r/canadaguns • u/Life_Dragonfruit6441 • May 25 '26

Buy recommendations Best battle proven bolt-action currently available?

Humor me on this. I would like to add a “fighting” bolt action to my quiver, with iron sights and in a modern, easy to get caliber. What would YOU get, and why?

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u/Q-Ball7 In the end, it's taxes all the way down May 25 '26

P17, because it's the only practical option.

Though really, if you have enough money for an unsporterized copy, you probably have enough money for a Garand... and the Garand is by far the better rifle.

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u/Life_Dragonfruit6441 May 26 '26

Are you referring to the M1917?

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u/Q-Ball7 In the end, it's taxes all the way down May 26 '26

That would be the one, yes.

It's a Mauser action, except one that's specifically set up as a fighting rifle (and by that I mostly mean being cock-on-close and having a safety you can disengage from a firing grip- most Mausers lack those things), and chambered in a round that isn't obsolete (which rules out the Type 38/99 and the P14).

Not as flashy as some of the other rifles, but still a war-winning rifle, and a modern owner will appreciate its attributes.

It's also not as liable to breaking itself into pieces as the Enfields are; the wood on those (particularly the draws) is more fragile than most give it credit for. The P17 doesn't have that problem.