what's the most useless gun ever

The things that make it an excellent battle rifle make it an excellent hunting rifle.
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I don't agree that the two go together.For one thing the Lee Enfields are generally very heavy in order to be tough and survive battle conditions.I don't find that an advantage in a hunting rifle.You don't need to bayonet or club game.The sloppy tolerances in the action and chamber that allow a gun to function in mud or with dirty ammunition are certainly not an advantage in a hunting rifle since it generally does detract from accuracy.The action design and tolerances require lower chamber pressures which limit ballistics.Then we have an action which is not designed for scope mounting,which limits scope mounting to less than desirable mount designs.The stock dimensions also result in the comb being too low for optimal scope use.

The Lee Enfield was a reliable battle rifle,but the attributes that make it so,make it a less desirable hunting rifle.

For many folks who had limited money in the late 1940s, 50's, 60's and into the 70's the Lee Enfield was a low cost means to allow them to hunt and shoot.
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They certainly were cheep,and easy to get.And those are the only reasons that so many Lee Enfields were purchased by so many civilians.
 
303Brit

The 303 Brit has a long and winning battle history no doubt. I respect that.

It has shot every big game animal in the world, many times over. I respect that two.

For it's "ERA" it was a great gun (maybe the only gun?), totally respect that as well.

If I owned one, I would not spend a dime on bullets or anything else for it, because there's so much better out there today, and better looking too.:D

Just my opinion, others may vary.;)
 
stubblejumper said:
I don't agree that the two go together.For one thing the Lee Enfields are generally very heavy in order to be tough and survive battle conditions.I don't find that an advantage in a hunting rifle.You don't need to bayonet or club game.The sloppy tolerances in the action and chamber that allow a gun to function in mud or with dirty ammunition are certainly not an advantage in a hunting rifle since it generally does detract from accuracy.The action design and tolerances require lower chamber pressures which limit ballistics.Then we have an action which is not designed for scope mounting,which limits scope mounting to less than desirable mount designs.The stock dimensions also result in the comb being too low for optimal scope use.

The Lee Enfield was a reliable battle rifle,but the attributes that make it so,make it a less desirable hunting rifle.



They certainly were cheep,and easy to get.And those are the only reasons that so many Lee Enfields were purchased by so many civilians.
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This is only correct in one view, and that's the view of the quad riding, couple times a year hunter. A scopeless, no frills rugged as bricks rifle running low pressure rounds (water/dirt/ice in the barrel), with a fast cycling action that can handle dirt, snow, and such, is just the ticket in the northern territories a lot of the time. The Lee Enfield is honest to goodness the equal or superior of the Remington 700 in the Northern bush.
 
This is only correct in one view, and that's the view of the quad riding, couple times a year hunter.
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I don't own a quad,and I normally hunt for a month or more per year.

scopeless, no frills rugged as bricks rifle running low pressure rounds (water/dirt/ice in the barrel),
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A low powered scope is actually quicker for target acquisition than open sights for the person that knows how to use one.Unless you show zero respect for your rifle and beat the crap out of it,a quality scope is plenty durable for hunting conditions.A piece of electrical tape over the muzzle keeps a barrel clear of water/dirt/ice,and no person with any clue about the safe use of firearms, shoots a gun with any form of obstruction in the barrel regardless of the pressure.People have had shotgun barrels rupture due to obstructions in the barrel,and the pressure is much lower than with the 303 british.

with a fast cycling action
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The Lee Enfield does not cycle any faster than any rifle that I have personally owned.

The Lee Enfield is honest to goodness the equal or superior of the Remington 700 in the Northern bush
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I live in the Northern bush,and I much prefer the 700.
 
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Wow, a few people have really dominated this thread... very boring. The one that doesn't get shot, for whatever reason... (probably the same answer as many, buried deep within the thread)
 
1bigrn said:
Once they take the handguns, next will be the semi-auto, then the pump and bolt. Pretty soon you will be shooting an air rifle!!
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Too bad this point is so true we need to support all forms of shooting or we will be left with none of them. I personally won't be happy until we have the right to carry sidearms and defend ourselves. Only then will we have a true democracy and be truly free.
 
