Searching for the Best World War II Sniper Rifle: Finale

To read part 4 of this series which examines the American Springfield Armory M1903A4, click here.

We embarked on a journey to examine and evaluate four World War II bolt-­action sniper rifles using issued ammunition or handloads made to period specifications. Much ink has been spilled on the history and details of each configuration, beginning with the March 2025 issue through the June 2025 issue of Guns & Ammo. Through our research, we have learned that little material exists that document how these rifles performed in combat using the ammunition that was available to soldiers. A few contemporary memoirs of snipers give some insight into the performance, but they don’t precisely describe how accurate or effective these rifles were.

The first consideration that needed to be defined was the role of a sniper during World War II, which was to deliver accurate, long-­range fire on high-­value targets, distances beyond the range of regular infantry. Sniper employment also involved a single man or team to stop or delay an infantry advance and demoralize the enemy. High-­value targets included officers and non-­commissioned officers (NCOs), members of crew-­served arms such as machine guns, mortars and artillery, and enemy snipers. There are accounts that describe the duals between snipers, and many recorded engagements of a single sniper/team stopping and delaying a company level advance for hours were recorded. These roles were performed from a concealed position and at a range typically spanning 100 to 500 yards.

The British, German and Soviet armies provided snipers training to accomplish these mission requirements. I am not aware of any training manuals or specific schools operated by the U.S. Army or Marines for snipers during the war. My father’s experience, Robert Emary, involved being issued a Model 1903A4 rifle and being told to go to the range and shoot. On a tactical level, the same mission requirements existed for U.S. snipers but the craft was often self-­taught or learned through survival.

As his primary task, my father was directed to be well ahead of his unit, I Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR). He was to locate German positions, either by observation or taking fire, and then to engage the enemy’s position to guide the rest of the company to fire for effect. Dad said snipers were trained in England — prior to the Holland jump — to fire tracer ammunition at targets and then quickly move. He told me that he was not about to do that because the Germans would immediately know where he was.

Performance Summary

It is time to sum up the performance of the K98k Zf.39, Enfield No. 4 Mk 1 (T), 91-­30 PU, and M1903A4 sniper rifles described in Parts I through IV. Considering the positive and negative aspects, the effectiveness at distance of each rifle system will be rated based on performance with the ammunition available to snipers at that time.

The tables illustrate the results of the four rifles detailed in this series. It was not an exhaustive test, and this evaluation was limited in how much period ammunition was available. Rifles, optics and ammunition were tested to a range of 500 yards, a long shot for that time. Nonetheless, the tests provided insight into what the average sniper could achieve with them. Limitations were revealed, and the results cast doubt on certain myths and feats that have been portrayed on the silver screen and on the pages of popular novels.

Several things became apparent when comparing G&A’s results. The Springfield Armory M1903A4 was the least accurate rifle when fed period ammunition, but it was nearly the most accurate with modern, high-­quality ammunition. This analysis conclusively established that the accuracy potential of period U.S. ammunition was likely not on par with other countries’ ammunition. The U.S. sniper using an M1903A4 was a little handicapped due to the poor accuracy of his ammunition. The three other rifles were reasonably accurate with period ammunition. It was also interesting to note that the K98k with Zf.39 scope outperformed the other rifles at 500 yards. This was likely due to the heavy bullet with higher ballistic coefficient (BC) found with our German ammunition. German ammunition performed better in windy conditions, too. Both days of testing in central New Mexico experienced windy conditions.

Advantages & Disadvantages

There was no perfect rifle, and the period optics left something to be desired. The American-­issue Springfield Armory M1903A4 featured a smooth bolt operation, had a reasonable scoped overall weight of 91/2 pounds, a clean 4-­pound trigger, and a low-­mounted scope that supported a comfortable cheekweld with the stock. The M73 scope provided the sniper with precise and repeatable quarter-­MOA scope adjustments. It had a fine crosshair, which enhanced precision shooting at 100-­yard ranges on bullseye targets, but the reticle proved to be a disadvantage when engaging targets beyond 300 yards.

There were other issues with the M1903A4, namely mediocre accuracy with period ammunition. The rifle’s Mauser-­type safety was less useful, as well, and snipers couldn’t readily zero the M73 scope turrets. Finally, the low 2.75X fixed magnification in the scope did not provide human target resolution at or beyond 500 yards.

The Soviet-­issue Mosin-­Nagant 91/30 PU was slightly heavier than the M1903A4, but still reasonable at 10.2 pounds. The 91/30 was an established platform for the sniper rifle, and the 7.62x54R a predictable round available in the same configuration across Russia’s battle rifles and machine guns. The PU scope enhanced the 91/30, improving its accuracy potential at long ranges. The scope turrets were easy to zero, and the elevation turret calibration proved precise with standard-­issue light ball ammunition. Adjustments were repeatable. The PU contained a sharply pointed post reticle that was useful with its 3.5X magnification. The PU scope offered snipers good resolution on man targets beyond 500 yards, in fact.

The few negatives for the 91/30 PU are obvious, perhaps. It had a stiff, clunky bolt to cycle and a difficult safety to operate. Underneath was a mushy trigger. The trigger was light, though, but its sensitive second stage took some getting used to. The PU scope hovers atop the action as it was mounted very high, yielding a poor cheekweld; for some, there is no cheekweld at all. This would not have been conducive to accurate shooting on a dynamic battlefield, and snipers often created their own comb riser for precision work.

The British Enfield No. 4 Mk 1 (T) in .303 British was built with clear intent to be a sniper’s rifle. The bolt was extremely smooth, and the safety was easy to operate. The rifle provided snipers with a 10-­round capacity and an excellent 5-­pound trigger. Best of all was the wooden comb secured to the stock that supported a comfortable cheekweld. These features enabled its accuracy potential, which wasn’t surprising given that the best shooting rifles were selected for sniper enhancements. Unfortunately, a drawback to the No. 4 Mk 1 (T) was its heavy 111/2-­pound scoped weight.

