For those of you concerned about the Mosin. You're right, I did make a mistake. I should have listed the Belgian 1889 ahead of it in that final list, and bumped the Lebel 1886 M93 off. I'm kicking myself for forgetting.
Disappointed you didn't post an actual firearm video and instead you posted this stopgap. Its not like you promised that villar perosa submachinegun in spring but hey, who cares, people don't remember no?
@@mattdickson2 they had access to one, I don't have to do anything. If you pay me to find one, I'll find one. I got no incentive at the moment. I'm happy with my hobby
@@arandomfawn5289 yes it was planned for the spring and then covid hit which prevented us from making the much needed trip to the Springfield museum. Unfortunately it caused the delay for both that and the 1911 episode. We talked about this in the podcasts we do for patrons a fair bit actually. Edit: If anyone does come across a VP in person, please ask if the owner would be willing to talk to us. Depending on that we'd be able to get the episode done without the Springfield trip. (So far we haven't been able to reschedule since they're drastically limiting visitors).
I have a horribly abused M41 Carcano that shoots tighter groups than my pretty Swede. Not overpowered but 160 gr at 2250fps is still good for deer and Austrians.
@@erikprestmo4900 I've still got a few boxes of the Hornady .268 round nosed. It's discontinued now. When that runs out, Privi is all I've been able to find in Carcano sized 6.5mm. In Canada at least. I'm sad about that. That big, long, round nose' soft point really is a good deer round for close in work.
as far as Mae's qualifications go, she shot the T-Gewehr. She's qualified. Case closed. What would be even more impressive would be firing a T-Gewehr from horseback while the horse was jumping a trench. I'm sure Mae could do, but it would take an exceptionally calm(or medicated) horse.
"I hate you because of incomprehensible reasons that make no sense, and you dissed my pet rifle that I have emotional connections to for no good reason." -Mae Hater.
It was a damn solid design. Still holds up today as a bolt gun design. Between Paul mauser and John Browning I'd say both did something amazing in firearms design.
@ The Gewehr 88 and Carcano have better loading systems and good actions, IMO the supposed safety issues of the 88 are really a non issue and it's one of the smoothest actions ever made.
The Ross also ties into one of the "could have been" weapons of WW1, the Huot Automatic Rifle. Fully automatic with a 25-round detachable drum magazine fed by a 25-round stripper clip, it was considered to have some advantages and some disadvantages compared to the Lewis gun, but was a C$50 conversion of a Ross instead of a C$1000 light machinegun. Five thousand were ordered in 1917, and perhaps only five were built.
I have a picture of myself holding a Huot Automatic Rifle which is in the collection of the Seaforth Highlanders Armoury in Vancouver, B.C. Would have loved to have fired it.
Mae is entirely justified in her opinions, even when they depart from my own. She has handling time on everything she mentions, maybe not mastery level but admittedly not all ww1 soldiers were extensively trained on the gear they actually got issued.
We Brits have alot of legends with the Lee Enfield like that. Of course, you can still reload without bringing the rifle down because there no way that bolt is going to hit you in the face and you can keep your eye on the target and a number of shooting techniques that can really improve the speed of shooting but the stories about thinking they are going against machine guns is just a story.
@@pitiedvod They probably went against a machine gun, just not a grouping. Though most probably rather just call in the artillery so they don't have to worry about the mg.
@@pitiedvodYou also have to account for the fact that the British were the most elite fighting force on the planet in 1914. But there weren't many of them. At the Battle of Mons it was like the British sent the SAS to deal with the entire German army and it doesn't matter how well trained you are or how good your rifle is when you are so heavily outnumbered. The Battle did give the French time to regroup though and probably saved Paris, for better or for worse. Through the rest of the war, newer conscripts and volunteers received less training and were a lot less capable. Plus the fact that trench warfare was much more about artillery, machine guns and CQC than the actions of riflemen. I think most of the stories come from WW2, when warfare was much more mobile.
It's amazing that so many rifle designs and so many one-off's within each design and all of them involved in the same war. The last 50 years, it's basically AR's vs AK's with sprinkles of 2 maybe 3 other minor rifles designs.
@@TheRealColBosch I mean, they did the .32 version, since it was used by the French; I don’t know it was made in any caliber other than 32 or 380; was there some bigger version, maybe in some 40something caliber, trialed by some power; perhaps lost to some other pistol?
An M1917 Enfield; shortened two inches, the barrel slimmed down a little, the rear sight adjustable for windage, chambered for 7 x 57mm Mauser = Perfect.
I really like the way this done; choose a gun, look at why it is chosen, identify what is wrong with it, then state why the shortcomings suited the choice. Very fair and balanced view.
An AITB instructor once told me, "You could lock a Marine grunt in a padded cell with no windows or doors and give him 2 marbles, he'd still find a way to break one and lose the other."
I absolutely LOVE old guns. Yeah, new guns are mechanical beauties and the result of like, 600 years of firearms evolution, but you can't deny the sheer beauty of old wood-and-steel bolt-actions.
I think the big take away I get from this, and the fine details May has to go into to picking between them is summed up in a line Lloyd from Lindybeige said after the Bloke (on the range) showed him some of his rifles. "They're all much of a muchness, really: they're all fit for purpose [...] In a wargame, these are all 'rifles,' and now I feel that is a perfectly good wargaming categorisation."
I would swap ranks for 2 pairs of adjacent rifles on Mae's list but it doesn't matter. Mae's judgments are eminently defensible and I enjoyed this episode immensely.
You remember the time you travelled to 1918? Nearly got your bits shot off, standing to fire. He was the chap told you to get down. We ate strudel, and they didn't have whipped cream? Never mind.
@@niklasmakalainen866 I have seen those vids I just didn't read the channel name! XD sometimes I'm really dumb. Britishmuzzleloaders is a lovely channel
Been watching for years, and you guys are some of the best teachers on the internet. It's great to finally hear some personal opinions from y'all. Thank you for the exceptionally in depth content.
You guys are right about the mad minute. The mad minute employs a single target to re-engage shot after shot. In a battle situation, your target(s) are going to be in different places which changes sight acquisition. Certainly a fun exercise, but not actually battlefield practical.
In regards to why the Japanese switched from 6.5. The idea was proposed as far back as the Russo Japanese War. Allegedly Russian soldiers wounded by the 6.5 caliber round were recovering more quickly than Japanese soldiers hit by the 7.62 round and being sent back to the front at a pace that the Japanese found problematic. However, during the First World War, apparently the Japanese determined that the 6.5 was actually good enough at the closer range engagements so the idea of developing a larger caliber cartridge was kinda dropped. However, some elements within the arsenal system or army hung onto the idea and the plan stuck around with some experimental 7mm conversion guns being made in the 20s but then the Great Kanto Earthquake happened and again the project stalled until 1929 when the idea to switch to a 7mm round took off and 30 years of research and development eventually culminated in the Type 99... That’s the version of events from Don Voight’s Type 99 book anyway.
