so for some very good reasons.
The Indian Army were primarily using the Ishapore 2A1 - basically a 7.62mm SMLE. Though I have seen recent (last 5-10 years) pictures of Indian police with what look like No.4s.