The most significant disadvantages to the No. 4 Mk 1 (T) are with its No. 32 scope. The modest 3.5X magnification of the optic and heavy post reticle made human-­target resolution beyond 500 yards difficult. Further, there was crosstalk between the windage and elevation turret with some scopes. Snipers learned to use only the elevation turret to dial the distance to the target and hold off for windage. There was significant backlash in both elevation and windage turrets used on the Mk II versions. To add, the elevation turret was not well calibrated to shooting issued ammunition and adjustments became progressively higher than the turret’s scale beyond 300 yards.

The German Mauser K98k Zf.39 was an accurate rifle, and its fixed 4X scope had the best optics of all World War II sniper scopes. Accuracy and the optic are where the list of advantages end. The K98k maintained the rifle’s reputation for a heavy trigger at 6 pounds, 11 ounces; at least it was crisp. The bolt was stiff and clunky, as was the safety. After manipulating the controls, the sniper was met with the hardest felt recoil impulse due in part to the 7.92x57mm cartridge and high-­mounted scope that lent the poorest cheekweld.

The Zf.39 scope was difficult to zero precisely, and windage adjustments in the rear ring base were challenging. Adjustments during shooting were not possible, so hold-­offs for wind were required. Despite the quality of glass, the scope’s elevation mechanism was crude and not very repeatable. Though it weighed less than the British Enfield No. 4 Mk 1 (T), it was still a heavy rifle at 10.9 pounds, which did little to manage felt recoil.

Ranking the Rifles

4. Mauser K98k Zf.39, 7.92x57mm

The Mauser K98k was a good rifle capable of good accuracy. The Zf.39 scope limited the rifle’s effectiveness as a sniper rifle. There was no capability for windage adjustment in the scope; the only windage adjustment was a coarse adjustment in the rear ring. The elevation mechanism was coarse, too, and not very repeatable; it was difficult to achieve precise adjustments. The scope is positioned quite high, barely supporting chin contact for a reference. Shooting the K98k without some recoil protection became uncomfortable quickly. The rifle would have required an experienced and proficient shooter to be used effectively in combat. The best way to set up the rifle was to zero the optic for 300 yards and then to never touch it; snipers used hold over/under techniques and hold-­offs for wind. The combination of a heavy post reticle and needing to estimate different holds for long engagements limited the rifle’s effective range to about 500 yards.

3. Springfield Armory Model 1903A4, .30-­’06 Springfield 

In my opinion, the M1903A4 with Weaver 330-­C scope was the best all-­around rifle and optic combination during World War II. It likely has the greatest accuracy potential of the rifles, but the ammunition available to the GI sniper would have limited his effectiveness and maximum range. The M1903A4 was the lightest of the scoped rifles, and it exhibited a smooth bolt and a nice trigger. 

The low-­mounted Weaver 330-­C scope allowed for somewhat of a cheekweld, too, but the scope was the most fragile of the group. If it was handled carefully and protected, it was capable of precise and repeatable adjustments. The Weaver 330-C produced the least amount of backlash and crosstalk and was the most repeatable scope of the four tested. The scope was limited by its low 2.75X magnification, but the fine crosshair helped overcome the limited magnification from 100 to 300 yards. When shooting period ammunition, the M1904A3 was effective to 400 yards — and maybe 500 yards with a known Lot of ammunition, time, and a skilled shooter. I have competed several times with this rifle in CMP’s Vintage Sniper Rifle Match and can confirm that it was capable of nearly 1 MOA accuracy at 600 yards with superior ammunition.

2. Enfield No. 4 Mk 1 (T), .303 British 

Although the British sniper came in a close third in accuracy to the K98k Zf.39, the overall package of the No. 4 Mk 1 (T) was quite good. The cheekpiece was a big advantage for the British sniper, as was the smooth bolt and 10-­round magazine. G&A’s two examples showed good accuracy potential with certain loads. The No. 32 scope was a solid design, but it suffered from a bit of backlash in the turrets. This could be overcome if one was careful and tracked the direction they rotated the turrets. The 3.5X scope, with its heavy post reticle, limits the maximum effective range of this rifle. A sniper with a good shooting Lot of ammunition would have been effective to 500 yards, and probably 600 yards at the outside. To a sniper’s disadvantage was the rifle’s heavy weight, which was noticeable when picking it up and carrying it after handling the other three sniper rifles.

1. Mosin-­Nagant 91/30 PU, 7.62x54R 

The Mosin-­Nagant 91/30 PU exhibited the highest level of accuracy among World War II sniper rifles with period ammunition. That is not to say that there were not specific Lots of ammunition encountered that didn’t shoot well because there were. However, the 91/30 PU benefited from the most useable scope with small amounts of backlash and crosstalk. The elevation turret scale matched well to Soviet-­issue light ball ammunition. The high scope mount required an uncomfortable shooting position with essentially a “chin weld.” Due to the small and sharp post reticle, and decent sight resolution that coupled with accurate fire downrange, a skilled sniper with a Lot of quality ammunition could have been effective to 600 or 700 yards with this rifle. I have competed several times with the 91/30 in CMP’s Vintage Sniper Rifle Match. If one is careful with the turrets and keeps backlash in mind, accurate fire is achievable to 600 yards.

Parting Shot

This evaluation gave us a fresh appreciation for World War II snipers, and for the advancements in sniping since. More importantly, shooting these artifacts provided us with a tangible connection to an important moment in world history. 

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