ChalupaCabras
Expert
If you are just starting out, the .303 for an Enfield is probably the most common out of the rifles you listed, with 8mm right on its heels.
All the rifles you listed are good guns, but be aware that the Turk Mausers are not quite as well built as the others on your list. It is very common for them to have split or cracked stocks, because they were seldom bedded correctly (especially the 'K.Kale' mausers).
Enfield:
I own two No.I Mk.III rifles, a No.IV Mk.I, and a Gibbs commercial carbine. Enfields of all flavors are some of my favorite surpluss rifles - they are well built and have perhaps the smoothest cycling action of all the old bolt guns. 10 rounds is also always better than 5. There is also some great history with the MkVII surplus rounds, which can still be found if you look for them. The commercial carbine is very light and hand, and has really wet my whistle for a real No.5 Jungle Carbine.
Spanish Mauser:
I don't own the spanish version specifically, but I do own other small ring mauser like the Swede. They are also top notch rifles. The cycling is cock on closing like the enfield, but the bolt throw isn't as smooth. The leaf sights are also not quite as easy to shoot accurately. Overall though, they are nevery well made and reliable rifles. Ammo for things like 7mm and 6.5mm are a little harder to find as reasonable prices.
Turk Mauser:
8mm is always a hoot to shoot, but the turk mausers (mine is an M38 K.Kale) are just not made to quite as high a standard as a German K98, or even the Czech or Yugo mausers. Mine was a project gun, with a cracked and dry rotted stock, broken firing pin, and a loose front sight post. I repaired and replaced the broken and missing parts, and reworked and rapaired the stock as best I could. I like to keep my military rifles as original as possible, but this one was pretty far gone. The good news is that it still shoots well after a little TLC. I dont see the Turks ever being as collectable as the other 8mm rifles, but they still have a lot of potential.
K31:
Excellent well built rifles. Very accurate, even in a laymans hands. I have a decent amount of trigger time behind a pair of them owned by a friend. Neither of us have ever had issues with them. Beware though, that some of the older version you see for sale on surplus catalogues can not fire the GP11 7.5mm round that are currently availible. I believe it needs to be a K11 or a K31 to use the availible ammo. The older rifles can not shoot this. Still, a K31 is about as nice as surpluss bolt guns get - if you find one, buy it.
All the rifles you listed are good guns, but be aware that the Turk Mausers are not quite as well built as the others on your list. It is very common for them to have split or cracked stocks, because they were seldom bedded correctly (especially the 'K.Kale' mausers).
Enfield:
I own two No.I Mk.III rifles, a No.IV Mk.I, and a Gibbs commercial carbine. Enfields of all flavors are some of my favorite surpluss rifles - they are well built and have perhaps the smoothest cycling action of all the old bolt guns. 10 rounds is also always better than 5. There is also some great history with the MkVII surplus rounds, which can still be found if you look for them. The commercial carbine is very light and hand, and has really wet my whistle for a real No.5 Jungle Carbine.
Spanish Mauser:
I don't own the spanish version specifically, but I do own other small ring mauser like the Swede. They are also top notch rifles. The cycling is cock on closing like the enfield, but the bolt throw isn't as smooth. The leaf sights are also not quite as easy to shoot accurately. Overall though, they are nevery well made and reliable rifles. Ammo for things like 7mm and 6.5mm are a little harder to find as reasonable prices.
Turk Mauser:
8mm is always a hoot to shoot, but the turk mausers (mine is an M38 K.Kale) are just not made to quite as high a standard as a German K98, or even the Czech or Yugo mausers. Mine was a project gun, with a cracked and dry rotted stock, broken firing pin, and a loose front sight post. I repaired and replaced the broken and missing parts, and reworked and rapaired the stock as best I could. I like to keep my military rifles as original as possible, but this one was pretty far gone. The good news is that it still shoots well after a little TLC. I dont see the Turks ever being as collectable as the other 8mm rifles, but they still have a lot of potential.
K31:
Excellent well built rifles. Very accurate, even in a laymans hands. I have a decent amount of trigger time behind a pair of them owned by a friend. Neither of us have ever had issues with them. Beware though, that some of the older version you see for sale on surplus catalogues can not fire the GP11 7.5mm round that are currently availible. I believe it needs to be a K11 or a K31 to use the availible ammo. The older rifles can not shoot this. Still, a K31 is about as nice as surpluss bolt guns get - if you find one, buy it.
