Excerpts from

A Rifleman Went to War

by H. W. McBride

Lancer Militaria, 1987

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Jeff Cooper wrote the prologue to the 1987 reissue of this 1935 classic on the rifleman in war, in which he says, "As a young marine I read McBride carefully and enthusiastically, and I learned more about my business from his work than from any other single source." Part of what he learned likely included the seeds of the Scout Rifle concept, as the following excerpts from McBride's book on the kind of rifle he thought soldiers need suggest:

(Thanks to Barry Fay (bfay@mtu.edu) for contributing this information. The page numbers cited refer to the 1987 Lancer Militaria reissue.)

From page 222--McBride on Sights:

"Now, I hate to say anything in disparagement of our Springfield Rifle (Model 1903--with 1906 ammunition). It does not require my recommendation. Too many people know all about it. But, why don't they put a sight on it? As it now is, I would certainly pick one of the S.L.E. (Short Lee-Enfields) for the ordinary, short-range work of actual battle. Argue all you want to about ballistics but what a man needs when he gets into a fight is a short, "handy" weapon-- something with which he can take a hasty, snap shot at a target which only shows for the fraction of a second and then disappears. And he wants a sight that you don't have to hunt around for--just something that you look through--not look for."

From page 223--McBride on Battle Rifles:

"...I took [a German Mauser] from a young and cocky Yager who had been wounded an taken prisoner. That one was a beauty. Short and trim--a regular "sporter" in fact. The former owner vouchsafed a supercilious smile when I held it up beside my own heavy Ross, and I don't blame him. He had a real, honest-to-goodness battle rifle, beside which ours were just clumsy clubs."

From page 336--McBride on Handiness:

"For effective use as a rifle in battle, the arm must be just as compact and "handy" as it is possible to make it and still retain accuracy and the punch. It is probably not possible to build a high power, bolt-action rifle that would be as handy as the little .30/30 carbine or "saddle gun," but that is my idea of what a handy rifle should be. No, with the bolt action and box magazine, it would be impossible to get the "balance" just the same and that has a lot to do with the "handiness" of any rifle. Perhaps the Springfield Sporter could be worked down somewhat. It is not bad, just as it is, yet even it would have appeared "clumsy" beside that little Mauser I took that day."

From page 340--McBride on Scopes:

"For the general purpose telescope, to be used in all sorts of weather and conditions--and by advancing troops--I believe the three power to be about as high as one can go, possibly the two-and-one-half power is enough, at that."

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