O.K. What do you guys think the best milsurp/civilian guns of all times.
My list of milsurps -
1 M-1 Garand
2 M1853 Enfield
3 M-16
4-K-98 Mauser
5 SKS/AK-47
6 GEW-88

The M-1 Garand hands down. It was declared the greatest battle implement ever devised. There is one not on your list that should be and thats the M-1A or more commonly know as the M-14 which is built off of the M-1 Garand format.

Missing from your selection is the K31 Swiss. Truly an awesome firearm and readily available for under $200. I will take it over anything else on the list if accuracy is a measure of "best".

The SKS/AK variants are not designed in USA, nor that they are tack driving guns.

But they are are in use in most military active countries, since their introduction.
They are easily maintained, reproduced and very reliable in extreme situations.

Credit given as credits due.

Ignoramuses (Ignorami?) the lot of you.

Where is the rifle that armed more nations' soldiers than any other?

The mighty FAL

The ONLY reason it didn't replace the Garand & the M14 did was because of NIH syndrome.

That's why theres only 6 guns on the list .Who could know all the best? The reason I selected all these was I a mix.The Most revolutionary,most popular,the most reliable and famous. For instance the SVT-40 and the MP-44 can't be counted because of factors such as limited service life .
Possible others not necessarily milsurp rifles or debatable ones ? PPSh- 41,FN FAL ,Barrett M82 .50,Browning M-2 ,Brown Bess ,Lee Enfield ,Winchester M1897,1894,M70 ,Remington 700, Browning A-5 ,Remington 870,Colt 1873,1911,Beretta 92, and S & W No.10 family .

Ah,
Now we are cooking with gas. If one considers history of the world in the process you must come to the Empire Where The Sun Never Sets and the gun that conquered most of the known world an held that empire for well over 100 years, the Brown Bess.

Perhaps the only gun that could give Bessie a run for the crown is the Martini Henry for the very same reason.

Now if longevity is in the mix with all else, for Best Gun, one can not get past the little invention of Dr. Richard Gatling. At a ripe old age of 240 years, it was on the first day, awsome and it still is awsome, just ask the Republican Guard.
Best,
Ed

What??? No 1903 Springfield?

Let us not forget the lever guns...They have been around quite a long time too...I'm particularly partial to Winchester's fine rifles of time past and until they quit manufacturing them...

What, no 1911? Come on now

I'm kinda leaning toward SwampFox's opinion. The Brown Bess was used for a long time, and all over the world. And we can't forget the SMLE either, for the same reason. I'm sure that there are SMLEs still in use in parts of the world.

Rifle:

1- Automat Kalashnikov: big bullet, hi-cap, bomb-proof, ammo anywhere.

2- Simonov, Yugo variant: big bullet, 10-round trapdoor mag that's top-offable, ammo anywhere. Accurate enough for me with a dark crappy bore. I don't need a 50y/o tack driver. W/ open sights it clangs 'em at 2-300y's easy.

3- K98. What hasn't been done with it. Best bolt gun ever.

Not impressed with the .223 AR's.
Garand and M14 are way way waaaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced.
1903 is a good shooter in match form.

Pistol:

1- 1911.

Sub:

1- M3. The Thompson was cool but a total drama queen in the field and way way waaaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced.