Poll – Sniper rifles in the urban battle field?
Now, as a bit of an experiment, i’d like to hear your opinion
You are in an urban battle field, a downtown of any major city. Let’s say New York. Big city blocks, tall buildings, and the subway system. Total anarchy is rampant, every man for himself. You are given the choice between 4 sniper rifles. They are as follows:
#1: Karabiner 98k with Zeiss 4x ZF42 scope, chambered in 8mm (7.92x57mm Mauser)
#2: Mosin-Nagant 91/30 with 4x PEM scope, chambered in 7.62x54R
#3: Lee-Enfield SMLE No.1 MK III, (HT) with 4x telescope, chambered in .303 British
#4: Gewehr 43 with 4x ZF 4 scope, chambered in 8mm (7.92x57mm Mauser)
The enemy is an organized force, complete with supply lines and the latest in ceramic body armor. You are given the rifle of your choice, ammuniton is plentiful, and a cleaning kit for your gun of choice. In this urban guerrila war, you are to fight for your life. Please state which one you would choose and give a detailed explaination on why.
I’ll start out. I’d choose the Mosin-Nagant. The cartridge is plenty powerful for shots over 300 yards, and with the scope accurate shots have been recorded up to and beyond the 1000 yard mark. I own and use one today and go with the "use what you know" trick, though the farthest shot I ever got was 445 yards. It, to me, seems like the obvious choice for its reliability, ease of use, and accuracy.
Thank you for your input!
For a poll on the same situation but with regular rifles go to:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsYDLRhZ.JR_s3KVH_XPxh_sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100610211406AA5LmgB
For a poll on the same situation but with assault rifles go to:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmJ5ZzfbcNlmdpwzS84ZQofsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100610221627AAaNqwz
For a poll on the same situation but with pistols, go to:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aueu7V1NSLQfPFMCRWlAbK7sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100610214903AAkc2rn
For a poll on the same situation but with machine guns, go to:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AgIZGu3v2MpjY5f1TnLLWn7sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20100610225023AAHnoRO
Obviously, you people can’t enjoy a thought experiment. Just take it for what it is. And, those say this is a video game, where are you going to be when the riots occur in your neighborhood?
Posted in sniper rifle
June 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I’d throw out the Gewehr 43 for reliability reasons.
I’d make my choice between the 3 based on ammo availability. All 3 have about equal optics, all 3 are bolt actions firing about the same ROF, firing cartridges basically of the same power level.
June 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I’d take the SMLE because I live in an Allied nation, but only if I can have "infinite ammo."
June 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I’d just bring my hunting rifle.
June 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
This is 2010, not 1943. I would want something better than a relic.
And "when" the riots occur in my neighborhood I will respond with modern firearms.
June 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
M/N is my pick, providing that its a hex receiver and it wasn’t counterbored.
If it was a M1891, M91, or a Dragoon rifle I’d feel alot better with the choice, the 91/30 is the most inaccurate of the Mosin rifles (not counting carbines). the shots recorded up to 1000 yards were done with much better rifles, like the Finnish M91 or M1891 or pre-war hex (actually octagon) receiver guns. While the war time and post war Mosin rifles are in the best condition they are the most inaccurate ones. Vasily Zaitsev’s rifle was a wartime M91/30, but it wasn’t counter bored and it was accuratized (process called corking). My 91/30 is terrible in accuracy as-is. I get like 4" groups. I’ve been considering a pre-war M91/30 or a Finnish M1891, both will shoot more accurately than mine. But then my rifle was 69 bucks, you can’t expect target rifle accuracy out of 69 bucks.
anyway, the 91/30 at first unfamiliar and thought the action was clunky, its become a favorite and all other actions have become foreign and hard to use. My Mosin is a survival rifle in my collection, its extremely reliable and rugged, its more than powerful enough for a whole lot of things, and at close range even with body armor its still very lethal.
June 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I prefer the Lee-Enfield.
The magazine holds 10 cartridges and the bolt-action design is the fastest to operate (among combat bolt-actions of WW-I, WW-II and even today).
Another little known quirk of the Lee-Enfield design is that the barrel harmonics actually help to compensate for ammunition muzzle-velocity variations, so there’s less vertical dispersion of shots fired.
I’m curious. Why did you leave out the M-1903 rifle?
June 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
All of your choices stink; besides it’s a lose/lose situation. I’ve decided to hide, instead. If they find me, I’ll just blow myself up. (How’s that!)
June 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I would take the K43 because its semi automatic, and when you fire you dont have to give away your position by working the bolt.
June 28th, 2010 at 9:36 am
The old SMLE of course. It’s faster than any of the others except the K-43, it’s easier to aim, you can fit the rifle to yourself, you don’t need a step-ladder to get up to the scope the way you do with the K98.
You have specified the HT model: Heavy Barrel with Telescopic Sight. The regular Light barrel is just fine; you must be an Aussie to think of that.
But if I ‘had my druthers’ (and thank you, Al Capp!), I would use a lapped 1910 Ross action with a Douglas air-gauged 7mm barrel, chambered for the .280 Ross cartridge, rifle modded to a 10-round drop-out Lee-type magazine, half-stock, medium-weight full-floated barrel (varmint-weight) with a fore-end tip 4-pound pressure point, Redfield Junior mounts and either a Leupold Vari-X III 4-16 scope or a 1960 NICKEL with the reticle they developed in 1944: pointed central post and ranging arms. With this, I could take anything within 6 blocks, one shot…. AND do it fast.