From World War 1 and World War 2 to the Korean War and the Vietnam War, many rifles have played key roles in wars over the last century. This is part of the reason why there have been so many calibers of rifle ammo throughout history. The WWII rifles were especially important, as every nation involved took a slightly different approach to which rifles it would arm its soldiers with.
What rifle was used in WWII will really depend on the country you are looking at. There were at least half a dozen rifles that soldiers from various countries employed to do battle with enemy forces. Check out some of the most-used WWII rifles below.
M1 Garand
The M1 Garand rifle was celebrated for being the first standard-issue auto-loading rifle the U.S. Army ever used. It replaced the bolt-action M1903 Springfield that American troops had used previously. None other than General George S. Patton once referred to it as “the greatest battle implement ever devised.”
These WWII rifles were chambered for .30-06 Springfield cartridges. They were so effective during WWII that the U.S. Army continued to use them during the Korean War until they were eventually replaced by the M14 rifle at the end of the 1950s.
M1 Carbine
While the M1 Garand rifle was well-liked among those in the U.S. Armed Forces, they did have one major complaint about it. They didn’t love how heavy these rifles were. This led to the U.S. Army introducing the M1 Carbine rifle to its soldiers before WWII ended.
The M1 Carbine was a semi-automatic carbine that weighed significantly less than the M1 Garand. In fact, it weighed just over 5 pounds, which made it nearly half the weight of the M1 Garand which was just under 10 pounds.
These rifles were chambered for .30 Carbine. Several different versions of the M1 Carbine emerged throughout the war, and they became very popular among police forces and paramilitary units following WWII due to their lightweight designs.
Lee–Enfield
While American troops mostly relied on M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles in WWII, other nations went a different route. Lee–Enfield rifles, popular amongst the British for their rate of fire, were also used throughout the war. It was a bolt-action repeating rifle that the British Armed Forces adopted in the late 1800s and used well through the 1950s.
Lee–Enfield rifles were chambered with .303 British, and they were magazine-fed to enable them to get off up to 30 aimed shots per minute. The British also provided them to the Commonwealth nations involved in WWII, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
Mosin-Nagant
The Mosin–Nagant rifle is interesting in that, in addition to being one of the primary WWII rifles, it’s also a rifle that is still utilized by some armies today. Since being introduced in Russia in the late 1800s, it’s one of the most mass-produced rifles in world history. Over 37 million Mosin–Nagant rifles have been manufactured to date.
This rifle has also gone by a couple of other names, including the 3-line rifle M1891 and Mosin’s rifle. But no matter what it was called, Soviet Union soldiers kept this rifle nearby throughout WWII.
The Mosin-Nagant rifle was chambered for 7.62×54mmR cartridges, and it was heralded for both its accuracy and reliability. It could also be used with lubricants that made it possible for the rifle to withstand bitter-cold Russian temperatures.
Karabiner 98k
A few years before WWII started, Germany’s Army Weapons Agency — known as the Waffenamt — adopted a new standard-issue rifle for its soldiers called the Karabiner 98k. It was a bolt-action rifle chambered for 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridges.
The Karabiner 98k was an effective rifle at the start of WWII, but by the time the war was nearing its end, it was clear this rifle was no match for the semi-automatic rifles American troops used in WWII.
What Happened to the Rifles Used in WWII?
Some of the most used WWII rifles, such as the Mosin-Nagant rifles from Russia, are still around today. Others, including the M1 Garand, have long since been replaced by more advanced models.
Whether you have one of the rifles mentioned here or you’ve upgraded to a more modern rifle, Steinel Ammunition can provide the ammunition you need to keep your rifle filing accurately. Take a look at our inventory to see what we have in stock.
