For my first rifle there was only one choice: the Lee Enfield No 1 Mark III - not just because I already had the bayonet; this really is one of the best rifles ever made:
Then I bought a Carcano 6.5mm rifle, which was the Italian Army's infantry weapon during World War II. One of these was used by Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate John F Kennedy. I've heard people say he couldn't possibly have fired three good shots in about 8 seconds (make that two good shots as the first round missed), and I've heard people say he could easily have done it. The only way to find out was to get hold of a Carcano 6.5, fit a telescopic sight and have a go myself.
Watch this space for the results. Then we'll know if there was a conspiracy or not!
Next I'll be getting an FN, because it's what I'm used to and because it's much better suited to modern warfare than all the assault rifles that followed it:
Fig 11 targets
Rifle Shooter magazine
Fifty Caliber Shooter's Association
Rifle Manuals firingpin.com
gunbroker.com (a division of ebay)
Gallery of Guns
Auction Arms
Shotgun News nothing to do with shotguns!
Russian Guns and Firearms
South African Bisley Union
Dominion of Canada Rifle Association
Stock Exchange Rifle Club
London & Middlesex Rifle Association
National Small-bore Rifle Association
nra.org
NRA list of ranges in AR
Join the NRA
The Remington Society of America
Ammunitionstore.com
Southern Ohio Gun
Hoosier Gun Works
Martini-Henry FAQs
Surplus Firearms Parts & Accessories
Alexander Arms' New "Overwatch" .50 Beowulf review by Gunblast.com
British Army Rifles
7.62mm Tokarev Semiautomatic Rifle SVT40
Collecting and Shooting the 7.62mm Tokarev Self-loading Rifle (SVT-40) - Ammo
The M1 Garand Rifle An American Companion In Three Wars
Eliminating the sticky bolt syndrome in Mosin-Nagant rifles
"Sticky Mosin Nagant Bolt? Making your Mosin Rock part 1" YouTube
2010 Products: Rifles
The Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III SMLE Rifle
Collecting and Shooting the Enfield No. 4 Rifle
Enfield No. 4 Mk 2 Range Report
No 1 Mk III Disassembly & Reassembly
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Rifle
Surplus Rifles at Southern Ohio Gun
Enfield 2A .308 NATO/7.62x51 Rifles at AIM Surplus
DS Solutions Militaria
British L1A1 Black Plastic Butt Plate, Short at DS Solutions Militaria
Rifle 303 British Enfield - 04/11/09
Romanian kit at Atlantic Firearms $400
Under Folder Rifle on US receiver $589
Under FOlder Rifle: Polish parts on US receiver with bayonet $629
Russian classic with fixed butt $819
AKMS Black Underfolder Polymer Rifle 7.62X39 at JKF inc $540
Ak47 magazines from AIM Surplus
Kalashnikov backs weapons control - 26/06/06
Profile: Mikhail Kalashnikov - 26/06/06
Century Arms Centurion 39 Sporter Rifle - 13/10/10 Here’s a U.S. made, semi-auto version of the most successful 20th-century military arm—the AK-47
A history of the AK-47, the gun that made history - Oct 29, 2010
Russian army ends purchase of Kalashnikov rifles - Sep 27, 2011
AK47 assault rifle designer Kalashnikov dies at 94 - Dec 23, 2013 Free Republic
The M1 Garand Considered one of the finest rifles ever produced by American armories
US Carbine, Caliber .30, M1. Disassembly & Reassembly
M14 rifle
M-14 7.62mm Rifle The US Army selected the M-14 rifle in 1957
Last of the Surviving M-14 Battle Rifles - Apr 29, 2009
Soldiers issued enhanced M14s - Sep 15, 2012
Collecting and Shooting the 7.62mm M14 and M1A Rifles
Springfield M1A Standard SYN $1,600
Springfield M1A Loaded SYN $1,500
ar15.com
The AR-15 Complete Assembly Guide
Introduction to Building Your Own AR-15
AR Operating Systems: Gas Impingement vs. Piston maybe direct gas impingement isn't so bad after all
An AR Plinking Good Time Smith & Wesson’s M&P 15 .22 Rifle
ArmaLite M-15 A2 Carbine Exploded view and break-down instructions for AR-platform rifles
SIG SG 550 Wikipedia
Accuracy International Portsmouth
The super sniper: Hero picks off two Taliban from a mile and a half away - 02/05/10
Tac Pro Shooting Center US distributor for Accuracy International
7.62 mm L96A1 sniper rifle
M40A1 7.62mm a militarised version of the commercial Remington 700 sporting rifle
Review of Accuracy International AS50
British Army Sniper Rifles
SAS makes deadly debut with new sniper rifle - 02/12/02 L115A .338
Ultimate Accuracy Arms Lonoke
How to make the ultimate sniper rifle - 13/04/14 Telegraph video about Accuracy International
Bravo Company USA
High Standard
Model 1 Sales
Rock River Arms
Bullseye Guns & Ammo
Fred's Military M14 Rifle Stocks
Gun Envy Store
JKF Inc
Ohio Ordnance Works
Sarco Inc
Arkansas Game & Fish Commission Firing Ranges
Arkansas Gun Clubs
Mountain Valley Sportsman's Association, Hot Springs 300m rifle range
Central Arkansas Shooters Association
Sherwood - AR 72124 Phone: 501-666-9488 - 1000yd rifle range
Searcy - Fischer's Shooting Center, 911 S. Booth Road, Searcy, AR 72143. 501-726-4030 400yd rifle range
PRW Civilian Courses 1500 yards
Whittington Center, NM see plan and map
VETS Shooting Crnter Searcy
Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative
| Arkansas Game & Fish Comm/Scatter Creek Ridge | 2 Natural Resources Dr Little Rock, AR 72205 |
501-978-7341 Main 800-364-4263 Toll Free |
cleburneclub@cox-internet.com | map | 100yd |
| Cleburne County Shooting Club | Hwy 5/25 By-pass Heber Springs, AR 72543 |
501-887-9946 | map | ||
| Mountain Valley Sportsmns Assc | 15 Ostento Way Hot Springs Village, AR 71909 |
501-915-8844 | dbuck@ipa.net | map | |
| On Target Indoor Firing Range | 1225 Blacksnake Road Hot Springs, AR 71913 |
501-767-9944 | david@ontargetfr.com | map | 75ft |
| 141 Shooting Range | 2879 CR 323 Jonesboro, AR 72401 |
870-761-9961 | shootintrange141@yahoo.com | map | 100yd |
| Twin Lakes Gun Club, Inc. | CR 1046 Mountain Home, AR 72653 |
870-425-7640 | sportingclays@twinlakegunclub.com | map | 200yd |
| Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Camp Robinson Range | 574 Clinton Rd Mayflower, AR 72106 |
501-470-9904 | jdhuggins@agfc.state.ar.us | map | 200yd |
| Benton Gun Club Inc | 5522 Mt Olive Cutoff Road Baxuite, AR 72011 |
501-315-3071 Main 877-332-5558 Toll Free |
map | 300yd | |
| Dixie Sport Shooting Association, Inc. | Hot Springs National Park Hot Springs, AR 71903 |
501-262-4001 | dixieshooters@yahoo.com | map | 300yd |
| Peeler Gap Shooting Range | Highway 10 East Danville, AR 72833 |
501-495-2844 | map | 100yd | |
| Punkin Center Gun Club | 17101 Hwy 1 North HARRISBURG, AR 72432 |
870-578-9700 | map | 300yd | |
| Bear Mountian Shooting Range | 1523 Highway 270 E P O Box 255, Mount Ida, AR 71957 |
870-867-2101 | map | 100yd | |
| Monticello Firing Range | 100 Firing Range Road Monticello Road, AK 71655 |
870-367-5309 | emuniz@apanas.com | map | 300yd |
| Pigeon Roost Shooting Range | 912 Smokey Bear Ln Glenwood, AR 71943 |
870-356-4186 | map | 100yd | |
| map |
History of the 7.62mm Cartridge In 1953 the US 7.62 x 51mm T65 round was adopted by NATO as its standard rifle cartidge
History of the 5.56mm Cartridge The "5.56mm Ball cartridge M193" was officially adopted by the U.S. Army in 1964
Able Ammo
AmmunitionAmmo.com
Cabelas
Century Ammo at Impact Guns
Hatcher
Lucky Gunner
7.62 mm caliber
7.62 × 51 mm NATO
The Gun Zone: .308 Win. and 7.62mm NATO Are Not Identical
Outdoor Superstore
.303 at Aim Surplus
.303 at J & C Sales
Palmetto
A Short History of Long Range Shooting in the United States
Brass Catchers
Shooters cheer the 'sunset' of assault rifle ban - 15/09/04
M4 Carbine Fares Poorly in Dust Test - 18/12/07
And here's the rest of the M4 story - 18/12/07
Corps to use more lethal ammo in Afghanistan - 16/02/10
A World-Record Shot - 07/06/10 A British sniper holds the world record for longest confirmed kill
U.S. Army Begins Shipping M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round (M855A1 EPR) - 25/06/10
US Army Announces Carbine Competition Details - Jan 31, 2011 FR Comments
Now you're a sharpshooter: The smart rifle arrives - 25/09/13
Canadian Arctic Rangers get new rifle for polar bear defense - 06/25/15
