Infantry Rifles of The Great War: Enfields, Berthiers, Mannlichers and Mosin-Nagants

by
posted on August 8, 2016

When the Germans faced the well-trained riflemen of the British Expeditionary Force at Mons during the opening battles of the Great War on the eastern Front, they mistook British rifle fire (musketry) for machine-gun fire. The rifle that was used by the “Old Contemptibles” was the .303 Short, Magazine Lee-Enfield. Another rifle used to oppose the Germans was the French Berthier in 8 mm Lebel, a gun that started out with a three-shot clip. In the East, troops of the Austro-Hungarian Empire used their Model 19895 straight-pull Steyr-Mannlicher rifle as they faced the legions of Imperial Russia armed with the “three-line” Model of 1891 Mosin-Nagant in 7.62x54 mm.

For more American Rifleman TV segments, go to americanrifleman.org/artv.

Latest

KelTec PR57
KelTec PR57

KelTec’s PR57: Thinking Outside The (Detachable) Box

KelTec has brought the stripper clip back with the thoroughly unconventional PR57—a carry pistol with an uncommon chambering, an unusual action and no box magazine.

The Armed Citizen® June 9, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

More Western States Opening Large Shooting Ranges

A number of states in the western U.S. have opened or are planning to open large, versatile ranges to serve the growing need for publicly accessible shooting spaces.

Preview: Sneaky Pete Distressed Leather Perfect Holster

More than just a fresh look made using handcrafted leather, the Sneaky Pete Distressed Leather Perfect Holster has been redesigned to accommodate extra ammunition in addition to a concealed firearm.

New For 2025: Rost Martin RM1S & RM1C Comped

Two new models joined the Rost Martin handgun lineup in 2025, one with subcompact dimensions and another with a built-in compensator that promises to reduce recoil substantially.

CMP Resumes M1911 Pistol Sales

As of January 2025, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) had resumed sales of surplus U.S. Army M1911/M1911A1 pistols to qualified U.S. citizens.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.