Let's discuss long guns

[feralmerril]

I already posted a batch of my rifles. Here is a couple more cheaper ones that I am proud of. The first is a ruger 77 7x57. I got it for half price brand new about 30 years ago on a sale. Its accurate, shoots to the same POI with different ammo and I think looks classic. The 2nd is a remington 30-06 760 I inherited from my dad. He shot a nice buck with it at about 86 years old! Last year I took it to the range to sight in almost as a afterthought. I was pleasantly surprised as to accuracy and handeling. It may find a place on my ATV now! They are fairly cheap excellant guns and dont have that plastic modern look and still are old classics.

 

[mr.magnum]

texas star, i know that my 527 pestige is of recent manufacture. i know that it was a limited special run. i have heard that it was a complete custm shop run and i've also heard that it's nothing special, just a model that's designed for the american market. whatever the case, it has an action that's like rolling a marble across a piece of glass....smooth.

 

[gregintenn]

I like the looks of the 99 Savage.

But you just gotta love those custom Mausers.

 

[cp1969]

You can still get good ones. My Ruger #1 is gorgeous. Same for the Browning SA-22. The CZ's are good, old-fashioned wood and machined, blued steel and very affordable to boot.

I hate plastic, too, but when our generation is gone, that preference will probably vanish with us. The newcomers don't know anything but plastic and tactical crap. They think all shooting will be done in cities.

 

[kscardsfan]

I am the new generation (I'm 25), and while I do appreciate the utility of plastic and stainless, nothing has the appeal, looks, feel, or yes, soul of walnut and high polished blued steel. My mother wouldn't allow me to own synthetic stocked guns when I was first given my own guns, so I had a browning BPS with blued steel and highly figured walnut. My first deer rifle was a Ruger 77 (tang safety), again in blued and walnut. I currently have a stash of pre-64 winchesters and late 50s-early 60s production remingtons that are truly working works of art. But they also don't hit the tree stand in a snow storm or wade out to the duck blind and get dropped in the lake like my Benelli nova does, bought specifically because it was ugly and plastic. I truly love, appreciate and enjoy shooting my "pretty" guns, but when it comes time to work/use/abuse a gun I grab some plastic and get to business.

 

[Smith357]

There are newer rifles out there that are as good as the old ones but, you are going to have to pay for them. When I was looking for a .30-06 sporting rifle what I wanted new started at $800-1000. The nice ones like Cooper's and Dakota's were much more. I looked at the new batch of $300 budget bolt guns and found them lacking. They looked cheap, and they felt cheap. Fortunately I found an old Winchester with a scope for $450 that just needed a little TLC.

Edit: I can suppose I can get over the plastic and stainless guns, what I can't get over is the lack of iron sights on todays rifles. I just don't trust glass or batteries in the the woods and in my mind a hunting rifle must have iron sights mounted for use when you scope fails.

 

[kscardsfan]

Edit: I can suppose I can get over the plastic and stainless guns, what I can't get over is the lack of iron sights on todays rifles. I just don't trust glass or batteries in the the woods and in my mind a hunting rifle must have iron sights mounted for use when you scope fails.

Thank you! I had to hunt high and low to get that 06 ruger with iron sights. I have never had a scope fail on me (yet) but I want to be prepared for if it does. I am a firm believer in redundant systems and backup plans simply because you can never be too prepared for when Mr. Murphy comes calling.

 

[cp1969]

I am the new generation (I'm 25), and while I do appreciate the utility of plastic and stainless, nothing has the appeal, looks, feel, or yes, soul of walnut and high polished blued steel. My mother wouldn't allow me to own synthetic stocked guns when I was first given my own guns, so I had a browning BPS with blued steel and highly figured walnut. My first deer rifle was a Ruger 77 (tang safety), again in blued and walnut. I currently have a stash of pre-64 winchesters and late 50s-early 60s production remingtons that are truly working works of art. But they also don't hit the tree stand in a snow storm or wade out to the duck blind and get dropped in the lake like my Benelli nova does, bought specifically because it was ugly and plastic. I truly love, appreciate and enjoy shooting my "pretty" guns, but when it comes time to work/use/abuse a gun I grab some plastic and get to business.

You give me hope. I shouldn't have made a blanket statement about young shooters because obviously you have appreciation for classic firearms. I hope there are more like you.

 

[Andy Griffith]

You know, it wasn't but a few decades ago that "tactical" actually looked pretty decent compared with the junk of today.

This for instance:

As for other nice pieces, heres a vintage 1895 in .30-40:

My newest Remington, a 341:

And, I know this is a long gun thread, but I just have to sneak in a couple of handgun with my old 1873's...

