Читать книгу Gun Digest 2011 - Dan Shideler - Страница 30

MILITARY RIFLE ACCURACY: A COMPARISON

BY JOHN T. BUTTERS

This article chronicles the results of an enjoyable project that grew out of a series of more or less unrelated events starting in the year 2000 with the acquisition of a very nice SMLE No. 4 MK2 rifle. I had always wanted to find out for myself what my father, who served in the British Army in WWI, found so praiseworthy about the SMLE.

Admittedly, he was issued the No. 1 rifle in one or another of its earlier versions but the No. 4 model was more appealing to me due to its better trigger arrangement and heavier barrel. I immediately discovered that his observation that it was “the same size from muzzle to butt plate” was indeed close to being literally correct. Thankfully, I did not have to check on the truth of his comments regarding its handiness as a club carrying an oversized butcher knife on the other end. He believed that “cold steel is the answer” and “the rifle is designed for disciplined and commanded musketry and is best employed under strict unit control.”

On the other hand, I was trained by American GIs with European and Asian theater combat experience who emphasized individual marksmanship at reasonable ranges within the constraints of “fire discipline.” Fighting with sharpened entrenching tools, rifle butts and bayonets was recognized as a part of the job to be avoided if at all possible. As one bestriped and beribboned old master Sergeant told us, “if you can stop ‘em when they are 300 yards away that’s 10 times better than 30 yards away. That doesn’t mean you need to mess with ‘em at a thousand yards unless you’re told to. One of the SOBs may have a mortar.” Dad and I never reconciled our philosophical differences over the question of individual marksmanship versus unit musketry exercises.

I once saw the movie Enemy at the Gates, in which the Russian protagonist used a Moisin-Nagant long rifle. As a kid I had been exposed to the comments of a gunsmith who bad-mouthed the Moisin-Nagant in the belief that it was “weak and dangerous.” In the ‘50s and ‘60s the Communist Nations of the Eastern European Block used the Moisin-Nagant long rifle in the international military rifle competitions when it was their turn to host the matches. Russian, Romanian, East German and Bulgarian shooters and others shot some remarkable scores against our best marksmen in those so called “CISM” (Commite Internationale Sport Militaire) matches.

Rear sight comparison. Left to right: M96 Carl Gustav Swedish Mauser, M31 Schmidt-Rubin, M39 Finnish Moisin-Nagant, 1903 A3 Springfield.

Guns were supposedly chosen by lot to ensure an even footing and ammunition was said to be a “common issue.” All was purportedly equal although suspicious minds darkly hinted that some guns and ammo were “more equal than others,” especially when shot by the host countries! Even so, I wanted to see for myself how a really good Moisin-Nagant would shoot. When the Finnish M39 Moisin-Nagant in 7.62x54R became available with a new 1942 rebuild by the Finnish “B” factory (Valmet?) I ordered one.

Others followed in quick succession: the Swiss K31 in 7.5 x 55 Schmidt-Rubin, the Swedish M96 Mauser in 6.5x55, the Yugoslav M48A in 8x57, the M1909 and 1891 Mausers in 7.65x53 Argentine, and the Arisaka M38 in 6.5x50 Japanese came my way. I already had a DCM 1903A3 by Smith Corona that was a proven performer so I was all set to make a military bolt rifle performance comparison that spanned the late 19th through the mid 20th centuries.

For the shooting phase of the project, I chose to shoot from prone with issue sights, a coat, a glove and a tight sling, as I felt that off-the-shoulder performance would be more uniform than off the bench and more in keeping with field usage. Except for chronograph sessions, all shooting was “personalized” match-type using U.S. military and US NRA targets at ranges out to 880 yards.

Observation and opinions of individual characteristics were noted and compared within the group. Ammunition included both handloads and “issue grade” where available. All rifles were inspected for structural soundness of the action and bolt and correct function of the firing mechanism and all were checked for proper headspace. After all, some of these “old soldiers” are a century old and, while yet still eminently serviceable, deserve “some respect”! The rifles I used were all in great shape but there are those out there that are not. Let the shooter beware!

