WWII Small Arms Real Experience

There have been a few threads regarding "Best" and "Favorite" Small Arms recently. I was wondering how many of us here have Actual experience in handling and firing WWII weapons? Besides our honored Vets here obviously LOL. That goes with out saying LOL. IMO Video and Computer Game knowledge just don't cut it lol. I for one own quite a few and have fired a good many weapons from WWI and to the present. Up to and including for example the good ol "Ma Duece" 50 .cal.

 

http://www.ww2f.com/weapons-wwii/22113-wwii-small-arms.html

Done already.

 

Yep And I posted there too . And Im not looking for the "Best" nor "Favorite" as that thread was started about. Just actual experience and perhaps where you have fired them? How did you score? LOL. Do you hunt or target shoot?

 

But i thought that thread is full of people telling what they fired?
And some speculation of bullets apparently

 

There are some that have posted that LOL. But his question was ""For those of you out there who have had the honor of firing small arms from the WWII era, which one was your favorite to fire and why? Mine is I want to know who here have real experience as opposed to just in games. For some posters here that don't have the priviledge to actually fire a weapon I also wonder what they base thier opinions on when talking about what they consider the "Best" or "Favorite"?

 

Now I have noticed that alot of the posters that do own WWII era weapons look to be mostly from the US. How many of our Europeans posters are able to own or fire any? I know that the Gun Laws in the UK are pretty stiff when it comes to handguns. With a Curios & Relics license you can purchase quite a few WWII era weapons without having a Dealers license. Is there anything like that in Europe? I would think that some WWII era weapons would be quite plentiful there LOL.

 

Nice list there smarty LOL . I was just referring to WWII era weapons Jeez! LOL. Kinda off topic but I found some plans to make a Blackpowder 6 Gauge !!!!!

 

Jeff do you mean the Gewehr 98 of WW 1 or the Karabiner 98 of WW 2 ?

 

I have owned and shot at one time or another the following:

RIFLES​

German
Gewehr 98 (1915 Oberndorf)
K98k. Owned one and sold it.
(Recoil from both 8mm rifles is obstreperous - more than I like for informal target shooting)

British
Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk. III (BSA 1927). One of my favorites, even thought the bolt cocks the striker arse-backwards

American
M1903A1 Springfield. As enjoyable to shoot as the Enfield.
M1 Garand. Not a favorite, since I've never cared for self-loaders, rifles or sidearms.
M1 Carbine. Fired a friend's once. What a hoot to empty a 20-round magazine as fast as the trigger can be pulled.

Russian
SKS. I've fired a few hundred rounds through mine. It's a pretty crudely made rifle, but certainly serviceable.
M1891 Mosin Nagant. Shot it a few times only, then sold it.

HANDGUNS
Many. I'll make up a list soon.

JT

 

In no particular order:

.50 M2 machinegun
M 60 machinegun
M 14
M 16 (alot....too much)
M 1 carbine
M 1 Garand
Type 99 7.7mm japanese
8mm Spanish mauser
6.5mm Italian Carcano carbine
9mm pistol (any number of types of automatic)
45 cal pistol (including one interesting one that was a revolver using special little clips to give the rounds a rim for use in the gun)
.22 rifles
12, 16 and .410 gage shotguns (various sorts)
L7 and L8 37mm non-lethal munitions weapons
pepperball air rifle
.38 pistol
.380 pistol
.44 magnum pistol
.303 SMLE
M1859 Sharps .54 cal rifle and carbine
Remington 45/70 M1898
Sharps 45/70 carbine
.222 remington
400 Weatherbee
SKS
AK 47 (7.62)
7.62 Mosin Naguat
.303 Ross (Canadian...very scary gun with a very weak action)
Martini-Henry
.30 Winchester / Henry
40 cal Manard High Wall
Well, I know I'm forgetting a bunch here too but I think this is a good picture.

 

The M-'03 feels like a target rifle while the Lee has a more military feel to it. The LE's bolt feels better but the '03 is better once you've lined up the sights.

Never did well with the garand.The dimensions feel wrong for me (I'm 5'6".)

In comparing the M-16 with the AK-47, imagine being a raw conscript in the 15th century and choosing which weapon to master, the bow or the musket. I can learn to shoot the musket-16 in three days. The bow-47 on the other hand, is a tougher one to master.

Having said that the armalite is a lot easier to master and shoot, I ask myself which would give me more confidence when walking into the bush? I'll have to be honest. The AK-47 will be my weapon of choice.

 

In Finland, you cannot own a fully automatic weapon. Some pistols under certain size, that can be hidden in your pocket, are banned aswell.

Bolt-lock, and half-automatic rifles are alllowed, but you need a good reason, or a good collection to get a permit for them.

But i think the authorities don´t like people owning WW2-era weapons, most that i have seen on sale, are deactivated, and even they cost quite a lot. I.e K98 DEKO costs round 500-600 euros. No idea how much a working one does.