I really need to take some more long gun pictures....

 

[Faulkner]

I like a good looking walnut and blued steel gun as much as the next guy. I even have a few guns that are pretty enough to hang on the wall as though it were a work of art, but I hardly ever use those as a tool because I'm afraid I'll ding 'em up.

I don't think of walnut and blued steel having any spirit, soul, or other mojo any more or less than stainless and synthetic. I carry a gun every day and I like the fact mine are good honest tools. When my butt is on the line I want equipment I can depend on, and I've been impressed with polymer and synthetic and stainless steel. I want them to hold up in any kind of weather and go bang when I pull the trigger and put a bullet where I pointed it. I've been so pleased with my duty gear that I've kind of gone the same way with my hunting rifle as well, and I'm glad I did.

 

[kscardsfan]

You give me hope. I shouldn't have made a blanket statement about young shooters because obviously you have appreciation for classic firearms. I hope there are more like you.

There are lots like me, the problem is most of us can't afford the finer guns of yesteryear simply because of collectors also like me (I'm actually more of an accumulator, but thats a topic for another day ). In fact, I have a buddy who flat out refuses to buy synthetic stocked guys, and as a 27 year old prefers to carry a wheel gun (model 19-3) to any autoloader ever made, except possibly the 1911. I have gotten lucky on several of the classic guns I have, to the point of inheriting an entire collection of guns made no later than 1968 (no serial numbers or importer stamps or other GCA give aways) and I have been fortunate to get a job that pays pretty well and have very low living expenses right now. I also have very old man style tastes, so that probably helps the situation quite a bit lol. I love classic guns, but the sheer price and limited availablity of them means that the majority of mine stay in the safe unless conditions are perfect and likely to stay that way for duration of the hunting day.

 

[kscardsfan]

I like a good looking walnut and blued steel gun as much as the next guy. I even have a few guns that are pretty enough to hang on the wall as though it were a work of art, but I hardly ever use those as a tool because I'm afraid I'll ding 'em up.

I don't think of walnut and blued steel having any spirit, soul, or other mojo any more or less than stainless and synthetic. I carry a gun every day and I like the fact mine are good honest tools. When my butt is on the line I want equipment I can depend on, and I've been impressed with polymer and synthetic and stainless steel. I want them to hold up in any kind of weather and go bang when I pull the trigger and put a bullet where I pointed it. I've been so pleased with my duty gear that I've kind of gone the same way with my hunting rifle as well, and I'm glad I did.

I know how you feel, but I've also had a glock malfunction in the middle of a mag of remington hollow point 180 gr and seen a stainless steel sig 1911 rust, and had never been exposed to weather. There is no magic bullet or 100% reliable gun, modern or not lol.

 

[gregintenn]

Andy Griffith, I sure wish you'd quit laying your guns on bricks to photograph them.The pictures look great, but it just makes me nervous!

 

[28Shooter]

"Cold and Dead" - Skeeziks (Page 1) - best definition of the new trendy guns I've ever read. I might be old-fashioned but give me walnut and deeply blued steel anytime!

 

[beach elvis]

Being in my mid-40's, I guess I might barely qualify to be in the blued-steel-and-walnut codger club. I display my membership card proudly.
Held out on a 10/22 until I could find a Deluxe Sporter w/ the walnut stock. What wonderful little rifles they are.

Now having said that...
Could someone please tell me why I have such a screaming yearning for one of those stainless, synthetic-stocked FLINTLOCK rifles?
Gander Mtn. here in Ohio had one a while back and they wanted $600.00 for it. Nope, don't want one THAT bad but what an ultimate utilitarian piece of gear that would be.

 

[Wheelgunner840]

I agree with just about everyone here. To get the old time wood and blued quality, you have to pay through the nose! I am glad that I held on to a few of the old ones. Having said that, I don't mind the synthetic stock on my Savage MK II FVT. It's a great shooting .22 that I don't have to worry about scratching up at the range. I reckon they all have their purpose.

BarbC; I just ordered my Cimarron 1873 in .357 and it should be here by the weekend. I think they're gorgeous - walnut and blued metal and a case hardened frame. Great shooter, too. $1200 for it, though.

Great choice Barb. I have a '73 Cimarron (44-40) and it is absolutely beautiful. I am sorry to hear that they have gone up so much in price. That same gun 5 years ago was around $750 dealer price. Cowboy Action Shooting has grown leaps and bounds over the past 10 years, and the demand for lever guns has made the folks selling them pretty much name their price.

I hope you love yours as much as I do mine. While they all originate from Uberti, Cimarron does a nice job with fit & finish. All my cowboy type guns came from them, and I have never had a single problem. Best of luck to ya!


WG840