"Great" guns that all of us might not be aware of

[ColbyBruce]

The Star PD was a fine gun in it's day.

They are ugly as sin, and some models were not super accurate, but the Ruger P series pistols were robust handguns.

 

[RobertJ.]

Makarovs - Bulgarian and German - very accurate, nice finish, and built like tanks.

This is the gun I was going to list.

The Bulgarians and the East Germans are recognized as the top end, almost rivaling Walther as far as finish, but even the Russian models are good shooters. Mine is at the low end, being a commercial Russian, with those less-than-perfect adjustable sights, and chambered for the weaker .380 ACP. But boy, does it shoot! Accuracy and dependability are top-notch even with this model.

 

[fyimo]

H&R made a rifle called a 300 Ultra Rifle and they could have either a Sako Action or a FN Mauser action and they came with very attractive rifle stocks. These rifles also had Douglas Air Gauge barrels. They also made one called a 301 Ultra Rifle that had a manlicher stock and a shorter barrel. These were brought out to compete with the Browning Safari line that also had Sako and FN Mauser actions.

300 H&R Ultra rifle with a Sako action in 243 Win

300 H&R Ultra Rifle with a FN Mauser action in 30-06

301 H&R Ultra rifle with FN Mauser action in 25-06

 

[lrrifleman]

I would like to suggest the Mauser HSC. It incorporates 1930s technology in a small package that has yet to be rivaled! It was made in both 32 ACP (up to VE day) and 32 ACP and 380 ACP after WWII. While I am not fond of the grip heel magazine release, I feel that the automatic slide release more than compensates for the grip release.

When my purchase permit arrives, my HSC will be a lead in my carry rotation.

 

[JR78]

Astra Constable in 22 LR.

I bought it over a Walther PPK whatever and have been super impressed. Accurate, likes high speed ammo, all steel and can fit in a pocket. It's a shame they came here a long time ago and did not sell.

Now if I could find some of the equally unheard of and hard to find Astra Constable magazines in 22 LR so I could have a spare one I'd be happy.

Astra Constable period!

 

[C Islander]

1911, 45ACP made by anybody. I don't care if you spent $400. or $4,000 on it, they're just fun to shoot. Anyone who likes to shoot should have one.

I think you'll find that 1911's are pretty well known, obviously people don't read the whole question before posting.

 

[koz5614]

I really enjoy my A.J. Ordnance "Thomas" pistols. Less than 700 were made in the late 1970s. It was one of the first striker fired, double action, compact .45s. It looks like a Walther PPK on steroids. It uses a bizarre delayed blowback system that is activated by gripping the pistol. It has a fixed barrel, so it is pretty accurate. The long DA pull, and funky manual of arms take some getting used to.

 

[Whitwabit]

You don't hear much about Beretta's PX4 Storm DA/SA .. 3 models Sub-compact, compact and full size .. in both 9mm and 40 S&W .. Price runs around $ 560 full price and discounted down to around $475 .. I bought mine on sale for $420 a couple of years ago in a big box sporting goods store ..

Any other PX4 owners out there ??

I bought the Sub-Compact F model in 9mm and had the stock bat wings (Safety lever) replaced to the low profile one which change it to a "G" model .. de-cocker and no safety instead of a safety only .. I couldn't find a G model when I bought mine and I didn't want the safety ..

The bat wings (Safety or de-cocker) I think are why this pistol isn't heard of more .. as they protrude almost 1/2 inch total which makes the pistol much wider and harder to conceal and are heck on the hands when racking the slide .. the low profile after market safety levers make the pistol much easier to rack and also to conceal ..

Beretta has leather and kydex holsters of their own brand and are very well made and reasonable in price .. wish other manufacturers would pick up on that ideal too !! the fit on the leather holsters is very good and would rate them as good as Wright Leather Works or others of that quality ..

I have the Sub Compact in 9m and it is really a joy to shoot .. has almost a flat trigger that I wish they would have made with less curvature .. the trigger pull on mine ended up being 6.5 pounds after breaking it in and it is very smooth with no binding or staging of the trigger pull .. and has a crisp break .. it feels very solid in your hands and has 3 back straps to change dimensions of the grip to suit your hand size .. it has an indention on both sides of the frame where your thumb on your left hand and your trigger finger rests that others in the industry have picked up on .. these indentations a reminder where those fingers need to be for proper grip ..

Even for a 9mm it is a very soft shooter and follow up shots on target are very easy to hit .. The very solid feel as I have said makes it a joy to shoot .. fit and finish are excellent .. my daughter has tried to scarf on this since she first shot it .. Eventually it will be hers ..

 

[Kanewpadle]

Not sure if it was a great gun, but it sure is interesting.

COP 357

 

[pmosley]

Another vote for the Star M43 (although I have a starvel and black one, this picture is from the interweb)

Single action, 7+1 single stack capacity and heavy as a brick, but one of the original small personal carry 9s.

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

 

[Drm50]

The Reising Bearcat 22 pistols. Very hard to find in good condition. There were several other early 22 auto and manually
operated pistols that are little known.

 

[hkcavalier]

The H&K 770 / 940 / SL series rifles. I've only seen one of each in the flesh, and yes those $400 gray market scope mounts hurt the appeal some. But how many roller locked hunting rifles are out there?

 

[Frank46]

Yoda, the high powers may be common but where I am I have not seen one except the model they brought out in 40 S&W. mostly 1911 shooters down here. Will be picking up a MarkIII in a few days. Frank

 

[Cyrano]

French model 1935A pistol. This is the gun that gave birth to Sig P series. Sig based their model P210 on this and the rest is history

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Here's a pre-war one, and the proper French mle 1937 holster for it.

