Sniper Weapons

[osok]

Would a sniper/sharpshooter have carried another weapon along with his K98? I am sure he carried a pistol but would he have carried an MP40 aswell? Would it be wrong to carry both weapons, alot of pictures you see show soilders carrying several weapons but these are mainly infantry not snipers.

[Lev]

I've never seen a picture of somebody carrying a rifle and sub-machine gun. Based on the lack of credible photographic evidence in conjunction with the common sense of knowing what a pain it would be to carry two weapons, I'd say you should not carry an MP40 and rifle.

[YankeeDiv26]

I agree with Udo, I've never seen a combination other than pistol (usually no pistol at all) and a rifle with snipers or sharpshooters in WWII. Either axis or allied.

[valtteri]

Also consider the fact that sniper tools were standard infantry rifles, just accurized versions or perhaps only hand-picked ones, fitted with scopes (or not). This means that the guns they used were considered good all-around weapons for any range. The infidelity of bolt action rifles at close ranges was not a widely accepted fact. The idea of lugging a smg as a secondary would probably have been very abstract for snipers or their equippers of the time.

[osok]

I kinda thought as much, I just really love mp40's, I was expecting mine in the post tomorrow but the guy in the store called me today to say it would be another week to 10 days before they have them back in stock, a christmas website mix up he said, I'm gutted. I would really like to do a sniper impression but I just dont think I'm going to want to go out without my mp40. Lots of pictures wae probably misleading, one or two would be more like it, maybe just one, I definetly saw a pic of a guy with a ppsh in his hands and an mp40 on his back.

[Lev]

You live in the free world and ultimately can do whatever you want. I'd just mix it up if I were you. Play one scenario as a sniper and then another with your MP40. Having them both on your person will draw scorn from any quality group and will win you the "farb" label. You've been warned

[YankeeDiv26]

I agree. Just swap around as you see fit between scenario's. There just is not any historical research/information to prove it was done commonly, if at all.

[osok]

Cheers guys. Advice taken.

[sniper]

I think you might find it interesting to read the Sniper on the Eastern front .This book tells the story of the second highest scoring German sniper of the war . In the book he carries an MP40 as a secondary weapon. The MP40 would have been used for two reasons . If the Russians charged he would use it for the close quarters action , and he would hide his sniper rifle and use the MP40 in hopes that he could pass himself off as an ordinary soldier.
I think that is enough .

[osok]

Cheers Sniper,
I have that book on my wish list on amazon, its next in line to be bought. I' back in college as a mature student now and one of my lecturers is big into ww2 germany stuff aswell. He has a friend who met an old german guy who lives about 20 miles from our town, he turned out to be an ex ww2 sniper, he fought around Normandy, he reckoned the Americans were easy targets becuase they were so cocky. The guy who met him has a K98 and this guy was able to strip and reassemble it in a flash, he is in his 80's now. My lecturers friend said he will try to arrange a meeting with the guy to talk about stuff, he says he will try to ok it for me to go along too. Hopefully something comes of this, it would be great to record for history. If I do get to meet him has anybody any good questions they would like asked, I think I would be just sitting there dumbstruck.

[Russian]

If you are meeting him, please, get a good camera man and/or director who can tape it well. Despite any questions that may be chosen, having the lecture on video forever would be better than it happening once. Thanks!

[osok]

If we did get to meet him it would just be a small, informal chat with my lecturer, his friend, hopefully me and the German guy. I dont know what he is like, would he want to be recorded, possibly after the first meet it could be discussed about doing something on camera or at least on voice tape.

[Ripper]

I have carried my MP40 as a backup in the last two games that I was trying (in vain) to play sniper with my bolt action VZ. Despite having full camo and foliage all over me and the rifle, I would get maybe one good shot off before drawing the full wrath of the other team. Bolt actions against upgraded AEG's SUCKS!!! I would hastily withdraw to a nearby secondary position with the MP40 on my back then stash the mauser in place and prepare to engage the pursuing hostiles with the MP40. That has worked out much better than trying to hold off 4 man fire teams with a bolt gun.

[Lev]

The main advantage you have over AEGs with a springer bolt action is silence. Make sure you take care to conceal and camouflage yourself and you should be able to get a lot of shots off before they locate you. Now trying to engage somebody with a bolt action as if you were playing with an AEG...that's just suicide. Or if you're trying to do things like a real Soldat, when the action gets too close for your rifle it's time to go with grenades

[crewchief]

ripper said:

I would get maybe one good shot off before drawing the full wrath of the other team.

That's because we know what kind of threat you really are if left alone!! ;D

[2ndranger]

I see at events alot of germans will sometimes break off from the group, while most americans are really quite closely packed. So I dont see where a well hidden bolt action rifle wouldnt be able to take on a few unaware exposed allies.

Franz

[sniper]

You key to using a bolt action against numerus enemys is , to shoot and run . never shoot more that three shots from the same position , if you are on your own.

[valtteri]

Hehe, so far I've not heard any superior bolt action tactics that wouldn't work with an AEG. Just face it: with abolt action rifle you're outgunned, so you have to be as effective as you can, in any way. Obviously staying low and unseen helps, but it does so even more with an AEG. Furthermore if it's not a weekend skirmish, you can't have the whole squad of on the axis side crawl everywhere, the squad has to move and you have to go with it, even with a bolt action.

The question should be what you should not do. Like you should not be the covering element of your squad. Probably every answer to that too is so obvious it's not worth saying.

[2nd Bat]

valtteri
is spot on point with his remarks. Airsoft and sniper in the same sentence is a joke. The weapon capabilities simply aren't there. A round projectille fired at safe velocities can't provide the kind of accuracy and range to allow anything approximating legitimate sniper tactics beyond what is simply sound AEG tactics.

Sniper is more a mindset then anything else. I have several bolt action rifles as well as a number of favorite AEGs I enjoy mixing around which weapons I use and I enjoy the challenge of using my bolt action rifles against AEGs. Even with a slight range and FPS advantage I am at a decided disadvantage when I use it. It is fun and provides good lessons and skills to apply with an AEG. Bottom line is I like working the action during a game even if it does often get me eliminated.

GI clung to their Springfields stating superiority over the Garand only to be constantly shown how eight consecutive shots down range was far more effective at engagement ranges then the 5 round bolt action 1903. A semi auto rifle has significant advantages over a bolt action rifle and those advantages become increasingly apparent as ranges get closer. Certainly at Airsoft ranges the advantages are really pronounced.

I like seeing bolt action rifles on the WW2 airsoft field as it is realistic and adds to the unique nature of play further separating us from the paintsofter spray and pray traditional skirmishers. To call it sniping is just not an accurate description of what it is. Perhaps we should call them Marksmen positions.