The Madsen M47. One of the last military bolt action rifles, developed just after WW2 and for some reason, it's not a Mauser clone.
Posted by TacitusKadari@reddit | ForgottenWeapons | View on Reddit | 33 comments
Mauser style rifles don't have a split receiver like this. I don't know what the Madsen M47 was based on, but it reminds me a lot of the descendants of the Gewehr 1888, like the turn-bolt Mannlichers (Dutch and Romanian rifles for example), the Mannlicher-Schönauer, Carcano or even Vergueiro. However, the back end of the bolt doesn't seem to resemble any of these rifles.
J3RICHO_@reddit
One of my holy grail rifles, I doubt I'll ever be able to afford one though
jerry_03@reddit
Why?
J3RICHO_@reddit
The concept of a super late era adopted bolt service rifle is cool to me, plus the specific style of action it uses is rather uncommon.
Overall just neat and unusual, which are my two favorite things a gun can be lol
EagleCatchingFish@reddit
There was a guy in my area wanting to offload one of these things. He was really motivated to make a deal, but I just didn't have the money, having been laid off the week before. I think it had the bayonet, cleaning kit, and everything.
BadgerBadgerCat@reddit
I've always wondered how the project ever got greenlit in the first place. The one thing the planet was not short of in 1947 were bolt-action military rifles, and unlike this design, the others were essentially free for anyone who wanted them.
locolarue@reddit
And Madsen isn't one of these flash in the pan companies that just made this, presumably they made other products and looked at the world in 1945, 1946, and said...yes, the world needs a brand new bolt action general issue military rifle design. Very strange.
If it was intended as a sniper rifle and cross marketed as a sporting rifle, that might have made more sense, if the design had the needed accuracy.
Clapbakatyerblakcat@reddit
Totally speculating/spit balling- UK, France, the Dutch all definitely wanted to keep their colonies after 1945. And they all used colonial troops. When those veterans return home they will train up the next generation of soldiers.
Give them just enough weapons to maintain civil obedience and discourage incursion from other colonial powers, but not enough to present a threat to the colonizer’s main military.
In places like Africa, China, and South America, colonial powers weren’t expecting to have to fight Soviet tank armies. No need to give the “natives” access to the good stuff.
BigFreakingZombie@reddit
Even with this in mind it doesn't make sense. Bolt action rifles were available by the shitton in the late 40s often for extremely low prices (or even outright free as they were viewed as obsolete) . Someone needing to arm lots of soldiers on the cheap while also "keeping 'em a generation behind " could just tap into that. This leaves the M47's market target as nations who could not afford (or didn't need) a self-loading rifle but also couldn't (or didn't want) to just buy surplus stuff. For me that's a pretty small potential market to justify the investment,especially since it's not like the M47 reused existing tooling or whatever since it was an all-new design.
locolarue@reddit
I mean...yeah, but there's plenty of bolt action rifles available as surplus, that those countries all had or could get easily.
IShouldbeNoirPI@reddit
And with (as best example) British Army downsizing to peace size and converting to battle rifles there would be tons of lightly used or even brand new bolt actions
Clapbakatyerblakcat@reddit
They were planning for the next 100 years.
Things went, from the perspective of the 60,70, 80 year old generals and politicians who watched the “natural order” of empire return after 1919, awry.
pinesolthrowaway@reddit
Isreal bought a ton of ex-German K98s at the start of their existence because they were so cheap
That was an option for literally anybody who wanted bolt actions in 1947
IShouldbeNoirPI@reddit
And Norway converted many to 30-06
baldeagle1991@reddit
Tbf you are completely correct. Companies make mistakes like this all the time and misjudge the market.
Madden felt with all the semi auto rifles coming out at the time, poorer nations would need an alternative. They didn't take into account poorer nations were more than happy to take military surplus instead of buying brand new rifles.
BigFreakingZombie@reddit
It appears to have been a mostly original design that didn't take much inspiration (If any ) from previous bolt action rifle systems....which makes it even more baffling as it was an all original design created in a glut of well-proven ones.
TacitusKadari@reddit (OP)
A mostly original design? Do you have a source that goes more in depth on this? It really does sound baffling. Did this design do anything that the bolt actions already available couldn't do?
BigFreakingZombie@reddit
It is baffling. It's basically an amalgamation of features of previous designs with a broad resemblance to a Mauser but a rear-locking action. As for your second question no the M47 was a normal bolt action rifle not better or worse than any other available in it's time. Makes you wonder what the hell the folks at the company were smoking.
Brown_Colibri_705@reddit
No, not really. It's a split bridge, five shot bolt action with barrel mounted aperture sights. A fairly nice one but all of those are features that were available before the M97.
SolidPrysm@reddit
Yeah the M47 for the most part reminds me of an overengineered Carcano with a semi-pistol grip and a rubberized buttplate like the Jungle Carbine.
Brown_Colibri_705@reddit
Pretty much. The stock is nice and the actions are smooth but mechanically it's not at all ambitious for the time. A MAS-36 is a much more advanced time and that was France's low tech stand-in rifle.
Skelbton@reddit
I actually own one of these, they’re nothing radical or fancy, but very reliable and dependable. Sights are great. Loud as hell with the muzzle brake and the length and .30-06, but the thick rubber buttpad and that brake keeps recoil down.
Resident_Fuel2470@reddit
I love my Madsen M47 great shooting rifle
Kegalodon@reddit
How many of these were made? Was their limited amounts fielded? Perhaps as a training or ceremonial role? Much like M14’s still used for ceremonial purposes by U.S.?
RaiderCat_12@reddit
I’m told it was THE last military bolt action rifle meant for frontline infantry use.
TacitusKadari@reddit (OP)
Absolute madlads, aren't they :D
atomiccheesegod@reddit
The Spanish FR8 is also a honorable mention in post WW-2 military bolt guns, it’s in 7.62nato and had a NATO flash hider/22mm grenade mount and could fit a CETME bayonet
IShouldbeNoirPI@reddit
Yes but they are rebuild on existing receivers not completely new design
baldeagle1991@reddit
Christ! I've never seen that rifle before! Now that is a chonky gun!
MlackBesa@reddit
The FR-8 is so cool!! I love that the muzzle end is an upside-down CETME. It also makes it extremely simple to suppress which is a big plus imho. """Modern""" sights as well. The only downside is that this very same sight rips into your hand if you’re not careful when cycling it lmao.
atomiccheesegod@reddit
We have one for sale locally, I thought about picking it up but I don’t need any more guns
SmthnInconspicuous18@reddit
Having shot one, they're a lot of fun. A good, inexpensive, military bolt gun that takes ammo that is readily available. What's not to love.
Heidruns_Herdsman@reddit
It looks like a Lee Enfield carbine mated with a kar-98.
AutoModerator@reddit
Understand the rules
Check the sidebar. It's full of resources to help you.
Not everyone is an expert such as yourself; be considerate.
No Spam. No Memes.
No political posts. Save that for /r/progun or /r/politics.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.