As the rifles and ammunition for test firing were assembled it became obvious that the ordnance officers of the various nations were in broad agreement in some areas but differed significantly in others. Only the 98 Mauser types (48A Yugoslav and 1909 Argentine), the Moisin-Nagant and the 1903-A3 were cock-on-opening actions. All the rest cocked on closing. All safeties locked the firing pin and all had positively controlled feed. The M91 Mauser’s, the Arisaka’s, the Moisin-Nagant’s and the Swiss Schmidt-Rubin’s safeties locked the bolt closed on “safe” while the rest could theoretically at least be manipulated to unload the chamber on “safe.” All had rapid reload features and mechanical intercepts preventing firing out of battery.

Cartridge comparison (not all tested). Left to right: 6.5X50 Japanese Military, 6.5X55 Swedish, 7.65X53 Belgian (Argentine), 7.7X56R (.303 British), 7.5X55 Schmidt-Rubin (Swiss), 7.62X51 NATO (308 Winchester), 7.62X54R Russian, 7.92X57 (8mm Mauser), .30-06 Springfield (7.62X63).

Front sight comparison, left to right: M96 Carl Gustav Swedish Mauser, M31 Schmidt-Rubin, M39 Finnish Moisin-Nagant, No.4 Mk 2 Short Magazine Lee Enfield, 1903 A3 Springfield.

Only the SMLE and the Schmidt-Rubin had removable magazines. The 03 A3 and the 48A Mauser had one-piece trigger guards and floor plates; the rest had removable floor plates which again, at least theoretically, enabled unloading the ammunition in the magazine without running it through the loading/ejection port.

All the countries represented issued both carbine length and “long” rifles except the U.S. and Britain, who got along with the nominal two-foot barrel length, as did Switzerland after 1931 and Sweden after 1938. The Arisaka and the Mausers (except for the Swedes) had “barleycorn” inverted V-front sights. The rest had square top posts, the width of which was remarkably close to the width of a man’s shoulders as seen through the sights at 300 yards. Only the 1903 A3 and the SMLE had peep rear sights; the rest, except for one Kokura arsenal Arisaka, had open notch rear sights.

Finally, the ordnance departments were divided into three main groups with regard to size of bullet and power of cartridge. First, the small bore proponents were represented by the 6.5x50mm Japanese and the 6.5x55 Swede. (To this group may be added the 6.5 Mannlicher types as used by Austria and Greece but which were not included in this test series.) Next in line came the 308W/7.62x51 group, represented by the .303 Brit, the 7.5x55 Schmidt-Rubin and the 7.65x53 Argentine. All use 174-grain bullets at close to 2,550 fps.

Next the big boys on the block checked in with the 8x57 Mauser, the 7.65x54 R and the .30-06. They all step up a rung with more bullet energy than the other two groups.

The tests I ran showed that as issued they all could be made to shoot well enough to meet minimum “match rifle” standards, and with a little tuning some managed to afford a number of pleasant surprises. Issue ammunition, with two remarkable exceptions, was a disappointment, yielding a dull four minute of angle average. This no doubt was the result of economies of production and quality control, which were in keeping with a planned “dispersal on target” which would prevent an excited and stressed soldier from emptying his magazine into one small spot on the battlefield when the objective of his superiors was that he “spread it around and share it a little.”

Every rifle tested would shoot into at least 2-1/2 minutes of angle with tailored handloads. The 6.5 Swedes would cut that in less than half and were the overachievers in the class. It is well worth noting that without exception, the best performance with all was with service weight bullets at service pressures and velocities. The old bald-heads running ordnance knew what was safest and most accurate because they worked hard and smart at finding it out. Respect that knowledge and be instructed thereby.

