WWII Rifle Information?

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Buy a copy of Small Arms Of The World (Smith&Smith), a real book or on a disc, or download or whatever.

Old ones, which fully cover the WWII period as well, can be found cheap at gunshows (avoid the "book collector" copies).

Very good overview of military small arms, all the major types and many of the rarer ones. Operating and field stripping instructions in the text, lots of pictures, and some good history, but not detailed like books on the specific rifles or pistols.

The era of the cheap milsurp and its ammo is over. The era of the inexpensive is nearly so.

Each major player in WII fielded 2 or more main rifles during the war. The US had 4, 1903, 1917, M1 Garand and M1 Carbine. There were others used in small numbers.

Britian and Commonweath used the SMLE, and variants, ranging from WWI models to the No.5 Jungle carbine.

Russia used all versions of the Moisin Nagant, (3 main ones) the SVT 40 and some others.

Japan had two different Arisakas.

Italy had a couple of different Carcanos and others.

Germany used everything they could build or get their hands on. Mausers, German made, CZech made, Belgian made, Yugoslavian made (on German provided tools), lots of different variants there. If they captured an arms factory still in working order, they put it to work. And still never had enough,

I'm not going to bother with the French...

Its a large field for collecting, ENJOY!!!

[tahunua001]

The US had 4, 1903, 1917, M1 Garand and M1 Carbine. There were others used in small numbers.

some might say that due to the very different manufacturing process/configurations the 1903A3-4s were a different model altogether. there were also the johnsons(not exactly standard issue by any means)

Britian and Commonweath used the SMLE, and variants, ranging from WWI models to the No.5 Jungle carbine.

homefront security also used the P14 and M1917.

Japan had two different Arisakas.

they had 6 by my count.
the type 38 long rifle
type 38 carbines(basically the same as most other carbines of the day which were just shortened versions of the originals)
type 44 cavalry carbine.
type 97
type 99
and the type I which was a bastardized combo between the Arisaka and carcano rifles made in Italy for the Japanese navy because army kept calling dibs on the real arisakas.

Germany used everything they could build or get their hands on.

very true, they also used the straight pull mannlichers and captured mosin nagants toward the end of the war.

I'm not going to bother with the French...

the MAS36 (terrible rifles), as well left over berthiers from WWI, and model 1917s and 1903s donated by the U.S. to degauls resistance.