Weapon Ranges

[troopie]

I've never tried putting my Mauser 98 up all the way. I don't have access to an area that is safe to shoot larger than one klick. After that, it goes into a hill. I've hit targets on semi auto at 650 metres with an R-1, also called an FN-FAL but the R-1 really isn't made for long range sniping. (It's a bugger to control on full auto, so I'm not really sure what it was made for. But it was my service rifle.)

troopie

[troopie]

Originally posted by Kluckenbill:
I have a sizeable collection of old military rifles and I have always been amused at the incredible long range sights on the WW1 and (some) WW2 era guns. If you max out the rear sight on some of the old Mausers, Mannlichers, Mosin's etc, its like shooting a howitzer. I've always assumed that these sights were holdovers from the days of massed infantry maneuvering and that it was deemed practical to shoot at large masses of men at great (1500 meter plus) ranges in 1914. I can't imagine hitting a running or hiding infantryman at anything much above 200 meters, but then, I'm not much of a rifle shot.

What weapons do you have? Are they in firing condition? Have you got the 7mm Mle 96 Mauser, (the Boer War Mauser)? I've seen them in museums and collections, but never fired one. I'm told they're a sweet handling weapon.

troopie

[Pack Rat]

Way back when I was growing up there was a monthly gun magazine where the center always had a two page ad for WW2 arms. You name it they had it, seems strange now to think they are on the rare side.

I traded a friend a toy replica I had for a .303 Enfield. My parents weren't too happy with me, but did let me keep it after talking to his folks to make sure they weren't upset. He didn't want it as guns in my area were and are common and the ammo expensive for him. The first time I fired it I tied it to a cement structure and put a string around the trigger , it didn't blow up and I still have it.

[Kluckenbill]

Originally posted by troopie:

What weapons do you have? Are they in firing condition? Have you got the 7mm Mle 96 Mauser, (the Boer War Mauser)? I've seen them in museums and collections, but never fired one. I'm told they're a sweet handling weapon.

troopie

I have about 30 old military rifles. I started collecting back when I was a kid in the late '60s, some for less than $20. I had the idea that since Civil War era guns were already expensive by then, that eventually the WW1 era stuff would be valuable too. It didn't really work out that way, since you cabn still buy a lot of these guns for about $150 or so, but I enjoy them anyway.

I've shot almost all of them a few times although its hard to get ammo for some, like the Austrian Mannlicher and the old style (round point) 8mm German model 88.

I have 2 7mm Mausers, a long rifle which I think is from the Spanish American War and a carbine from the Spanish Civil War. They are both excellent guns. The Spanish Mausers differ from the German ones in that they cock on the closing of the bold instead of when you first turn the bolt. The cartridge seems much like any other high powered rifle cartridge of the era in terms of accuracy and power.

The worst-shooting gun I have is a Lee Enfield Jungle Carbine (Number 5 Mark 1) that has been 'sporterized' and weighs about 5 1/2 pounds. That is positively the hardest kicking gun I have ever fired.