Now I'm losing my buyer's remorse from that Carcano carbine I bought a month ago for 250 bucks, now I feel a lot more confident about that purchase. As soon as I scrounge up the motivation to clean up the 2lbs of grime, dirt, cosmoline, etc
Never have any buyer’s remorse for any firearm! Especially cool old school milsurp! My Carcano also has about 2 pounds of dust as well. Glad to know it’s not just mine.
I feel like anyone who's been a regular with the series really shouldn't be surprised with this list. I'm actually impressed the SMLE made it as high as it did. Love the content, gang
Out of all the experience I have with surplus rifles, my personal favorite is a type 99 arisaka. I love it, its accurate, recoil isn't too bad, its fairly light, strong action, I have the bayonet, the sights are pretty alright, and its just a cool rifle to me. Also the fact that people see them as unreliable and explosive got me to get the guy I bought it from to lower the price. Big brained negotiator.
I was pleased to see your # 1 choice to be the M 1917 Enfield. I have had one for years and it is amazingly accurate. The very narrow front sight is very precise. I noticed it is much narrower than my SA M1A. We used M-14s in boot camp (1968) and our targets were 200 yards, 300, and 500. At 500 the bullseye is 20 inches diameter. At 500 the front sight is wider than the bullseye. After getting used to my M-17, I found a gunsmith/machinist who narrowed the front sight on the MiA to maybe half as wide. Gave me a better sight picture. Also, I had bought A NM hooded rear sight. The aperture was smaller diameter than the standard rear aperture. That made for longer target acquisition. So I drilled out the aperture to the standard size. Now I love these sights and I have to give the credit to the M-17 sights.
Almost no one gives a flying fuck about small arms in Britain. My grandfather and father used them in the army but neither showed any great interest when I tried one.
@@General.Longstreet From what I've seen, contrary to what is belted to the general public in both the USA and Britain, Britain... though culturally not *as* aligned towards the firearm as those in North America... had a very good firearms industry developing, with a rich history of its own. If there had not been a crack down on them after WWII, I speculate on whether the engineering piece that is the firearm would have been more appreciated over time. Of course, both "firearms" and "industry" are terms lacking there today, as well as other things... in the modern fashion.
The Parravicino Carcano TS. The only carbine of WWI that did not destroy your hearing and give you a really good headache whilst bruising your shoulder? Plus being possibly the best alpine carbine of the war. Important point to remember, the post WWI drive by Italy and Japan to adopt a larger diameter projectile appears to have been driven more by tracer burnout requirements than land service machine gun range requirements for reverse slope firing. The Swedes simply adopted an 8mm heavy machine gun cartridge with slightly better ballistics than Brenneke’s prewar army trials cartridge (8x64 S Brenneke).
While the whole "never served" bit is a responsible thing to note, I don't think it's actually relevant. For WWI / WWII we had massive numbers of troops with very little rushed training and no experience handed a rifle and sent to the front lines. If anything I'd say, particularly at this point, Mae is far more experienced than those guys were!
That's a great point. They were mostly normal farmer's sons who got handed a rifle and died in their first 3-4 weeks on the frontline. Mae's a grizzled two front veteran by comparison, lol.
Britain did have the Militia and then the Territorial Army system. The TA was popular as it gave men a 'Paid Holiday' to go on manouveres, and extra allowances. Along with the University and College CF, firearms experience was much more prevelant in UK than people are inclinded to think. Though only post WW2 was there a universal National Service for a few years, it was never part of the national phycie, Except! In the Channel Islands.There it was compulsory for generations prior to the Great War, because of the Damm French The Royal Militia Island of Jersey and predecessors being the oldest compulsory military organisation in Britsh History. Quick note: The British Army never had enough horses on strength , so for the Annual Autum manuovers would hire horses from therailways. Later when motor vehicles came in there was a Subsidy Vehicle, if you bought a lorry ofthe right pattern you would be subsidised, quite substancially, as long as you were prepared for the vehilce to be requitioned in time of national need.
Well, okay and no criticism of may intended here, but there is a big difference between going into combat and firing rifles standing up shooting at a paper target a couple of times. She is also not very large. The Americans had a great deal of firearms experience, just not as much with these type of rifle. But a great many were practically born with a rifle in their hand. Not the city boys though.
The 1917, like Rodney Dangerfield, has never gotten respect. Yet, it became the basis for the first domestically designed , manufactured and sold bolt action deer rifles is the U.S. of A by Remington and Winchester. Nickel steel receiver. Good pick Mae.
Great episode, especially the back & forth discussion on each rifle, the video may seem long but I find it already rather condensed yet informative, thanks ^_^
I haven't shot all those rifles, so my knowledge is lacking. I do own a Type 38 carbine my father brought back from Japan at the end of WWII (intact mum, not matching #s, no dust cover, no bayonet, with original sling) and I absolutely agree with your comments about it. It is a fine shooting weapon.
loved my 7.65 Mauser. Got it for Christmas when I was 8 yrs. old and got my first Bighorn at age 9 with this gun at 850 meters with the slide sight, My dad was shocked when it dropped as he was spotting while I took the shot. Of course it took over an hour to get to the sheep as we had to go into the canyon then back up the other side.
I am quite happy to agree with this round up. Also, yes, the Arisaka was an amazing pick for Number one (and shoutout to you for showing Nambu some love).
From my experience shooting ww1 rifles, the Austrian 1895 Mannlicher Carbine is the superior weapon. It is also the inferior weapon because it is the only ww1 rifle I own and have shot
While I haven't fired most of the guns on this list, I can say this from personal experience. The 1903 Springfield I purchased several years ago was so good that it took me from not being able to hit water if I fell out of a boat to being a crack shot. If it's only #7 on this list, that really says a lot for the other 6, assuming the list is accurate...
"We have some more pistols to go, however." I'm sure that by now there can't be anything left with any significant fanbase. All the important pistols must have had an episode by now. *dons asbestos underwear and waits for the fiery wrath of 1911 aficionados*
@@Mikhail-Tkachenko It's so hard to tell any more. I thought maybe the poster was from a foreign land where they call the 1911 something else. In the US we call the MP40 a schmeisser. In the UK they used to call a pistol a revolver. In the US sometimes we call a revolver a pistol. No telling.
Alright comments, we need to do a top 10 pitchforks and torches before we send our hatemail to Mae. We need to make sure our rabble is the highest possible quality roused. True Value hardware makes a nice economical pitchfork.
Four prongs, about 30 cm long, about 6 cm spaced, bent 5° at 20th cm , on a 1,8 metre haft. Good for hay, straw, manure. OK for little sticks and leaves. Not so good for wood chips. Ideal tool for Russian acupuncture therapy.
No, I'm still going with sharp sticks. I appreciate pitchforks are better made and able to do a variety of tasks, but at short notice, and for the job of prodding Mae, the sharp stick is economic, easy to produce and pitchforks are just adding features you don't need!
one other minor cultural aspect of adopting the 7.7 ammo in the arisaka is probably the fact that there are quite a handful of anglophiles among late 19th/early 20th century japanese leaders, which is why they adopted the constitution monarchy (they have a monarch anyway), naval ship designs, right down to left-hand drive traffic etc, almost wholesale adoptation of the british system. the navy 7.7 cartridge is actually a copy of the british .303, while the army adopted the same bullet but in a rimless cartridge.