NO. 4 MARK 2

The old No. 4 Mark 2 .303 Brit was made at the Fazakerly Factory near Liverpool in February of 1950 and if it was ever issued it didn’t get shot much. It came with a short stock and a capricious performance that quickly earned it the name “Crazy Albert.” It was tantalizingly finicky, shooting 3 or 4 shots into a 2-½ or 3 inch group at 200 yards, then scattering the next 3 or 4 from 7 ring to 7 ring, high low, right, left – who the hell knows where next? – before settling down in the original group. A recurring skinned place on my forehead above my right eye was cured by the purchase and careful fitting of an “L” or long version of the issue stock.

Frustration at the inconsistency of performance on target was eventually cured under the tutelage of “Les” Karas of Ontario, Canada, who graciously provided directions for tuning Crazy Albert and curbing its tendency to scatter shots all over the target. In brief, it involved careful fitting and glass bedding to keep the barrel free-floated and the front band from touching the front sight. It also helped to use a paint mark on the cartridge case head to index fire-formed and neck-sized cases in the chamber the same way each time. (It seems the Brits were more interested in getting the bolt to close on anything that was stuck in the chamber than in facilitating the reloading of fired cases.) Trigger pull was smoothed by polishing the roughness from engaging surfaces but not reduced from the 6-pound, two-stage pull it came with. In this condition, it was shot in a high power match at Camp Bullis in the Spring of 2001.

Things went pretty well until the 600-yard stage, when elevation problems caused by having to hold off for about 4 minutes of wind one way to 6 minutes the other way resulted in a 168. The low comb on the stock also prevents an effective “spot weld” when the rear sight is elevated for 600 yards.

Back to “Les” Karas, who offered a chuckle and some sympathy, along with some leads on a source for a windage-adjustable rear sight. Several weeks later “Bertie” was sporting a very nice fully adjustable A. J. Parker rear with an adjustable aperture. This sight was designed to mount directly on the No. 4 rifle with no machining required. It works great and although the rifle is no longer “showroom stock,” it is a fun gun with a mild recoil that has put 22 rounds into a 24"x36" group at 880 yards, scoring a 188 on a frame mounted 1000 yard target. I believe it would have done better with target pulling service to help in doping the wind and mirage between shots.

The ammunition was South African Berdan primed 174-grain non-corrosive MK VII issue ball reseated .015 inch. Without reseating to break the seal, vertical dispersion increased by over a minute of angle. A handload using IMR 4320, a Winchester case and primer and the Hornady 174-grain .3105 FMJBT bullet at 2480 fps shot into less than 2 minutes of angle and had the same point of impact as the GI loading all the way from 200 yards to 500 yards. No comparison has been made yet at 880 yards. (Why 880 and not 900? Because I can’t get 900 from my firing line without a mammoth earthmoving project!)

The old SMLE no longer deserves to be called “Crazy Albert.” It has had its problems fixed as well as may be reasonably done and will shoot as accurately and as reliably as the run-of-the-mill National Match M-1. It would make an easily portable and effective service rifle due to its light weight, handy configuration and smooth bolt operation. While it didn’t have “target accuracy” as received, it probably had sufficient battlefield accuracy, particularly when used as described by my old Brit Infantryman Dad.

MOISIN-NAGANT

The Moisin-Nagant was a hexagonal-actioned rifle picked up out of the snow by the Finns during the winter war of 1939-1940 after the Russians threw them away so they could run faster. Being no dummies and recognizing the value of the salvage, the Finns brought the rifles home and reworked the ones they liked, rebarreling them with a 27-1/2 inch tube and restocking them with an extended forend. Sights were replaced with the Finnish military standard rear leaf and a windage adjustable front set with two opposing screws graduated to move the service bullet impact the width of one ring on the 300-meter international/ Scandinavian target for each increment of adjustment.

