Swedish AG42 in Combat? Best semi of WWII?

[The Queens Medalist 8687]

I have had this disscussion with other shooters over the years. Did this WWII semi auto see combat?
I do know that Finland had 84,000 weapons given to them from Sweden to fight the Evil Russians. Also there were border skirmsh with the Red Army on the northern border as the retreating Wehrmacht moved west from northern Finland into Norway, winter 44-45.
There will no doubt be many stories by soldiers in the Arctic War, who may have saw the AG42 used in combat. Could be as rare as the SKS 1945 though.

 

[JP]

Never heard of any combat use for the AG-42B, the Egyptian version called the Hakim did see combat against Israël and it was not a big success under desert condition.

 

[sunray]

"...weapons given to them..." Likely Swedish Mausers. The AG was new kit for the Swedes during W.W. II. As far as I know, the AG never saw combat.

 

[Hitzy]

AG42 was the WORST semi auto design during WWII.....

 

[JP]

Finns received Swedish Mausers M-96 rifles, M-94 Carbines and a few M-96 Sniper's rifles. Best guy to ask is Vic on Gunboards, he has been collecting Finn and Russian rifles for 20 odd years.

 

[colinjw]

I had one years ago. Nice cartridge and probably a good design.

What I did not like about it was the weight and the balance.
Seemed very heavy & not well balanced.
Okay to shoot off a bench but I would not want to carry it around.

 

[Cocked&Locked]

the design was finalised in 42, but I believe they where not built and issued till post 45..so no, no combat. I have seen pictures of sweedish troops on peace keeping with them, i believe in the congo. Also the egyptians rechambered the design in 8mm and issued it. I suspect they shot it in anger..

 

[Calum]

I would have to say the best was the Russian SKS.

"The First prototypes were built in the early 1945, and were tested in small numbers on the front against Germans."

http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl01-e.htm

 

[tootall]

I vould vote for the Garand, as the best WW2 semi.

 

[sf]

Never heard of any combat use for the AG-42B, the Egyptian version called the Hakim did see combat against Israël and it was not a big suggest under desert condition.

Some were used by irregulars during the Ethiopia/Somalia war in the 70's.

 

[The Queens Medalist 8687]

Okay, these are the responses I was expecting.
However I beleive the 42 would have been used in small unit actions.

 

[Skippy]

^^
No one cares what you "believe" if you dont justify your reasoning.

 

[Cocked&Locked]

Okay, these are the responses I was expecting.
However I beleive the 42 would have been used in small unit actions.

but if it wasn't issued till after 1945..how could it be? perhaps in peacekeeping ....but otherwise?

 

[Calum]

I vould vote for the Garand, as the best WW2 semi.

Ok I'll second that.

For simplicity of design, I still vote for the SKS over the Garand, but I'd carry both with confidence if need be.

 

[Colin]

Other than the nasty habit of biting your fingers with the breechblock carrier I thought is was a nice design and the bullet quite accurate with minamal recoil and good terminal ballistics. Considering they wern't fighting a war, they came out with a decent rifle.

 

[sf]

A very long and rather heavy rifle.

 

[303carbine]

Patton was right about the Garand.
Too bad John Garand didn't make it with a detachable mag like the (real) M14. Enblocs are noisy and can't be topped off, if you have one round left you have to shoot and reload fast.

 

[tiriaq]

The decision not to use a detachable rifle was deliberate. The system used is efficient and reliable. Ammunition load is lighter. Detachable magazine loaded rifles can only be topped off if loose rounds are carried. Enblocs are noisy? The famous ping? Doubt that was much a problem in action. How many ringing ears would notice?
Assuming that the AG42 saw limited use, I can't think of any reason to consider it to be in any way superior, or even equal to the M-1, SVT, K43. M-1 was probably the best, (we all know it works), and the US was able to supply them in quantity and support them in the field.
When the Swedes disposed of their 6.5 rifles, the M94 carbines went first, followed by the 42s. Obviously the Swedes didn't consider them to be worth retaining. Some 96s were the last to be surplused.

 

[contact148]

id have to vote for the m1 carbine Light weight rifle very easy to operate and maintain a HUGE (for its time) 15 rnd detachable magazine low recoil so easy to control under rapid fire short overall length would have been handy for city fighting/house clearing

and by lmid-late 45 select fire ability (M2 carbine)

yes the garand was much more powerfull

 

[Hitzy]

the design was finalised in 42, but I believe they where not built and issued till post 45..so no, no combat. I have seen pictures of sweedish troops on peace keeping with them, i believe in the congo. Also the egyptians rechambered the design in 8mm and issued it. I suspect they shot it in anger..

All the ones I have owned have been 1942 and 1943 manufacture.