TBH perhaps the Republic of Elbonia should have appointed Mae as their small arms procurement officer.....maybe not perfect but the list is really close.
Being reequipped with WW I weapons platforms would be a step up from the rubbish that that list of traitors have been wasting Elbonian hard currency on, historically (well slightly damp, as nothing is totally dry in Elbonia) ....... (most were called Ian).
Thank you for this episode! Also the forgotten rifle in the West, the Arisaka Type 38. Overall I agree with your choices, the Pattern 14/Model 1917 Enfield, number 2, the simplified Mauser '98 and '03 Springfield. Staying with what was fielded in numbers. Thank you for your show and reviewing everything you did. Many of these with different chambering might have moved around on the list but as you listed them is great.
Thank you “O” for calling out Mae on her choices-lol. I was laughing out loud at your banter between you two. Your show is entertainment and knowledge at the same time. Thank u
It just occurs to me that one unintended consequence of watching this documentary series is that I’ve looked at Mae’s waist more than that of any other person, man or woman, in my entire life. That, and the smile she sports after firing antique arms with bone-jarring recoil, are the perfect guilty pleasure offsets to the fascinating, thorough, yet comparatively dry academic discussion that typifies every episode. This documentary series will be revered for decades to come. Perhaps centuries.
No Gripes from Me ( I'm a Brit ! ) SMLE No4 , Springfield No7 , As You say its subjective , simply one persons opinion ( A Very Well Qualified person to make such statements ,indeed probably one of the Best qualified, because Mae Has Actually Used All of these rifles ! ) I just Love the Whole C&R concept , Thanks Guys ! Shoot Straight , Stay Safe & Stay Well .
I honestly have no complaints about this list, I’m a little surprised that none of the m1895 Mannlicher rifles made the list, particularly the Stutzen, but overall I can’t disagree with any of your reasoning behind your choices.
I've only had one bad cartridge with an m95, but boy let me tell you. That bolt stuck like it was welded in place. That being said my top choice is the P13 family
Well it certainly is Mae's Top Ten and not like any top ten anyone would predict. That is the reason I love this channel. It certainly isn't Othias's body hair, or the ominous music. What makes this place so special is seeing a woman enjoy doing such "unwomanly things" just like a normal person and hearing all the background context of the usually flat history we are taught. Putting history in a relatable context shows us just how unchanged human nature is while human culture makes it appear to move along.
Mannlicher Schoenauer at 29:00 . I can attest to their superiority in sporting rifle form. I have an M1910 (9.5X57) Take Down Model and it is a thing of absolute beauty, balance, smoothness of operation and unflagging reliability. The magazine is not at all 'complicated' in function or maintenance (disassembles without tools, few parts), only to manufacture.
Thank you all very much for the great effort you pour into this valuable resource. In these times, so much mindless debris is spewed forth as to render this medium damn near meritless. We really appreciate your being the exception to the rule. If we are allowed to actually think in the future, your work will stand the test of time as truly worthy of attention.
@@SonOfTheDawn515 Sergeants say of British squaddies, take 3 soldiers and 3 ball bearings, place them all in a completely empty room, then leave them for an hour. When you return, one soldier will be injured, a ball bearing will be broken, one lost, and the third somehow dirty.
46:26 Mae's deadpan "up your butt" really got me. In addition to the excellent research and production, you two really have great chemistry and comedic timing.
Very good, I haven't a clue about all the technicalities of rifles but the explanations seem clear. At the end Mae has actually fired these rifles but I was surprised about the Arisaki as being top.
Heh. When I first saw this video, I was thinking of the Arisaka. It really was a beauty--excellent ergonomics, perfect dust/mud cover, excellent gas mitigation, great accuracy, a great action, surprisingly simple and very reliable, great safety, good length. It's a shame that its reputation was marred unfairly.
How do you two keep your facts and figures come out so sharp and clear? I applaud both of you. I had experience with the 7.62 Rifle, the 9mm Pistol and my favourite of all the times, the 9mmTsten gun. The Sten gun, the Pipe Gun, thee Scattergun. Name it what you will. We used to place bets on the highest score from, 25 feet 15 feet and then down to 10 feet. I had quick enough reflexes to be able to consistently 2 or 3 rounds bursts. Therefore I was able to watch my hits and bring the gun back on target before get pushed off with a long burst. I won most of the money.
Thank you Mae! I have been listening to the updates to your list as you have been going through the rifles with burning curiosity as to what will make the final cut. Your list does not disappoint, and like Othias, I had just enough of the “...yeah, but...” and “...what about...” moments to keep me on the edge of my seat. Well done Mae, and thanks also to Othias for playing devils advocate.
Wow called me out really early! As a new viewer I loved this video and topic, I look forward to splurging your content! Everything is so detailed and engaging! I’m subscribed.
I've seen several of your episodes.... i very much impressed by your knowledgeable and competent discourse. really enjoy & Appreciate people very competent, even enthusiastic about their subjects- Good Job & Keep it up!
Here's an interesting thing about sights: Alvin York was issued a '17 Enfield, and he liked the aperture sights for stationary targets. However, he couldn't consistently hit a moving target with them, so he traded it for an '03 Springfield because he shot it much better with the open sights. He stated this in an interview that was sited in a feature about him in American Rifleman. He also mentioned his favorite firearm; the Auto 5.
I had a case head rupture in my Mukden type 38 carbine. The only thing that happened was that smoke came out of the vent holes in the receiver. I agree with Mae!
The Springfield 03 would continue to be used into the Korean War in fact you see members of the 1st Marine Division still armed with scoped models despite the adaption of the semi auto M1.
Mae,You are probably more informed than a lot of "Armchair warriors", and as a smaller person than the usual male of today, You may be more in size to most men born in the end of 1890s to 1900, and thefore more qualified to check out the handling.
@@videodistro The other factor however is muscle mass, Mae is probably not as strong or accustomed to labour as a soldier of WWI would have been. I don't put a lot of stock in her experience being analogous, but since it's always her, her experiences with each rifle are comparable to each other.
Glad to finally get the official top 10! I've been waiting (Haven't watched it yet, I hope the Ross makes the top 10). Edited to add: Hey! just got to 9, yay! the Ross Mk III made the list!
Thank you for a truly wide ranging, informative and enjoyable romp through early 20th century arms. As you say, it’s a subjective list and no less valid for that. Though there can be few people who have your level of knowledge and hands on experience. This video only wets my appetite for what will come next. Thanks again to the whole team for this and all the preceding videos.
Mae keeps bringing up the unnecessary magazine cutoff of the Springfield '03, but it also served as the bolt release. In my opinion it is a more favorable design to the standard Mauser style bolt release.