B decimal target with 500-yard slow fire group using handloads reproducing the .30-06 National Match cartridge using the M72 FMJBT 173-grain bullet, shot with 1903-A3 Springfield.

880-yard slow fire group with No.4 Mk2 SMLE using South African GI 7.7x56R (.303B) Mk 7Z 1980 Ball with 174-grain FMJBT bullet reseated .015 deeper than issued. Note two sighters at 11 o’clock.

The one I got was rebarreled and rebuilt in 1942 by “B.” I understand that means Valmet. If it had been shot since it was proofed, I saw no evidence of it with a Hawkeye borescope. This rifle was big, tough, heavy and clumsy but all business. It got known as “Ivan the Terrible” or just “The Brute” for short. The trigger was almost 7 pounds with two stages but was amazingly uniform. Despite the weight of pull, the second stage was sharp and predictable, making it quite usable. I can see how such a trigger would be no drawback at -30° F in blowing snow while wearing gloves.

A variety of steel case Eastern Bloc ammo with 154-, 174- and 197-grain bullets was quite uniform in performance – all bad – with 8 inch to 10 inch groups at 200 yards and getting worse at 300 yards. The barrel however was really nice inside, appearing to have been carefully lapped to a very uniform .3105 diameter. The first load of 4320 with the Hornady 174-grain .3105 bullets in Lapuan 7.62 x 54R brass chronographed 2660 fps and grouped into just over 1 MOA at 200, 300 and 500 yards, impacting right on the 200 meter, 300 meter and 500 meter settings. Would it work as a sniper’s rifle? Hell yes!

Especially if the shooter was tough. Everything about this rifle is tough. The recoil is tough, the trigger is tough, the bolt operation is tough. This is a big, heavy combat rifle designed to take it and to dish it out with .30-06 class ballistics. I like the old pig but I have to feel like experiencing a little recoil when I go out to shoot it and be willing to manhandle the bolt and trigger in the bargain.

M48A 8X57

The Model 98 Mauser clan was represented by a Yugoslav M48A 8x57 short rifle and a pair of 1909 Argentine 7.62 x 53s, one short rifle and one long rifle. The 48A was like new inside and out and was finished almost as nicely as a new commercial Mauser.

Cheap Turkish 1938 Berdan-primed 154-grain ball, guaranteed to be corrosive by its vendor, shot into 4 MOA out to 300 yards. It all shot, though, and chronographed quite uniformly at 2970 fps with an extreme spread of 44 fps. I pulled some of the bullets and reseated a Sierra 150-grain flat base soft point instead of the original full metal jackets. I was rewarded with 2950 fps “Munich Match” that grouped into about 1-1/2 MOA all the way out to 500 yards.

The barleycorn front sight gave me trouble with elevation, though. It would fade out at the point no matter how hard I concentrated on it and would give me vertical changes that I did not experience with the more visible flat top front posts. It was also more difficult to define the point of the barleycorn so as to level it with the top of the rear sight notch. For me, a good sized rear peep and 8 minute wide flat top front post seemed to give the best results in both bright and dim lighting. It was easier to see the sights and take a uniform picture with a peep and flat top post.

All that said, I used the 48A and “Munich Match” to cull a spike buck out of my “Range Ravine” at about 350 yards in the dusk just before dark one evening as I was gathering up my gear. The 8x57 is a powerful cartridge and gives away little in terminal ballistic effect to the 30-06.

As a photographer friend of mine once said, “You take the picture with the camera you’ve got.” Much the same is true of rifles: the handier the gun, the more likely you are to have it in hand. Such is the case with the 23.6 inch-barreled Model 48A. It is relatively light and quick to the shoulder with a better than average stock shape for a military rifle. The trigger pull was pretty good, a two-stage generic Mauser military type, and a pull weight very close to 4-½ pounds. The general impression was quite favorable, probably one of the best all-around bolt rifles for a soldier to carry day in and day out.

