Longest running rifle in the military?

[Ulmus]

Just to tease Michael.

It's my viewpoint that the AR platform, while a great and brilliant machine, is not the longest running military rifle.  That little bit of history goes to...

The lever action rifle.

Why?  Well it was created and pressed into service during the Civil War.  You can argue that it wasn't handed out by the army, but it was highly recommended to have the soldier buy one and use it instead of the issued rifle.  Whole platoons had them as their arms during the war.

The lever action rifle was also pressed into duty during WW-1 when soldiers were ordered to protect resources needed for air support.  Spruce trees.  While not used on the front line the 1894 model in 30-40 was issued to the soldiers doing this job.

While this was happening here, over in Russia, the 1895 lever action was used on the front line until being replaced by the Mosin-Nagant. 

So while the AR is the definite longest running modern rifle platform in the military, let's not forget the legnth of role the lever action has had in our military as well.

See.  I listen to your podcasts Michael.

[tombogan03884]

I don't think the lever actions qualify since they were never US standard issue, and were standardized into foreign armies only for short periods.
I think a little research will show that the longest serving standard issue fire arm in history was the English Brown Bess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Bess

The Long Land Pattern musket and its derivatives, all .75 caliber flintlock muskets, were the standard long guns of the British Empire's land forces from 1722 until 1838 when they were superseded by a percussion cap smoothbore musket. The British Ordnance System converted many flintlocks into the new percussion system known as the Pattern 1839 Musket. A fire in 1841 at the Tower of London destroyed many muskets before they could be converted. Still, the Brown Bess saw service until the middle of the nineteenth century. Some were used by Maori warriors during the Musket Wars 1820s-1830s, having purchased them from European traders at the time, some were still in service during the Indian rebellion of 1857, and also by Zulu warriors, who had also purchased them from European traders during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879, and some were sold to the Mexican Army who used them during the Texas Revolution of 1836 and the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848. One was even used in the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.[1]

The AR isn't even close,first introduced in 1965, it has only been in service for 45 years. While that may be a long time for a US service rifle the Trap door and 03 Springfield's served nearly as long if not longer.
But they are blown out of the water by the Enfield, 1898 till the 1980s, and the Mosin Nagant Ulmas mentioned.
Another contender would be the Mauser K98 which went into production in 1898 and was still in use by Yugoslav forces fairly recently.

[Ulmus]

Good call!  I never knew that about the Brown Bess and the legnth of service that the Enfield had is truly amazing.   

[tombogan03884]

Good call!  I never knew that about the Brown Bess and the legnth of service that the Enfield had is truly amazing.   

Isn't it ? It was developed to replace the Lee Metford and utilize the "new" ideas of internal magazine, smokeless powder, and Spitzer bullets during the 1898 Boer war, and it was still in wide spread use by Afghan tribesmen against the Soviets in the 1980's.
Hell of a service record.

[lane47]

all great information, what I ask, is the shortest run for a US Army adopted rifle? what is the best? worst? (Custer has his own ideas on this one)

[Sponsor]

[Pathfinder]

all great information, what I ask, is the shortest run for a US Army adopted rifle? what is the best? worst? (Custer has his own ideas on this one)

M-14 for the shortest? Maybe the Johnson submachine gun for shortest too?

[tombogan03884]

M-14 for the shortest? Maybe the Johnson submachine gun for shortest too?

Johnson never made an SMG, there was a rifle comparable to the Garand, and a Light machine gun like the BAR.

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/M1941_Johnson_rifle

You are probably thinking of the H&R POS the Reising SMG

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Reising_Submachine_Gun

 Both of the above had a shorter service life than the M 14, which was still in limited use in 1978
The "6MM Lee Navy" may be a contender although it seems to have outlasted the M-14 in general issue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1895_Lee_Navy

        BRAIN FART ALERT

The Eddystone 1917 Enfield,

[lane47]

I was thinking of the shortest running main longarm for the Army recruit. For example, the Springfield Trapdoor rifle and carbine was the long arm for about 20 years, then the Krag rifle and carbine, then ?
The longest running pistol was the 1911, replaced in 1985, prior to the 1911 was the Colt revolver

[tombogan03884]

The shortest running general issue rifle would probably be the Eddystone Enfield it was on in general service during WWI and was retired from general issue as soon as the troops returned home.
While it was classed as a "substitute standard rifle" there were actually many more of them than there were Springfields.
Many considered it to be the better rifle , including Alvin York , who preferred the Enfields sights.
It may have been in limited use for many years, but it was only General issue for 2 or 3.