I have a Type 99 but have never handled a Type 38 and it never would have crossed my mind to put an Arisaka at the top of any list but somehow you managed to convince me that this might really be possible. I still have a hard time fathoming anything being better than the 1917 from that period and I'd put the SMLE right behind it but I've also never handled anything Serbian. I'm also not totally convinced about the Carcano with the extreme six o'clock hold I've experienced with it. I might have put the Berthier on the list in place of it.
OK this is a lot of fun. Mae was very natural in front of the camera which I enjoyed. This may have occurred before and I have missed it but my first observation of it. I actually really like that the list was personal opinion, rather than an attempt to be objective (I know you have the actual top ten by the end). Loved some of the choices, and how Othias would just rip them apart afterwards and Mae was like "Yup, but I really liked them". Was very fun to watch.
The Enfield 1917, pattern 1914, is the gun that is used on Greenland due to its reliability in real world weather and ability to explain to an ice bear that you are not food.
It was kinda happenstance that it got there, the brits probably gave them away as unsellable WW1-surplus in 1953, but it is to the best of my knowledge they are still the weapon used by the inuit for hunting and by the Sirius Patrol as default self defence weapon because of their reliability in a blizzard.
For those of you concerned about the Mosin. You're right, I did make a mistake.
I should have listed the Belgian 1889 ahead of it in that final list, and bumped the Lebel 1886 M93 off. I'm kicking myself for forgetting.
Disappointed you didn't post an actual firearm video and instead you posted this stopgap. Its not like you promised that villar perosa submachinegun in spring but hey, who cares, people don't remember no?
@@arandomfawn5289 it’s coming shuuuuush
@@arandomfawn5289 also YOU find a functional VP SMG
@@mattdickson2 they had access to one, I don't have to do anything. If you pay me to find one, I'll find one. I got no incentive at the moment. I'm happy with my hobby
@@arandomfawn5289 yes it was planned for the spring and then covid hit which prevented us from making the much needed trip to the Springfield museum. Unfortunately it caused the delay for both that and the 1911 episode. We talked about this in the podcasts we do for patrons a fair bit actually.
Edit: If anyone does come across a VP in person, please ask if the owner would be willing to talk to us. Depending on that we'd be able to get the episode done without the Springfield trip. (So far we haven't been able to reschedule since they're drastically limiting visitors).
“Costs a penny; Shoots straight: Carcano” had better be the next t-shirt
Lee Harvey Oswald approves it
Perfection is the enemy of good enough
marine approved
"hold it right there"
carcano not the rifle you want but it’s good enough
A good choice even if you're not -Italy- broke, a necessary choice if you are.
Now, of course, we want a bottom 10 list.
#5 Vetteri-Carcano
I 2nd this motion.
If the Winchester 1895 is on that list, I'm unsubbing
@@thegoldencaulk2742 Perhaps we should have a fair assessment of the 1895 in combat, as the Russians had a fair few of them.
I just saw this and I 346th this.
I have a horribly abused M41 Carcano that shoots tighter groups than my pretty Swede. Not overpowered but 160 gr at 2250fps is still good for deer and Austrians.
Ouch lol
Had me in the first half
Hold up
You reload? if yes, what bullets?
@@erikprestmo4900 I've still got a few boxes of the Hornady .268 round nosed. It's discontinued now. When that runs out, Privi is all I've been able to find in Carcano sized 6.5mm. In Canada at least.
I'm sad about that. That big, long, round nose' soft point really is a good deer round for close in work.
Watching the huge smile on Mae's face when she's shooting always brightens my day. She obviously enjoys the 'work'.
as far as Mae's qualifications go, she shot the T-Gewehr. She's qualified. Case closed. What would be even more impressive would be firing a T-Gewehr from horseback while the horse was jumping a trench. I'm sure Mae could do, but it would take an exceptionally calm(or medicated) horse.
Pretty sure she would have stayed in place and the horse kept going.
How about shooting off-hand from the deck of rolling ship, while wearing a cowboy hat? ;)
@@jeffbangle4710 if there's ice on the deck and the shot sinks a u-boat
Maybe if it had a bayonet
"That would take a medicated horse" is going on my list of comments to use in meetings.
"I hate you because of incomprehensible reasons that make no sense, and you dissed my pet rifle that I have emotional connections to for no good reason." -Mae Hater.
Well said sir.
Do they now hand out Emotional Support Arisakas? :D
"we're gonna get hatemail"
Dude. You're an internet sensation. Have you put out any episode in the last year *without* hatemail?
Mae's Top Ten Rifles... over One and Half Hours long.... such is the C&Rsenal way.
This is the way😳
Oh man, I didn’t realize the length until I saw your comment
Jeff Carver This is the way. 👍🏼
Wait, I've seen you from Bo's channel.
@@georgewhitworth9742 Bo is my current favorite gaming channel so you will see me there often.
Me:Noooo you can't just post mae's favorite rifles list I have not catch u-
Othais: Haha *war were declared*
Six out of ten top rifles are either Mauser or Mauser derivatives, quite an achievement for Paul Mauser's designs.
Don't forget Ritter Ferdinand Von Mannlicher.
It was a damn solid design. Still holds up today as a bolt gun design. Between Paul mauser and John Browning I'd say both did something amazing in firearms design.
Yes but still over rated, people give too much undeserved crap to other great designs
@@ryancarlson9578 So which design of the Great War era are you thinking is underrated, compared to the Mausers and their derivatives and why?
@ The Gewehr 88 and Carcano have better loading systems and good actions, IMO the supposed safety issues of the 88 are really a non issue and it's one of the smoothest actions ever made.
The Ross also ties into one of the "could have been" weapons of WW1, the Huot Automatic Rifle. Fully automatic with a 25-round detachable drum magazine fed by a 25-round stripper clip, it was considered to have some advantages and some disadvantages compared to the Lewis gun, but was a C$50 conversion of a Ross instead of a C$1000 light machinegun. Five thousand were ordered in 1917, and perhaps only five were built.
I do believe they also attempted to make a semi auto rifle conversion for the Ross as well
I just started playing that video game! Cost advantage would have been important, agreed.
I have a picture of myself holding a Huot Automatic Rifle which is in the collection of the Seaforth Highlanders Armoury in Vancouver, B.C. Would have loved to have fired it.
Well, this wont be controversial at all...
Laughed my head off!
Ha ha ha!
Well, no. It shouldn't be, they explicitly say this is her opinion.
@@adonoghuea02 which I am trying to bear in mind. It must be stressed, these are May’s top ten picks. She likes her carbines doesn’t she.
@@RalphReagan hey buddy! Know ya from over at WTW channel. Nice seeing you here!
Mae is entirely justified in her opinions, even when they depart from my own. She has handling time on everything she mentions, maybe not mastery level but admittedly not all ww1 soldiers were extensively trained on the gear they actually got issued.
We Brits have alot of legends with the Lee Enfield like that. Of course, you can still reload without bringing the rifle down because there no way that bolt is going to hit you in the face and you can keep your eye on the target and a number of shooting techniques that can really improve the speed of shooting but the stories about thinking they are going against machine guns is just a story.
I am soon jealous of Miss Mae! I wish I could shoot HALF of what she has! And she's good looking to boot!