M1909 ARGENTINE

The same comments apply to the M1909 Argentine short rifle except that it had a bore diameter of .313 inch and, although in very nice shape, it would not shoot better than about 2-1/2 MOA with anything that was tried. The Argentine 184-grain surplus ammunition wouldn’t shoot any better than 6-inch 100-yard groups even though the bullets miked .313.

880-yard No.4 Mk 2 targets with sighters pasted.

M96 Swede 200-yard slow fire group on MR52 decimal target (600 yard reduced for 200 yards). Score100/5X. Closer is easier but the skinny comb on the issue M96 stock makes a consistent “spot weld” and head position more difficult and contributes to left and right sighting errors.

“Upgraded” rear sights. M. Soderin Aperture Type, M96 Carl Gustav Swedish Mauser (left); A. J. Parker Type 4/47, No.4 Mk 2 SMLE (right).

The M1909 Argentine long rifle had a fine .3105 barrel but wouldn’t shoot the surplus issue stuff either. However, 150-grain Hornady spire point .311 bullets at 2668 fps with IMR 4895 performed very well, approaching 1 MOA out to 300 yards. The 174-grain Hornady FMJ boat tail .3105 bullets with IMR 4064 at 2560 fps were also nearly MOA performers all the way to 500 yards. The barleycorn front sight on the long rifle didn’t seem to cause as much sighting elevation error as it did on the shorter rifles. The 20 percent longer sight radius probably helped.

The nicest thing about the DWM built Argentine Mausers, after their commercial grade finish, was the 7.65x53 Argentine (or Belgian, if you prefer) cartridge. It loads with ease and is very comfortable to shoot, performing about like a strong .308W. After loading for and shooting a number of examples I am surprised that the 7.65x53Argentine/Belgian Mauser cartridge is as well kept a secret as it seems to be. Try it – you’ll like it!

A M91 short rifle and a M91 long rifle in 7.65x53 were also tested and shot quite well except with the Argentine issue ammunition. The long rifle had a .313 diameter barrel and might have done better than 2-½ to 3 MOA if the correct bullets had been available. The carbine, which appeared to have been an arsenal rework of a long rifle, had a .312 barrel and shoots 150-grain .312 spire points into about 2 inches at 100 yards. Not inspiring, but good enough for a rifle to carry behind pig chasing dogs in the Louisiana low country. It’s short, light, handy and cheap enough to sacrifice some finish on it. If need be, it’s a good “rain and mud gun” if you don’t mind the cock on closing.

Neither of the M91s qualified as a first rank infantry or sniper rifle in my opinion. They were serviceable but not outstanding.

ARISAKAS

The Arisakas were a ho-hum lot, with grossly oversize chambers that complicated reloading. I am sure that some Type 38 Arisaka long rifles would turn out fine accuracy but I was unable to find any. Norma factory 140-grain soft points were not only expensive but erratic as well. Sierra 140 Matchkings could be driven no faster than about 2150 fps before pressure signs started to appear. 2-½ to 3 minutes of angle was the best I could get despite stories told by WWII veterans about snipers who “after a while you began to think couldn’t miss.” Trigger pulls were rough and upwards of 10 pounds.

A finely-finished Kokura long rifle had peep sights for both “battle ranges” and long range that gave good sight pictures. Some Koishikawa long rifles, in contrast, all had open rear sights. The light recoil generated by the 6.5x50 cartridge was easy to take and if the rifles could have been made to shoot would have invited longer range sessions. I quickly tired of errant shots and spread-out groups. So much for the Arisakas I tested.

I may be fairly accused of saving the best for last with reports on the K31 Schmidt -Rubin, the 03-A3 Smith Corona Springfield and the M96 Swedes. They all shot, some a little better than others, but every one was trouble-free fun.

