World War II marked one of the most tumultuous times in history. With nearly every major world superpower at war, millions of lives were lost and cities were left in ruins from six years of constant destruction.
While the weapons of WWII are nothing compared to the destructive power of today’s arsenals, some firearms carved their place in history as particularly memorable for one reason or another. A new video by TFB TV counts down the top five rifles of WWII that have held their own some seventy years after the war.
TFB TV counts down the top five rifles of World War II. (TFB TV/YouTube)
First on the list is the French-made MAS-36. The bolt-acton rifle was simple, rugged and most importantly accurate, and proved a handy weapon in holding off the Germans for a considerable amount of time during the Blitzkrieg.
The MAS-36 even saw life well beyond WWII. More than 1.1 million rifles were manufactured all the way until 1952, and some of these guns are still used in warfare today.
TFB TV counts down the top five rifles of World War II. (TFB TV/YouTube)
Check out the rest of the list in the video below:
Also on the list is Germany’s Karabiner 98k. The K98k was the standard issue service weapon of the German armed forces during WWII. To serve as the Germans primary weapon during the war, more than 14 million were produced in just a handful of years.
As the war progressed, the K98k was also transformed into a sniper rifle. Fitted with telescopic sights, the K98k was praised as being an incredibly accurate sniper rifle during its time and had a range of nearly 1,000 meters.
Because of the millions produced, the K98k can still be found in use around the world today. Following the war, the Soviets captured a significant number of the rifles and have often distributed them as military aid.
TFB TV counts down the top five rifles of World War II. (TFB TV/YouTube)
Topping off the list is the American-made M1 Garand. Originally designed in 1928, more than five million of these rifles were produced for more than two decades. During WWII, the M1 Garand was used by every branch of military as a standard-issue weapon.
Through a number of revisions, the M1 Garand saw action in the Korean and Vietnam Wars as well. Today, after more than 80 years since it was first produced, the M1 Gerard is still used around the world by various militaries as combat-ready weapons and by civilians as hunting rifles.