@@pitiedvod They probably went against a machine gun, just not a grouping. Though most probably rather just call in the artillery so they don't have to worry about the mg.
@@johnmullholand2044 IP to the TV TV TV
@@pitiedvodYou also have to account for the fact that the British were the most elite fighting force on the planet in 1914.
But there weren't many of them. At the Battle of Mons it was like the British sent the SAS to deal with the entire German army and it doesn't matter how well trained you are or how good your rifle is when you are so heavily outnumbered.
The Battle did give the French time to regroup though and probably saved Paris, for better or for worse.
Through the rest of the war, newer conscripts and volunteers received less training and were a lot less capable.
Plus the fact that trench warfare was much more about artillery, machine guns and CQC than the actions of riflemen.
I think most of the stories come from WW2, when warfare was much more mobile.
It's amazing that so many rifle designs and so many one-off's within each design and all of them involved in the same war. The last 50 years, it's basically AR's vs AK's with sprinkles of 2 maybe 3 other minor rifles designs.
MAE: But wait...
THE GHOST OF BILLY MAYS: THERE'S MORE!
Almost Billy Mae? I'll see myself out.
"There are a few pistols left." Honestly, I can't think of any. Good job, guys! Series over!
Some american pistol made by a guy no one’s heard of
I mean I wouldn't *mind* a rerun of the the German handguns, but other than that I think they're pretty much done
@@davidkatz1503 The Savage wasn't adopted, so no need to cover it.
There was this one pistol the US fielded, but it doesn't take Glock mags, so I never looked to far into it, can't think of the name now. 😏
@@TheRealColBosch I mean, they did the .32 version, since it was used by the French; I don’t know it was made in any caliber other than 32 or 380; was there some bigger version, maybe in some 40something caliber, trialed by some power; perhaps lost to some other pistol?
An M1917 Enfield; shortened two inches, the barrel slimmed down a little, the rear sight adjustable for windage, chambered for 7 x 57mm Mauser = Perfect.
I really like the way this done; choose a gun, look at why it is chosen, identify what is wrong with it, then state why the shortcomings suited the choice. Very fair and balanced view.
Very cool glad to see you guys are well.
*starts watching on cell phone when the notification hits* REALIZES ITS A 90+ MINUTE VIDEO. Oh hell... time to break out the tablet
C&Rsenal: Your #1 source for tips on buying vintage Transformers toys online!
C&RSenal: More Than Meets the Eye
Snagged O Sky Garry last year, he was so happy.
@@stephenhatalla5184 "you might think this is just another bolt action rifle but actually and that is why it is so cool and fascinating"
13:04
"We are talking about infantry." - Othais
*Munches on crayon
"And I took that personally." - Me, a USMC Grunt
King of the Hill meme "If those kids could read they'd be very upset" comes to mind XD
An AITB instructor once told me, "You could lock a Marine grunt in a padded cell with no windows or doors and give him 2 marbles, he'd still find a way to break one and lose the other."
Mae is fully qualified to compare these rifles. She has more experience shooting WW1 rifles than most people on the planet.
I absolutely LOVE old guns. Yeah, new guns are mechanical beauties and the result of like, 600 years of firearms evolution, but you can't deny the sheer beauty of old wood-and-steel bolt-actions.
:: cough :: black powder :: cough ::
Agreed. I have a Springfield 1898 30-40 Krag and I love it
Yeah. They have a certain class to them.
I think the big take away I get from this, and the fine details May has to go into to picking between them is summed up in a line Lloyd from Lindybeige said after the Bloke (on the range) showed him some of his rifles. "They're all much of a muchness, really: they're all fit for purpose [...] In a wargame, these are all 'rifles,' and now I feel that is a perfectly good wargaming categorisation."
I would swap ranks for 2 pairs of adjacent rifles on Mae's list but it doesn't matter. Mae's judgments are eminently defensible and I enjoyed this episode immensely.
Who is this "Bloke" fellow you keep talking about?
You remember the time you travelled to 1918? Nearly got your bits shot off, standing to fire. He was the chap told you to get down. We ate strudel, and they didn't have whipped cream? Never mind.
Don't know if it is sarcasm but just in case, it's a channel called blokeontherange, but pls don't r/woosh me if it was sarcasm
@@SienjorQueso they have made videos together I think something like a year ago. Highly recomend watching thous they are sublime content
@@niklasmakalainen866 I have seen those vids I just didn't read the channel name! XD sometimes I'm really dumb. Britishmuzzleloaders is a lovely channel
Bloke on the range. Nice chap. Dressed in period uniform. Kilts and whatnot. Very British. Knows his kit, what!
Mae: "These are my top 10..."
Othais: "Let me point out their flaws..."
Mae: (face palm) "But I hit paper!"
C&Rsenal: “you don’t always need 30-06 for everything”. Me: *drops my cup in pain and starts reaching for my Garand
The Garand would have been better if it was chamber .276 Pedersen
Or my Winchester Model 70. Pre-'64, of course!
Been watching for years, and you guys are some of the best teachers on the internet. It's great to finally hear some personal opinions from y'all.
Thank you for the exceptionally in depth content.
You guys are right about the mad minute. The mad minute employs a single target to re-engage shot after shot. In a battle situation, your target(s) are going to be in different places which changes sight acquisition. Certainly a fun exercise, but not actually battlefield practical.
As if it matters 🤣
In regards to why the Japanese switched from 6.5. The idea was proposed as far back as the Russo Japanese War. Allegedly Russian soldiers wounded by the 6.5 caliber round were recovering more quickly than Japanese soldiers hit by the 7.62 round and being sent back to the front at a pace that the Japanese found problematic.
However, during the First World War, apparently the Japanese determined that the 6.5 was actually good enough at the closer range engagements so the idea of developing a larger caliber cartridge was kinda dropped.
However, some elements within the arsenal system or army hung onto the idea and the plan stuck around with some experimental 7mm conversion guns being made in the 20s but then the Great Kanto Earthquake happened and again the project stalled until 1929 when the idea to switch to a 7mm round took off and 30 years of research and development eventually culminated in the Type 99...
That’s the version of events from Don Voight’s Type 99 book anyway.
7.7mm, it was essentially a rimless .303 British.
I also read because the Chinese was using 8mm Mauser during second sino Japanese war
Now I'm losing my buyer's remorse from that Carcano carbine I bought a month ago for 250 bucks, now I feel a lot more confident about that purchase. As soon as I scrounge up the motivation to clean up the 2lbs of grime, dirt, cosmoline, etc
I sold my carcano a few months ago and I'm missing it every range day
Those things are great....got mine a month ago, quickly becoming one of my favorites
Never have any buyer’s remorse for any firearm! Especially cool old school milsurp! My Carcano also has about 2 pounds of dust as well. Glad to know it’s not just mine.
I cleaned mine up real nice 91 pattern cav carbine
I think the Carcano blowing up problem was only really prevalent for the stocks of rifles Germany converted to 8mm after Italy surrendered.
