Sniper Rifles of WWII
World War II was a unique time period where technology grew in ways never before seen - causing millions of people to die. During this time period it can often be hard to consider at times, the entire world being at war. Think about that for a moment. Almost every major country on the planet was at war. The concept is almost inconceivable in our current time period.
During this time, some incredible men stood up to fight one-man missions against the enemy and these men were snipers. The idea of a sniper was just coming into consideration for many in the military. These men were fearsome, fearless, lone wolves that made names for themselves that even the very mention of them struck fear into the heart of the enemy (on both sides). Here are some of the most prolific weapons used by marksmen during WWII.
American Sniper Rifles of WWII
The United States realized a couple years into WWII that designated snipers were a great idea. Snipers in WWII were originally only in the Marine Corps and Army. The concept of snipers was actually very new at the time. Here's an interesting excerpt from the U.S. Military Regulation Chapter II, Section 235 which states:
“Telescopic Sight—To encourage efforts, to award efficiency, and to properly equip a special class of shots who shall not only be designated as expert, but who, in action, shall be employed as such, the telescopic sight is adopted. These sights will be supplied by the Ordnance Department and assigned to enlisted men who have qualified under these regulations as expert riflemen. They will be issued to and accounted for by the company commander, and, in his discretion, may be carried by the men at inspection under arms.”
Springfield M1903A4
The M1903a1 Springfield was adopted as the U.S. military’s bolt-action in 1930 and was very similar to the Mauser Model 1893 - so similar in fact that the United States had to pay royalties to Mauser over the rifle! Despite the legal issues, the M1903a1 Springfield .30 soon became a popular choice for the American sniper in WWII. Springfield 1903 Sniper rifles were outfitted with a Weaver 330C (also called the M73B1) 2.5x power scope.
Springfield 1903 Sniper Rifle (M1903a4) Photo Credit: American Rifleman
M1 Garand
Most firearms enthusiasts are familiar with the iconic M1 Garand sniper rifle. Named after its designer John Garand, the M1 was chambered in .30-06 and production began in 1934. Of course, many infantrymen used this rifle with just its iron sites but the the M1 Garand in a sniper rifle configuration saw much use in WWII as well. Many of these rifles saw service even after WWII - some ended up being used in the Vietnam War! M1 Garand sniper rifles were typically equipped with a Lyman “Alaska” 2.2x power scope known as the M81.
M1 Garand Sniper Rifle. Photo Credit: iCollector
Russian Sniper Rifles of WWII
Enemy at the Gates was a fantastic flick (probably our favorite Jude Law movie) and Vasily Zaitsev will forever be immortalized into history because of it. Russian snipers were feared by the opposing German forces and for good reason! Let’s take a look at what we’d see these fearsome warriors carrying throughout WWII.
Mosin Nagant PU Sniper Rifle
The Mosin Nagant Sniper PU is based on the original Mosin Nagant that was released in 1891. These rifles are very simple by design but incredibly reliable. In fact, these rifles have even been spotted in use by separatists in the current Ukrainian/Russian war today. The bolt-action Mosin Nagant Sniper rifle was chambered in 7.62x54mm and outfitted with a 3.5 power PU scope.
Mosaic Nagant PU Sniper Rifle. Photo Credit:
The Firearm Blog
British Sniper Rifles of WWII
British snipers also were prevalent on the battlefield in WWII. As their other Allied counterparts, the British WWII sniper used a version of a standard issue rifle outfitted for sniper duty. Let’s take a look at the Lee Enfield Sniper.
Lee Enfield SMLE
The iconic, .303 Lee Enfield Sniper Rifle is a rock-solid, reliable platform that has stood the test of time. The first iteration of the British Lee Enfield was adopted in 1988, and many were still in service 100 years later! Fitted with a 3.5x magnification scope, the Lee Enfield sniper is considered by many to be the best sniper rifle used in WWII. Featuring a 10-round magazine, short, 60 degree bolt throw, and added cheek rest for a proper cheek weld, it’s no wonder the Lee Enfield sniper performed so well in every theater of war. It was utilized by British snipers as well. Side note: have a look at what a great-looking classic gun the Lee Enfield Sniper rifle is too.
Lee Enfield SMLE MK4 Sniper rifle. Photo Credit: Rock Island Auction
Japanese Sniper Rifles of WWII
Japanese snipers in WWII were a deadly threat to American forces in Asian jungles. Many stories of Japanese snipers have been presented of them tying themselves high up in trees of the jungle canopy to fire on advancing American forces. Their rifles might not have been the best, but they were definitely deadly. Let’s look at one of their favorites - the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper Rifle.
Arisaka Type 97
The main sniper rifle seen in use by Japanese forces during WWII was the Arisaka Type 97. Based on the Type 38 rifle and chambered in 6.5x50mm Arisaka, the Arisaka Type 97 was feared in the hands of Japanese snipers, who proved to be fearless and lethal. Sporting a very long 31.4 Inch barrel, 5 round box magazine, and a 2.5x scope, the Arisaka Type 97 Sniper Rifle was known to be rather poorly made and suffered accuracy issues, but it did the job well enough to see Japan put over 20,000 of them into service with their riflemen.
Arisaka Type 97 Sniper Rifle with bayonet. Photo Credit: Sniper Central
German Sniper Rifles of WWII
German snipers were considered to be some of the greatest marksmen in WWII. Armed with one of the best rifles made at the time, a German sniper struck fear into the hearts of their opponents on the battlefield. Let’s take a look at their weapon of choice - the Mauser 98k Sniper Rifle.
Mauser K98
The Mauser Karabiner 98k is considered by many to be the most iconic sniper rifle in WWII and for excellent reasons! The Mauser 98k Sniper rifle came in several versions, chambered in 7.92x57mm, throughout its time in service beginning with the ZF41, which had a small 5-inch scope mounted very far forward on the rifle. This provided very poor eye relief for many shooters and would be changed as the war raged on.
Mauser 98k Sniper rifle with the ZF41 scope. Photo Credit: RJ Militaria
Arguably the most famous version of the Mauser 98k Sniper rifle is known as the “High Turret." Note the picture below showing the high turrets for the scope mounts. The high turret Mauser 98k Sniper rifle featured a 4x Ajack scope. In any configuration, the Mauser 98k Sniper Rifle was a fearsome adversary, with top German snipers reportedly able to hit targets out to 1,000 yards.
High-Turret Version of the German Mauser K98k Sniper Rifle. Photo Credit: Firearms News
Are you ready to be a marksman?
We hope you enjoyed this brief overview of some of the more commonly seen WWII sniper rifles. Some of these weapons are still being used today - a testament to their quality and reliability! While we don't make 80% bolt action setups just yet, we can certainly help get you started on becoming a marksmen with building your own AR-10. Take a look at our build kits and parts that can help you get a semi-automatic .308 setup which opens you up to long range precision shooting, competitions and some serious big game hunting!