 

[Cyrano]

The French PA 50 pistol is a great pistol but not well known in America. It's built like a tank, necessay because of that strong French 9mm ammunition designed for the MAT 49 SMG. It came into service in 1953 and is still the French military issue handgun.

Third photo shows the original Mle 1948/50 leather holster for it, and the holster that replaced it; the TAP (Troupe Aéroportée) originally for airborne troops but because it was cheaper to manufacture, superceded the Mle 48/50. Last photo is a shoulder holster designed for Armée de l'Aire aircraft crews.

 

[JaPes]

The Styer M9 A1.

I'd never seen one at a store. After some research and much trepidation, I ordered one. Aesthetically, the pistol looks like it is the hybrid offspring of a Glock and a Taser. Functionally, it's a sweet shooter.

• Low bore axis
• Grip design enables a high grip
• Wide, flat face, shallow curve trigger shoe enables proper pad-of-finger contact
• Trigger is very nice. Better than Glock, XD, S&W. A little less nice than H&K VP9, Walther PPQ, Sig P320.

Oddball features

• The pistol is wide for a 9mm. Since most people have experience with Glocks, the slide is as wide as a full size 45 ACP Glock 21.
• Triangle/Trapezoid iron sights. Still on the fence about them.

 

[CajunBass]

I bought a French 22 pistol a few years ago. The brand name was "Unique." No idea if it even had a model name. It was an all steel, semi-auto, with an 8 round (+1) magazine. Made in France in the post war years it was a beautifully made and well finished gun. Worked like a charm too. Both reliable and accurate. I got no idea why I sold it, and it's one of the few guns I really kick myself for selling.

High-Standard Sentinel revolvers. About the same size as a Smith & Wesson K-frame (fit the same holsters) but was a nine shot, DA/SA revolver, with an alloy frame and semi-fixed sights. Light as a feather. Put it in an Uncle Mikes nylon holster and you had, IMHO, the perfect "bumming around the woods" gun. Plenty accurate enough for pine cones and such. Another of those "I wish I hadn't sold" guns, but I do have this one my wife wanted.



Ithaca's Model 66 and 49.

The 66 was a standard break action single-shot shotgun available in all the standard gauges, except it had a lever rifle type lever for breaking the action. In the day of TV westerns, it was a big thing to a 12-13 year old kid (me). Mine was a 20 gauge.

The Model 49 was a similar 22. It looked like a lever gun, including a false magazine tube, but was actually a falling block single shot (they also made a 49R that was a repeater, but I've never actually seen one). Another great gun for a day and age when nobody thought anything of a kid with a 22 rifle walking down the road.

 

[Arik]

Here's a pre-war one, and the proper French mle 1937 holster for it.

Of course you have one



Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[ColbyBruce]

Granted, most folks on this forum appreciate the great S&W 10; but many young and new shooters have little or no use for these fine old guns. With the correct ammo, a set of stocks to fit the shooter's hand, and a proper holster the #10 will cover most any situation a person could encounter in the lower 48.

 

[sigp220.45]

My two candidates -



The seldom-seen S&W Model 646, an L-frame six-shot .40 caliber that never really caught on.



The neat little Beretta 948, a .22 LR version of the more famous Models 34 and 35.

 

[Farmer17]

Steyr M9 really is a nice pistol and should be a lot more popular. A friend bought one and we took it and a Glock 9m/m to the range with 3 new shooters. Every person liked and shot the Steyr better but I prefer standard sights over the goofy triangle sights.

 

[Arik]

Vector CP1

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[sw44spl]

I have always loved the war time guns of any country. I love my Kar98s and the Yugo m24 m24-47 and m48s. also the very nice fn49. the argentine 1891 and 1909 mausers. the sweet little british no4mk1s. the Czech vz24 and vz22.and any levergun mainly the savage 99s. and for pistols my all time favorite is the german P38 war time version and the post war one.

 

[Cyrano]

Of course you have one



Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

With a username like Cyrano how could I not? Great idea, incidently; wish I'd thought of it. I added a picture to my posting too.

 

[6518John]

Sterling Model 400 Mk II 380.

I am not intimately familiar with the company history but I believe they were a NY company that started making High Standard 22 knock-off's in the 60's. They made various pocket pistols then came out with a steel .380, the Model 400 (pictured below) in the early 80's I believe. I think most were blued but the one I inherited is a stainless model.

When asking an old gunsmithing friend about how to tear it down for cleaning he said "don't worry, all the ones I have ever seen flew apart on their own!"

I found a video or two on YouTube about disassembly and how to "slick them up" by stoning certain rough areas, polishing the rails, the feeding ramp, etc. Ours has been an excellent, reliable, fun, problem free shooter since.

It is a compact double/single design but "makes-up" for that by being as heavy as a brick. It is marginal selection for letter of this thread, but it meets the spirit with our limited experience.

 

[FifthWheel]

Swedish Lahti M40. I think they were 9mm also used by Danish police. WWII era.
I just bought an old holster for one because it fits my Ruger Standard perfectly.
Holster is for Lahti, gun is my Ruger.
Sweden's WWII cold weather pistol: The Lahti m/40 - The Firearm Blog

 

[bushmaster1313]

Not an unknown, but not everyone has heard of or seen one. The Savage Model 1920 rifle (in .250-3000). One of the neatest little sporters I've ever handled and I still regret not buying one when I had the chance. Ahead of their time I reckon.

Never heard of it
I think I would enjoy trying one out