I feel like anyone who's been a regular with the series really shouldn't be surprised with this list. I'm actually impressed the SMLE made it as high as it did. Love the content, gang
Out of all the experience I have with surplus rifles, my personal favorite is a type 99 arisaka. I love it, its accurate, recoil isn't too bad, its fairly light, strong action, I have the bayonet, the sights are pretty alright, and its just a cool rifle to me. Also the fact that people see them as unreliable and explosive got me to get the guy I bought it from to lower the price. Big brained negotiator.
Mae should have trolled everybody by saying her Number 1 was the Mosin-Nagant before a freeze-frame, record scratch and “just kidding folks.”
I was pleased to see your # 1 choice to be the M 1917 Enfield. I have had one for years and it is amazingly accurate. The very narrow front sight is very precise. I noticed it is much narrower than my SA M1A. We used M-14s in boot camp (1968) and our targets were 200 yards, 300, and 500. At 500 the bullseye is 20 inches diameter. At 500 the front sight is wider than the bullseye. After getting used to my M-17, I found a gunsmith/machinist who narrowed the front sight on the MiA to maybe half as wide. Gave me a better sight picture. Also, I had bought A NM hooded rear sight. The aperture was smaller diameter than the standard rear aperture. That made for longer target acquisition. So I drilled out the aperture to the standard size. Now I love these sights and I have to give the credit to the M-17 sights.
SMLE in 4th?
Well, at least Mae isn’t put on a black list if she ever visits Britain. Just “enhanced screening”.
Almost no one gives a flying fuck about small arms in Britain.
My grandfather and father used them in the army but neither showed any great interest when I tried one.
“The British soldier loves his rifle, because he knows no other.”
@@julianshepherd2038 seems you missed the funny part of that statement there bud
Guns and gun enthusiasts are looked down upon in Britain by the liberal globalist elites who control every facet of society.
@@General.Longstreet From what I've seen, contrary to what is belted to the general public in both the USA and Britain, Britain... though culturally not *as* aligned towards the firearm as those in North America... had a very good firearms industry developing, with a rich history of its own.
If there had not been a crack down on them after WWII, I speculate on whether the engineering piece that is the firearm would have been more appreciated over time. Of course, both "firearms" and "industry" are terms lacking there today, as well as other things... in the modern fashion.
"The M1"
Ah...yes... The M1....rifle, carbine, sub-machinegun, Armored Car, light tank, Main Battle Tank, Bayonet, Mine, Flamethrower, Helmet, Mortar, Howitzer, 90mm Gun and Rocket Launcher.
Don't forget the field cooking stove!
@@dandydasyt4766 And the motorway from London to the North of England.
The Parravicino Carcano TS. The only carbine of WWI that did not destroy your hearing and give you a really good headache whilst bruising your shoulder? Plus being possibly the best alpine carbine of the war.
Important point to remember, the post WWI drive by Italy and Japan to adopt a larger diameter projectile appears to have been driven more by tracer burnout requirements than land service machine gun range requirements for reverse slope firing. The Swedes simply adopted an 8mm heavy machine gun cartridge with slightly better ballistics than Brenneke’s prewar army trials cartridge (8x64 S Brenneke).
While the whole "never served" bit is a responsible thing to note, I don't think it's actually relevant. For WWI / WWII we had massive numbers of troops with very little rushed training and no experience handed a rifle and sent to the front lines. If anything I'd say, particularly at this point, Mae is far more experienced than those guys were!
That's a great point. They were mostly normal farmer's sons who got handed a rifle and died in their first 3-4 weeks on the frontline. Mae's a grizzled two front veteran by comparison, lol.
Britain did have the Militia and then the Territorial Army system. The TA was popular as it gave men a 'Paid Holiday' to go on manouveres, and extra allowances. Along with the University and College CF, firearms experience was much more prevelant in UK than people are inclinded to think. Though only post WW2 was there a universal National Service for a few years, it was never part of the national phycie, Except! In the Channel Islands.There it was compulsory for generations prior to the Great War, because of the Damm French The Royal Militia Island of Jersey and predecessors being the oldest compulsory military organisation in Britsh History. Quick note: The British Army never had enough horses on strength , so for the Annual Autum manuovers would hire horses from therailways. Later when motor vehicles came in there was a Subsidy Vehicle, if you bought a lorry ofthe right pattern you would be subsidised, quite substancially, as long as you were prepared for the vehilce to be requitioned in time of national need.
Well, okay and no criticism of may intended here, but there is a big difference between going into combat and firing rifles standing up shooting at a paper target a couple of times. She is also not very large. The Americans had a great deal of firearms experience, just not as much with these type of rifle. But a great many were practically born with a rifle in their hand. Not the city boys though.
And in world war 1 combine that with poor military decisions.
@@comiketiger You know the lads in ww1 weren't large either? Malnourished in many cases. It was a serious concern for the draft boards.
OTHAIS: We'll include 2nd line rifles if they out produced the 1st line rifle.
ME: Okay, so where's the M1917 going to place on this list?
Exactly what I thought when I heard it.
AND the Berthier
but not the Gew 88/05
The 1917, like Rodney Dangerfield, has never gotten respect. Yet, it became the basis for the first domestically designed , manufactured and sold bolt action deer rifles is the U.S. of A by Remington and Winchester. Nickel steel receiver. Good pick Mae.
Othais: We're gonna get hate mail
Me: *agrees with Mae's list completely*
Best bunch of people I’ve ever meet on a UA-cam video. I love you both. Thank you.
I love you too
Great episode, especially the back & forth discussion on each rifle, the video may seem long but I find it already rather condensed yet informative, thanks ^_^
I haven't shot all those rifles, so my knowledge is lacking. I do own a Type 38 carbine my father brought back from Japan at the end of WWII (intact mum, not matching #s, no dust cover, no bayonet, with original sling) and I absolutely agree with your comments about it. It is a fine shooting weapon.
I agree the Type 38 is a divine weapon. Even though my carbine is rather beat up on the outside, it still functions flawlessly.
loved my 7.65 Mauser. Got it for Christmas when I was 8 yrs. old and got my first Bighorn at age 9 with this gun at 850 meters with the slide sight, My dad was shocked when it dropped as he was spotting while I took the shot. Of course it took over an hour to get to the sheep as we had to go into the canyon then back up the other side.
Your gun reviews are by far the most knowledgeable and interesting on the net. They are like history lessons.
Keep up the great work!
I was delighted in the cordial and informative interchange between you two experts. Thank you for your efforts!
I am quite happy to agree with this round up. Also, yes, the Arisaka was an amazing pick for Number one (and shoutout to you for showing Nambu some love).
From my experience shooting ww1 rifles, the Austrian 1895 Mannlicher Carbine is the superior weapon.
It is also the inferior weapon because it is the only ww1 rifle I own and have shot
Based M95 enjoyer
While I haven't fired most of the guns on this list, I can say this from personal experience. The 1903 Springfield I purchased several years ago was so good that it took me from not being able to hit water if I fell out of a boat to being a crack shot. If it's only #7 on this list, that really says a lot for the other 6, assuming the list is accurate...