K31

The K31 came with dinged-up wood, perfect metal work and a card under the butt plate with the name, address and telephone number of the Swiss trooper from Basel who was sent home with his rifle in 1958. He must not have shot it much because a borescope inspection showed no discernable throat wear and a mirror finish rivaling the product of some U.S.-based master barrel makers. Slugging it revealed an exceptionally round and uniform .3070 bore. Swiss issue 1911 type 174-grain full metal jacket boattail ball shot so well that I thought that my first 10 rounds at 200 yards were an anomaly. They weren’t, and they scored an easy possible with about half x’s on the 200 yard NRA “A” target.

The next 10 were as good or better. The chronograph gave a muzzle velocity right at 2550 fps. Thinking I could improve on the GI issue stuff, I broke the bullet seal by reseating the out-of-the-box ammo by about .015 inch. Wrong. It made no discernable difference. Next step was to load some 168-grain Sierra Matchkings to the service load velocity. No help there, either. The 168s weren’t quite as good as the Swiss issue, still cleaning the 200 yard “A” but with far fewer x’s and noticeably more dispersion. I gave up and ordered another case of 7.5 x 55 Swiss GI. “‘Arf a crown and no regrets!” to quote the Picadilly Lily!

Schmidt Rubin sights have a cleverly diagonaled slot in which the square top post front is mounted. Windage corrections are made by driving the front sight fore and aft, which also moves it right and left – simple. Swiss ordnance likewise gave the rifleman few choices in sight elevation. Only cardinal 100-meter changes selection from 200 to 1500 meters are possible with no “in between” detents.

To take advantage of the undoubtedly well-planned coincidence of bullet impact and elevation settings, I got out some old “D” -type military silhouette targets with “V’s” and 5’s as high scores. At 300 yards, the top of the front sight was “shoulder width” on the target, very visible and easy to hold for elevation on the horizontal lower edge of the black. Slow fire “V’s” were the order of the day. Seventy-second standing-to-prone rapid fire exercises starting with four rounds in the magazine and reloading with six from that funny tin and cardboard Swiss clip were really fun.

Once I got over trying to lift up on the straight-pull bolt T-handle, I found a smooth rhythm of operation that was as satisfying and fast as any fine turnbolt or semi-auto match rifle. After the first uninterrupted rapid fire string I shot I lay there and watched the timer count off an unused 12 seconds that I hadn’t needed.

The K-31 will shoot but had beautiful closely machined parts clearances that I suspect would suffer if the rifle were taken into the sand or the jungle. So what? The Swiss weren’t going either place. From a tall Swiss hill, the K31 would have been capable of “delivering a large volume of accurate fire” and is said to have figured in Germany’s decision to let the Swiss alone in WWII.

Bottom line: great rifle. Swiss GI 174-grain ball shoots better than my hand-loads and will give you x-ring groups at least out to 500 yards. I’m keeping mine to play with some more.

1903-A3

About fifty years ago in Dallas, there were five shooters who got caught up in the local competition scene and who participated in what was called “military rifle” matches in which any issue military rifle could be used. The course of fire was the national match course and it attracted a wondrous array of WWI and WWII rifles and cartridges. One of the five ordered a Springfield from the Director of Civilian Marksmanship. When it arrived it came into the form of a “U.S. Smith Corona 1903-A3” with a “C” stock, sheet metal hardware and a slick four groove SC-7-43 barrel.

All the five used “the rifle,” which turned out to be a shooter, in those military matches. It was variously owned, sometimes several times and for varying periods, by at least three of the five. Miraculously it avoided being sporterized by one or another of us. Only two of the five are still alive and only one of those still shoots. The old 03-A3, however, has not aged. Indeed, its users over the years have lovingly and meticulously cared for the old rifle inside and out. Its dark American walnut wood has the deep luster and sheen imparted by a few drops of linseed oil rubbed in by hand after each use. Admittedly its forend and butt plate have places where “firm grip” deposits betray the rifle’s past but their piney scent and roughened texture are part of its character.

