Military sniper rifle technology has made tremendous progress in recent times, as designs and calibers have allowed trained snipers to interdict targets far beyond what previous generations ever thought possible.
However, not every rifle, even excellent ones, makes for a good sniper rifle. Some aren’t suited for the task. It’s just something to keep in mind. Others, well, they are just bad weapons to begin with.
Meet the 5 Worst Sniper Rifles in Military History
Let’s take a look at some of the worst of the worst.
Lebel 1886 Sniper
The 1886 Lebel was the first military rifle to use smokeless powder, but by the outset of World War I, the 8mm bolt-action rifle known as the “Fusil Mle 1886 M93” was already outmoded.
An intriguing aspect of the Lebel was the forestock tube magazine, which held eight rounds. An additional round was carried in the elevator, plus one round in the chamber, equaling a total of ten rounds held.
However, for the sniper version, the French didn’t make any modifications; they took rifles off the rack and placed scopes off-center on the stock. They were mounted and adjusted using brass screws. The reason for this was that the bolt had to rotate straight to the vertical position, which made the weapon difficult to maintain sight alignment.
Spanish M43
This firearm is one of the most universally hated weapons out there. The website Forgotten Weapons pulled zero punches with the article “Spanish M43: The Worst Sniper Rifle Ever Made.” That alone speaks volumes. The rifle is chambered in the 8mm Mauser cartridge. However, the exact caliber is a 7.92 x 57mm cartridge.
Ian McCollum, the article’s author, writes: “The late pattern of M43 sniper is truly awful. It uses a cheap Japanese-made 10x ‘Marine’ scope (this being in the days when Japanese optics were very poor, unlike today).
The mounts are a conglomeration of spacer blocks crudely welded to the receiver, bits of aluminum Weaver rail, and cheap thumb-screw scope rings. Honestly, the worst actual military sniper rifle I have ever seen. And yet, they were formally adopted and used in the Spanish military service for many years.”
Ouch. That about sums this rifle up in a nutshell.
Winchester Model 100
This .308 caliber semi-automatic rifle was a hunting rifle repurposed as a sniper rifle. Interestingly, bolt-action rifles are commonly used for sniping, not semi-automatics. Military forces and law enforcement used the rifle under the Fabrique Nationale banner as the Special Police Rifle (SPR) and the Patrol Bolt Rifle (PBR).
The Model 100 had an awful trigger, a lack of accuracy, and frail firing pins that would wear down or snap over time and cause slam-fires with the bolt not fully locked. An article in Field and Stream called The Five Worst Hunting Rifles Ever Made, stated, “The Model 100 was produced until 1973, when it was allowed to die an unmourned death.”
Italian 6.5mm Mannlicher Carcano
The infamous Lee Harvey Oswald rifle was reportedly used to kill President John F. Kennedy if you were to believe the Warren Commission, but that’s a story for another time. However, it is a nice weapon if you’ve ever shot this rifle.
The 6.5mm Carcano has a less-than-stellar reputation because it was used by Mussolini’s forces in World War II. Robert Prudhomme posted a very detailed breakdown of the Carcano 6.5mm in “The Education Forum” as to why it wasn’t suited for sniping.
“Although Italy started out with an excellent weapon, economics, poor wartime planning, and, likely the most predominant of all factors, politics, all played a part in contributing to the bad reputation received by the 6.5 Carcano…
“These carbines were produced by shortening M1891 long rifle barrels and, of course, the part of the barrel with the tightest riflings (the muzzle) was cut off; leaving the carbine barrel with a maximum rifling of possibly 1:13 which was totally inadequate.
“Further attributes to the inaccuracy of 6.5 Carcanos (all models) can be traced to the primers used in the standard Italian issue ‘SMI; (Societa Metallurgica Italiana) 6.5 mm Carcano cartridges…As dealers in surplus Italian arms are quick to point out, surplus Italian 6.5 mm ammunition is highly suspect, for these reasons, and most are quick to advise against firing surplus Italian ammunition.”
Sporterized Japanese Arisaka 7.7mm Rifle
These were the so-called “last ditch” Type 99 rifles, also known as “Substitute 99” rifles. They were simplified and hastily produced Japanese Arisaka rifles during the latter stages of World War II. They were characterized by rough machining, simplified features, and a focus on rapid production rather than quality.
These weapons were pushed out at the end of WWII as more bayonet-holding lances than accurate infantry rifles or sniper weapons. As for firing these … take it under advisement to think twice before shooting.
About the Author
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