"We have some more pistols to go, however." I'm sure that by now there can't be anything left with any significant fanbase. All the important pistols must have had an episode by now.
*dons asbestos underwear and waits for the fiery wrath of 1911 aficionados*
What's that gun you're talking about? I've never heard of it.
@@mrdarthbob4926 U.S. Government Colt model 1911 .45 caliber designed by John Browning.
@@captmark97 He's being sarcastic.
@@Mikhail-Tkachenko It's so hard to tell any more. I thought maybe the poster was from a foreign land where they call the 1911 something else. In the US we call the MP40 a schmeisser. In the UK they used to call a pistol a revolver. In the US sometimes we call a revolver a pistol. No telling.
@@captmark97 never heard of it. Must not be very popular.
Alright comments, we need to do a top 10 pitchforks and torches before we send our hatemail to Mae. We need to make sure our rabble is the highest possible quality roused.
True Value hardware makes a nice economical pitchfork.
Instead of pitchforks I'd go with a sharp stick. Costs a penny, stabs straight. We can dish out thousands.
I like the European model pitchforks:
-----€
NooooooAlso totally think I saw the one you're talking about at True Value the other day and almost got itnooooooo
Four prongs, about 30 cm long, about 6 cm spaced, bent 5° at 20th cm , on a 1,8 metre haft. Good for hay, straw, manure. OK for little sticks and leaves. Not so good for wood chips.
Ideal tool for Russian acupuncture therapy.
No, I'm still going with sharp sticks. I appreciate pitchforks are better made and able to do a variety of tasks, but at short notice, and for the job of prodding Mae, the sharp stick is economic, easy to produce and pitchforks are just adding features you don't need!
12:56 AM, workday, tired, but I sure as hell am about to watch all 1:39:57 of this vid!
one other minor cultural aspect of adopting the 7.7 ammo in the arisaka is probably the fact that there are quite a handful of anglophiles among late 19th/early 20th century japanese leaders, which is why they adopted the constitution monarchy (they have a monarch anyway), naval ship designs, right down to left-hand drive traffic etc, almost wholesale adoptation of the british system. the navy 7.7 cartridge is actually a copy of the british .303, while the army adopted the same bullet but in a rimless cartridge.
TBH perhaps the Republic of Elbonia should have appointed Mae as their small arms procurement officer.....maybe not perfect but the list is really close.
Being reequipped with WW I weapons platforms would be a step up from the rubbish that that list of traitors have been wasting Elbonian hard currency on, historically (well slightly damp, as nothing is totally dry in Elbonia) ....... (most were called Ian).
I'd bet Mae is in on Ian's conspiracy
Thank you for this episode! Also the forgotten rifle in the West, the Arisaka Type 38. Overall I agree with your choices, the Pattern 14/Model 1917 Enfield, number 2, the simplified Mauser '98 and '03 Springfield. Staying with what was fielded in numbers. Thank you for your show and reviewing everything you did. Many of these with different chambering might have moved around on the list but as you listed them is great.
Totally agree with you
Try one that’s had the camber opened up to accept 6.5x57
Thank you “O” for calling out Mae on her choices-lol.
I was laughing out loud at your banter between you two.
Your show is entertainment and knowledge at the same time. Thank u
It just occurs to me that one unintended consequence of watching this documentary series is that I’ve looked at Mae’s waist more than that of any other person, man or woman, in my entire life. That, and the smile she sports after firing antique arms with bone-jarring recoil, are the perfect guilty pleasure offsets to the fascinating, thorough, yet comparatively dry academic discussion that typifies every episode.
This documentary series will be revered for decades to come. Perhaps centuries.
Very interesting take on some of the most modified actions. Thank you both for this.
please, someone make a gif or meme of "a wild Bloke appears!" that we can deploy any time a lee-enflield is mentioned.
"Nope"
-Britishmuzzleloaders
With henchmen Rob & Rowan...
No Gripes from Me ( I'm a Brit ! ) SMLE No4 , Springfield No7 , As You say its subjective , simply one persons opinion ( A Very Well Qualified person to make such statements ,indeed probably one of the Best qualified, because Mae Has Actually Used All of these rifles ! ) I just Love the Whole C&R concept , Thanks Guys ! Shoot Straight , Stay Safe & Stay Well .
Oh, I totally agree with you about the Arisaka 38! I have a type 99 and I really love the simplicity. Thank you for your work.
I honestly have no complaints about this list, I’m a little surprised that none of the m1895 Mannlicher rifles made the list, particularly the Stutzen, but overall I can’t disagree with any of your reasoning behind your choices.
It did make the list . You didn't watch to the end of the video.
I've only had one bad cartridge with an m95, but boy let me tell you. That bolt stuck like it was welded in place. That being said my top choice is the P13 family
Well it certainly is Mae's Top Ten and not like any top ten anyone would predict. That is the reason I love this channel. It certainly isn't Othias's body hair, or the ominous music. What makes this place so special is seeing a woman enjoy doing such "unwomanly things" just like a normal person and hearing all the background context of the usually flat history we are taught. Putting history in a relatable context shows us just how unchanged human nature is while human culture makes it appear to move along.
Speak for yourself, Othias is a big ol' hunk of love.
Mannlicher Schoenauer at 29:00 .
I can attest to their superiority in sporting rifle form. I have an M1910 (9.5X57) Take Down Model and it is a thing of absolute beauty, balance, smoothness of operation and unflagging reliability. The magazine is not at all 'complicated' in function or maintenance (disassembles without tools, few parts), only to manufacture.
Now that was 1 hours and 40 minutes well spent. Thanks for the great content.
Thank you all very much for the great effort you pour into this valuable resource. In these times, so much mindless debris is spewed forth as to render this medium damn near meritless. We really appreciate your being the exception to the rule. If we are allowed to actually think in the future, your work will stand the test of time as truly worthy of attention.
10. Carcano Moschetto 1891 TS (6.5mm Spaghetti rifle!?)
9. Ross Rifle Mk. III (.303" Straight Pull, not "Tommy Atkins"-proof.)
8. Mauser 1903 (7.65mm Belgian) Ottoman Empire.
7. Springfield 1903 (.30-06)
6. Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1903 Carbine. (6.5mm, Rotary magazine.)
5. Karabiner 98 AZ. (7.92mm.)
4. Short Magazine Lee Enfield Mk. III* (.303")
3. Mauser Carbine 1908 Serbian. (7mm.)
2. Enfield 1917. (.303" Pattern 14/.30-'06)
1. "Arisaka" Carbine Type 38. (6.5mm Nanbu)
0. RSC 1917 (8mm Lebel, semi-automatic.)
Infantry Rifles
10. Lebel 1886 M93 (8mm, 8 round Tubular magazine.)
9. Berthier 1907/15 (8mm, 3 round clip)
8. Mosin-Nagant 1891 (7.62mm, 5 round stripper clip)
7. Mannlicher 1895 (8mmX50, Straight Pull, 5 round en bloc clip) Austria
6. Carcano 1981 (6.5mm, 6 round en bloc clip)
5. Gewehr 1898 (7.92mm)
4. Mauser 1903 (7.92mm) Ottoman Empire
3. Springfield 1903 (.30-06)
2. Short Magazine Lee Enfield Mk, III* (.303," 10 round magazine.)
1. Enfield 1917 (.30-06, 6 round magazine.) U.S.
13:07 As a former infantryman... I can attest that you, sir and madam, are NOT wrong.
