1903 and M1 vs. SMLE shootout!

[Karl]

I was cruising The Firearm Blog this morning and I found this....



Being a big fan of all three rifles used this was right up my alley! ENJOY!

 

[Tommy Gun]

I watched that show the other night.

 

[KBCraig]

If the Brit had been doing his best, he could have kept up with the Garand, too. Enfields really are fast.

 

[PatMcD]

My favorite Gunny quote from that clip: "Great Britain my Ass! Nothin' great about it!".

 

[M1911]

If the Brit had been doing his best, he could have kept up with the Garand, too. Enfields really are fast.

He should have been allowed to use a No. 4 Mk I against the Garand -- it has better sights than the No 1 Mk III. Dunno how much of a difference it would have made, though.

 

[M1911]

My favorite Gunny quote from that clip: "Great Britain my Ass! Nothin' great about it!".

Not anymore.

 

[Karl]

The Enfield loads 10 rounds via two 5 shot stripper clips. I would have liked to see the No1 Mk3 with 5 shots against the 03.

 

[M1911]

The Enfield loads 10 rounds via two 5 shot stripper clips. I would have liked to see the No1 Mk3 with 5 shots against the 03.

SMLE still would have won -- the bolt cycles a bunch faster than the '03. I can operate the bolt on my No. 4 MK 1 about twice as fast as any Mauser-style action I've ever fired.

 

[Karl]

SMLE still would have won -- the bolt cycles a bunch faster than the '03. I can operate the bolt on my No. 4 MK 1 about twice as fast as any Mauser-style action I've ever fired.

I think so too...

 

[PatMcD]

The Enfields are super smooth/fast operating. No way it can keep up with the M1, though.
In the '03 vs. Enfield contest, the '03 is at a disadvantage until the ranges get over 300yds or so. Then the superior accuracy of the Springfield will negate the speed advantage of the Enfield.

 

[USMA-82]

The Enfields are super smooth/fast operating. No way it can keep up with the M1, though.
In the '03 vs. Enfield contest, the '03 is at a disadvantage until the ranges get over 300yds or so. Then the superior accuracy of the Springfield will negate the speed advantage of the Enfield.

What he said...

 

[KBCraig]

The Enfields are super smooth/fast operating. No way it can keep up with the M1, though.

In aimed fire, it certainly can. I've seen "classic" category service rifle matches, where many an M1 shooter has been surprised by an Enfield shooter. Have you ever seen a mad minute competition?

In the '03 vs. Enfield contest, the '03 is at a disadvantage until the ranges get over 300yds or so. Then the superior accuracy of the Springfield will negate the speed advantage of the Enfield.

As the saying goes about the world war bolt rifles: "The Germans brought a hunting rifle. The American brought a target rifle. The British brought a battle rifle."

 

[PatMcD]

In aimed fire, it certainly can. I've seen "classic" category service rifle matches, where many an M1 shooter has been surprised by an Enfield shooter. Have you ever seen a mad minute competition?



As the saying goes about the world war bolt rifles: "The Germans brought a hunting rifle. The American brought a target rifle. The British brought a battle rifle."

I have heard that, agree with it, and quote it often.

As for it matching the speed of the M1, sorry, but it doesn't. It's very fast for a bolt-gun, but when matching equally-experinced shooters with each, it's no match for the M1.

 

[Karl]

It's largely attributed to the marksman... If you look at the rate of fire for the Garand it's about 16 to 25 rounds per minute. In a Mad Minute professionally trained British soldiers have been known to fire up to 40 rounds per minute.

 

[USMA-82]

It's largely attributed to the marksman... If you look at the rate of fire for the Garand it's about 16 to 25 rounds per minute. In a Mad Minute professionally trained British soldiers have been known to fire up to 40 rounds per minute.

Well, I'd say that careful, aimed fire and a "Mad Minute" are two different things. The semi-auto is just mechanically faster than the bolt action. Try firing one or the other in the rapid fire stage of a highpower rifle match and then decide which is faster.

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