If a shooter ever had the equivalent of a “Proustian Madeleine” surely this must be it, a sweet memory of things past. Damned old gun shoots! It’ll give you inside x-ring groups with “white box” match all the way to 600 yards right today if you do your part. It shoots 125s, 150s, 168s, 173s, 180s, and 190s. You get the feeling that it would shoot copper doorknobs as well if you had enough of ‘em to work up a load. The sights don’t have enough “in between” elevation graduations to accommodate all of the “non-GI” combinations at all ranges and it’s possible to run out of windage adjustment in challenging conditions, but the peep rear is the right size and distance from the eye and the skinny front post is made to order for the small-bull “A”, “B”, and “C” targets with “V” rings.

The bolt runs slick and there’s enough stock comb to let you maintain a consistent sight picture. More recoil than with an M-1 but just remember that you’re shooting a .30-06 with all the power you’ll ever need. Damned old gun shoots!

SWEDE M96

If the Swedes are to be known for something besides their goofy socialist politics and their beautiful women, I would suggest the combination of the M96 Mauser rifle and the 6.5x55 Swedish cartridge. It was everything the Arisakas I tested could have been and weren’t.

Three Model 96s, one Model 38 short rifle and a CG63 arsenal-built, Olympic-type 300-meter competition rifle, all with trigger pulls in the 4-pound range, were tested using 144-grain full metal jacket boattail Swede FFV bullets made in 1954 for use in Olympic competition. The best accuracy was found at very close to 2600 fps from a 29.1 inch barrel. The worst any of them shot was about 1-1/2 MOA; the best was right at half that. Both open and peep rear sights worked well with the aperture type of course being better by far.

One of the M96 long rifles was a literally unfired “Swedish National Match” with a sturdy M. Soderin receiver-mounted peep with highly repeatable windage and elevation settings. Only the bolt and receiver parts had matching numbers but the rifle obviously had been expertly rebuilt with a new select barrel at the Carl Gustaf Factory, probably in the ‘50s or ‘60s. That gun and the CG63, also with a used but good barrel and Soderin rear sight, will shoot 3/4 MOA. The M96 “National Match” has a flat top post front sight and the CG63 has a hooded front with Anschutz post and globe inserts. Happiness is being confident that no matter how bad your shot is it will come on call!

The Swede military stocks are long and skinny but reasonably good cheek support can be had with a careful “spot weld.” Light recoil and a long sight radius helps also. Care must be taken not to use too much sling tension. The long slender rifle can be bent 3 or 4 minutes left if you use more sling tension than is necessary for a good stable hold.

Light recoil helps in that department too. A National Match M-1 may be “horsed” pretty hard, and must be to keep a good stable position, without causing an impact shift toward 9 o’clock. The CG63 stock lets its barrel float so is also fairly immune to sling tension bending. Don’t do it with the limber long guns like the M96 issue Swedes, though. They don’t tolerate it well.

CONCLUSIONS

Well, it’s taken about five days to generally summarize about five years testing of about a dozen different rifles, all of the above being brought about by a couple of idle questions arising out unbridled curiosity. Somebody said, I forget who, that the Brits built the battle rifles, the Germans built the hunting rifles and the Americans built the target rifles, and then everybody issued them to their troops. I’d have to call that a tempting oversimplification but in the spirit of the thought would add the Swede to the target rifle classification. When you have a cartridge that you can shoot all day long without undue fatigue and which will deliver a 140-grain bullet into an x-ring group at 600 yards under the same conditions that will drift a 174-grain 30 caliber bullet from one edge of the 10 ring to the other, you have a cartridge with a target advantage. After all, as the old Sarge said, “You can’t miss ‘em hard enough to hurt ‘em.”

My favorites overall: the Swedes, the Swiss and the 03-A3 with honorable mention to the No. 4 rifle and the 7.65x53M1909 long rifle. Just don’t make me choose between my 03-A3 and the M96 Swede with the Soderin peep!