@@dr.barrycraiggarneauesq. Willful stupidity of a young private is not branch specific. 🤷♂️
@@dr.barrycraiggarneauesq. Did you just have a stroke while typing? What in the unholy word salad fuck did you just try to say?
@@SonOfTheDawn515 Sergeants say of British squaddies, take 3 soldiers and 3 ball bearings, place them all in a completely empty room, then leave them for an hour.
When you return, one soldier will be injured, a ball bearing will be broken, one lost, and the third somehow dirty.
Definitely wrong as the SMLE is a far better infantrymans weapon with the Lee Bolt and 10 round magazine
@@christopherhumphreys7052 Jam-o-matic bolt action.
46:26 Mae's deadpan "up your butt" really got me. In addition to the excellent research and production, you two really have great chemistry and comedic timing.
Very good, I haven't a clue about all the technicalities of rifles but the explanations seem clear. At the end Mae has actually fired these rifles but I was surprised about the Arisaki as being top.
Up late drinking on my birthday, the 12th. The History Guy drops a video about the M1 helmet, and you folks do this. It's awesome lol
Happy birthday
Best not to drink too much on your 12th birthday, just sayin'
Happy birthday!
@@paulwheble840 good advice.
Heh. When I first saw this video, I was thinking of the Arisaka. It really was a beauty--excellent ergonomics, perfect dust/mud cover, excellent gas mitigation, great accuracy, a great action, surprisingly simple and very reliable, great safety, good length. It's a shame that its reputation was marred unfairly.
How do you two keep your facts and figures come out so sharp and clear? I applaud both of you. I had experience with the 7.62 Rifle, the 9mm Pistol and my favourite of all the times, the 9mmTsten gun. The Sten gun, the Pipe Gun, thee Scattergun. Name it what you will. We used to place bets on the highest score from, 25 feet 15 feet and then down to 10 feet. I had quick enough reflexes to be able to consistently 2 or 3 rounds bursts. Therefore I was able to watch my hits and bring the gun back on target before get pushed off with a long burst. I won most of the money.
Cleaned my P14 while this video played, love the long form keep it up!
Thank you Mae! I have been listening to the updates to your list as you have been going through the rifles with burning curiosity as to what will make the final cut. Your list does not disappoint, and like Othias, I had just enough of the “...yeah, but...” and “...what about...” moments to keep me on the edge of my seat. Well done Mae, and thanks also to Othias for playing devils advocate.
You should rank ALL the black powder rifles, since so many of them are significantly different from each other.
Wow called me out really early! As a new viewer I loved this video and topic, I look forward to splurging your content! Everything is so detailed and engaging! I’m subscribed.
I've seen several of your episodes.... i very much impressed by your knowledgeable and competent discourse.
really enjoy & Appreciate people very competent, even enthusiastic about their subjects- Good Job & Keep it up!
The Magazine Lee Metford/Enfields had bolt covers but deleted them.
They should of kept them to be honest
I think its pretty cool looking when people let their grey come through.
I agree with Mae's #1 pick. I have a early (1913) Type 38 and it is very well made with good fit and finish for a military rifle.
Just watched the video, it’s nice to see two Enfield designs taking the top two slots in Mae’s top 10.
Here's an interesting thing about sights: Alvin York was issued a '17 Enfield, and he liked the aperture sights for stationary targets. However, he couldn't consistently hit a moving target with them, so he traded it for an '03 Springfield because he shot it much better with the open sights. He stated this in an interview that was sited in a feature about him in American Rifleman. He also mentioned his favorite firearm; the Auto 5.
I had a case head rupture in my Mukden type 38 carbine. The only thing that happened was that smoke came out of the vent holes in the receiver. I agree with Mae!
The Springfield 03 would continue to be used into the Korean War in fact you see members of the 1st Marine Division still armed with scoped models despite the adaption of the semi auto M1.
Mae,You are probably more informed than a lot of "Armchair warriors", and as a smaller person than the usual male of today, You may be more in size to most men born in the end of 1890s to 1900, and thefore more qualified to check out the handling.
They have stated that idea through the years of doing this.
@@videodistro The other factor however is muscle mass, Mae is probably not as strong or accustomed to labour as a soldier of WWI would have been. I don't put a lot of stock in her experience being analogous, but since it's always her, her experiences with each rifle are comparable to each other.
@@Dreadought I wonder does years of handling hundreds of different gun would mess her muscle memory?.
@Zane Blaire I'd suggest you review the Bantam Battalions.
@Zane Blaire Sit in any car made in the 20's and you'll see.
Excellent show, series, & lists! I'm pro'lly one of the proud few hangin' in there for "Dino Tales".
But not the only one.
Glad to finally get the official top 10! I've been waiting (Haven't watched it yet, I hope the Ross makes the top 10).
Edited to add: Hey! just got to 9, yay! the Ross Mk III made the list!
Thank you for a truly wide ranging, informative and enjoyable romp through early 20th century arms. As you say, it’s a subjective list and no less valid for that. Though there can be few people who have your level of knowledge and hands on experience. This video only wets my appetite for what will come next. Thanks again to the whole team for this and all the preceding videos.
Was so hoping for my beloved Enfield p14/M17 30-06 would be on this list, was not disappointed with where it landed.
Mae keeps bringing up the unnecessary magazine cutoff of the Springfield '03, but it also served as the bolt release. In my opinion it is a more favorable design to the standard Mauser style bolt release.
I have a Type 99 but have never handled a Type 38 and it never would have crossed my mind to put an Arisaka at the top of any list but somehow you managed to convince me that this might really be possible. I still have a hard time fathoming anything being better than the 1917 from that period and I'd put the SMLE right behind it but I've also never handled anything Serbian. I'm also not totally convinced about the Carcano with the extreme six o'clock hold I've experienced with it. I might have put the Berthier on the list in place of it.
OK this is a lot of fun. Mae was very natural in front of the camera which I enjoyed. This may have occurred before and I have missed it but my first observation of it. I actually really like that the list was personal opinion, rather than an attempt to be objective (I know you have the actual top ten by the end). Loved some of the choices, and how Othias would just rip them apart afterwards and Mae was like "Yup, but I really liked them". Was very fun to watch.
The Enfield 1917, pattern 1914, is the gun that is used on Greenland due to its reliability in real world weather and ability to explain to an ice bear that you are not food.
It was kinda happenstance that it got there, the brits probably gave them away as unsellable WW1-surplus in 1953, but it is to the best of my knowledge they are still the weapon used by the inuit for hunting and by the Sirius Patrol as default self defence weapon because of their reliability in a blizzard.