Crap, Ursus, you closed the pole before I voted!!!
Give me a Garand any day. I would hae even used my DCM hodgepodge non-matching battle Garand I USED to have....(I wish to HEAVEN I could relive that ONE lousy day in my life where I had the thought "Hmmm, I need REALLY need a new set of Hoosiers for this weeks race for the stock car, but I don't have any extra cash, I wonder if I have any guns I could sell quickly?"
)
I had a LOT of rounds through that thing, hung on EVERY reload so I got REALLY good at the old "slam the op rod handle after the reload before resuming the grip" (which EVERY Garand owner should practice BTW...I've seen it happen in matches for the first time on "match" Garands where guys look down at it with a dumb look on their face with the clock running!) which also meant it NEVER bit me...
PLUS it didn't slow me down at all, all it took was a touch and it went home!
I never won any matches with it, but it was accurate ENOUGH for battle and went bang EVEERY time.....
Of course, if you have me humping the tripod for the 1917A1 or the baseplate for an M2 Mortar, I'd might have to rethink....