Not really a hunting and sporting gun but I hate handguns. Wouldnt bother me one bit if they were wiped off the face of the earth and replaced with bolt actions.
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And that is a major reason that the anti gun groups succeed at having new regulations passed.They generally pick on one type of gun at a time,and many of the gun owners that don't own that particular type of gun don't raise objections,and sometimes even support the proposed regulations,just like the person that posted the statement that I quoted.As a result,there is less opposition to the new regulations,and they are more easily passed.It is simply a matter of divide and conquer.If they were to attempt to ban all types of guns at once,all gun owners would protest,and the resistance would be much greater,and the anti gun crowd would fail.However if they keep using the divide and conquer method they will eventually be successful in eliminating all private ownership of guns in Canada.The only way to stop this is for all gun owners to unite and support each other regardless of the type of gun you choose to own.
 
If it weren't for the laws severely restricting handguns here in Canada, we would probably have more people putting handguns to good use. A 22 handgun would be good sport for shooting small game like Prairie Chickens and rabbits, and a centrefire pistol would be handy on hunting trips in bear country. I'm sure there are areas where a guy gutting a Moose would like a handgun handy should he be jumped by a bear. They already issue handgun carry licences to prospectors and bush pilots, but discriminate against hunters and all other outdoorspeople. Its basically a self fulfilling prophecy that keeps handguns in the domain of either target shooters or murderers and they'd like to treat us all the same.
 
Sorry to take you guys "off" topic, but in my humble opinion, the most useless gun as stated in the original question is the .303 Lee Enfield......:D Now, please don't feed the WW propaganda as this is 2008. Once...the Romans had the catapult, that was an awesome weapon........in it's day. I liken the .303 LE to the catapult, well.....not quite, but close enough. Ok, a tire iron at best. :D:D:D
 
gitrdun said:
Sorry to take you guys "off" topic, but in my humble opinion, the most useless gun as stated in the original question is the .303 Lee Enfield......:D Now, please don't feed the WW propaganda as this is 2008. Once...the Romans had the catapult, that was an awesome weapon........in it's day. I liken the .303 LE to the catapult, well.....not quite, but close enough. Ok, a tire iron at best. :D:D:D
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Really???

My tire iron No. 4 Mk1 is capable of shooting a 1" group at 100 metres.
A moose can not tell the difference between a bullet shot from a 303, 30/06 or 300 ear splittin louden boomer magnum when that bullet goes through the heart and lungs or through the guts.
Yes there are a large number of Lee Enfields out there that have been abused or are worn out. The fact that there are so many still in service, still reasonably accurate, and shooting a non magnum cartridge that will harvest ANY animal in North America shows the Lee Enfield is far from useless.

You are entitled to your opinion.

Never dump on the rifle used by another shooter, she may be able to shoot it far better than you shoot yours....
And it may be all he or she can afford.

Or are you a Lee Enfield collector trying to drive prices down???
 
I don't think that technology for hunting rifles have changed THAT much since the LE 303... most are simple/cheap bolts that people take out to shoot minute of deer vitals, hardly different than the LE... well, the LE was built heavier, and made to take abuse. With tweaking they can also shoot very accurately. There are guys that use iron sights up to 1000 yards...
 
10x said:
Really???

My tire iron No. 4 Mk1 is capable of shooting a 1" group at 100 metres.
A moose can not tell the difference between a bullet shot from a 303, 30/06 or 300 ear splittin louden boomer magnum when that bullet goes through the heart and lungs or through the guts.
Yes there are a large number of Lee Enfields out there that have been abused or are worn out. The fact that there are so many still in service, still reasonably accurate, and shooting a non magnum cartridge that will harvest ANY animal in North America shows the Lee Enfield is far from useless.

You are entitled to your opinion.

Never dump on the rifle used by another shooter, she may be able to shoot it far better than you shoot yours....
And it may be all he or she can afford.

Or are you a Lee Enfield collector trying to drive prices down???
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X 2 , Well said, 10x !!!!!!!!!!! one of the Best if not " The Best " 100 years and still going strong !!!!!!!!!
 
ONT0001 said:
The MOST usless gun you can own , is one you DON'T shoot.
2 year rule....if you haven't shot it in 2 years,sell it and buy more ammo for the ones you do.
JMO
Ont0001
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I too like that rule....but how do you say goodbye????

I have a few I have not shot in more than 2 years but still not quite ready to part with.....but I see your point and it is making me rethink.
 
i have yet to find one that i would class as " useless" unless its broken.
P.S my sks and 710 both function flawlessly and i shot 3 deer with the 710 one at 489 yrds but maybe i got a "good" one. all guns have a purpose
 
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